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LEADERSHIP Business Leader Profiles
BUILT TO LAST Developer John Woodruff might be one of Springfield’s best advocates and least known visionaries.
here’s no denying that Springfield would look much different without the life and legacy of ohn . Woodruff. et time has largely erased the memories of this mover and shaker, and years since his death, no dedicated monument stands to his memory. or glimpses of Woodruff’s impact on Springfield, you have to look around. or about years, Woodruff helped define Springfield’s development. e helped create oute 66 and its lap through Springfield. e helped bring the risco ailway’s west shops to town. e built the city’s first skyscraper the -story Woodruff uilding in . e was behind several hotels in the heart of Springfield’s downtown district that have since been repurposed but that still stand today. Woodruff served multiple terms as president of the Springfield rea hamber of ommerce, and he led efforts to ac uire land for the .S. edical enter for ederal risoners, which was coming to town. e was a force behind the location of ’ eilly eneral rmy ospital during World War II, which created nearly a second city within Springfield’s limits and drew thousands to the area. here are a lot of people who have the vision but aren’t able to make it happen. here are others who can make things happen, but don’t have a vision, says om eters, a local historian who has written a biography of Woodruff. e had both. hat was really a rare combination. ut of all of his accomplishments, the one that stands out the most is Woodruff’s focus on making Springfield a hub for transportation by rail, road and air. is efforts ultimately brought people and businesses to and through town, which led to prolonged industrial growth that long outlasted Woodruff’s lifetime. r. Woodruff always could see years ahead of anyone else and Springfield desper-
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THE CENTENNIAL
ately needs that sort of vision, proclaimed an editorial in the Springfield Leader & Press after his death in . ut as far as we can observe, there is no one to take r. Woodruff’s place as our civic seer and prophet. et he was not only a prophet. e was an evangelist, too e had the vision for a better world and the faith to believe he could help make it come true. nd he did. STARTING IN SPRINGFIELD Woodruff was born on anuary 6, 6 , in ranklin ounty. fter leaving home at age 6, Woodruff ended up in ichy, where he became a lawyer and passed the state bar e am in . Less than two years later, he began serving as prosecuting attorney of rawford ounty. e was only in his early s when elected to the position. In 6, he was hired as an attorney by the St. Louis San rancisco ailway. It
was a selection greatly celebrated in his home community, as noted in the Mirror newspaper, which printed in anuary 6 that everybody in rawford ounty will re oice to learn of the success of that brilliant young lawyer. y , Woodruff was promoted and became the assistant general solicitor for the entire risco system, and three years later, Woodruff was named issouri ttorney for the risco and he and his young family relocated to Springfield. he springs, rivers and wooded hills of the arks were calling me back home, he wrote. or better or worse, and with some misgivings, we left St. Louis for Springfield, ebruary , . fter moving to Springfield, Woodruff spent years investing time, money and vision into the region. ne of his main contributions
photo courtesy History Museum on the Square
BY KAITLYN MCCONNELL
