In 1833 , the southern part of the state was named Greene County after Revolutionary War hero General Nathanael Greene . The legislature deeded 50 acres of land to John Campbell for the creation of a county seat in 1835 . Campbell laid out city streets and lots . The town was incorporated in 1838 . In 1878 , the town got its nickname the " Queen City of the Ozarks . " The United States government enforced Indian Removal during the 1830s , forcing land cessions in the Southeast and other areas , and relocating tribes to Indian Territory , which later developed as Oklahoma . During the 1838 relocation of Cherokee natives , the Trail of Tears passed through Springfield to the west , along the Old Wire Road
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Springfield, Missouri