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Simpsons Travel: The Real Springfield Hides in Oregon

July 17, 2007 at 9:58 AM | by | Comment (1)

Somehow Springfield, Vermont managed to nab the title of The Real Springfield in a recent contest promoting The Simpsons movie. Personally, we don't think Mayor Quimby's town has a New England feel to it--despite his accent. For one thing, after watching thousands of episodes, we haven't spotted a single B&B.

Further, it's a known fact that Portland, Oregon-born Matt Groening didn't stray far from home to find his inspiration for the show (his parents are named Homer and Marge, after all). Since Portland has a neighboring town named Springfield, placing the Simpsons in Oregon is not a stretch.

The kicker? The above pictured statue, allegedly called the "Pioneer Father," on the sort-of-nearby University of Oregon campus, is obviously the inspiration for Jebediah Springfield.

So let's take a look at the unofficial Real Springfield. The Springfield Oregon Visitor's Center and Chamber of Commerce's "local events" listing names mainly new bank branch ribbon-cutting ceremonies, golf tournaments, and fundraisers. Funny, it sounds like the kind of ho-hum small-town happenings we recognize from watching Fox on Sunday nights...

Related Stories:
· Springfield, Ore. Chamber [Tourism Board]
· The Simpsons Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: drcorneilus]

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Return to » Simpsons Travel: The Real Springfield Hides in Oregon


The Real Springfield

...is truly Portland, not the namesake city 100 miles south of Portland on I-5.  

Mayor Quimby's town (as in "NW Quimby Street" in Portland) is easy to identify as Portland for those with a trained eye.  For those without a trained eye, here's a link to a short, short list to serve as a primer:
http://www.movingtoportland.net/matt_groening_map.htm

There are countless other "coincidences" that all line up in favor of Groening's real-life hometown serving as the inspiration for the Simpson's Springfield.  

jedge242 on July 17, 2007 at 12:39 PM #Permalink

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