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GALLOWAY NEIGHBORHOOD

Today, South Lone Pine is Galloway’s main corridor. But until the 1960s, narrow Highways 65 and 60 connected Galloway with places like Ozark and Rogersville. People from those communities and beyond traveled through the heart of historic Galloway Village, where there were once general stores, gas stations, beer joints, garages and even a school. On pretty days, Sequiota Cave and Sequiota Fish Hatchery drew large crowds to this quaint getaway.

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PASSENGER STATION AT GALLOWAY

In 1882, the Gulf Line Railway built a large, two-story depot at the corner of Mill and Main Streets in Galloway Village. The building was modern for the time, with electric lights and steam heat.

The Frisco took over the Gulf line in 1901 and hired architect R.C. Stevens to completely remodel and expand the depot in the mid-1920s. It was remodeled in the California mission style, a favorite of the railroad’s president, J.M. Kurn. The station brought families in droves to Sequiota Park and Galloway Village up until the 1950s.

THROUGH THE YEARS

Galloway has long been a beloved spot for families, explorers, entrepreneurs, leisure-lovers and the like. Click on the years below to immerse yourself in its colorful history.

  • 1880
  • 1900
  • 1914
  • 1921
  • 1959
  • 2016
  • 2019

1880

Galloway Begins Life as a Township1880
Local Union hero Captain Charles Galloway bought farmland in what became Galloway Village because there was rich bottomland on and near the James River. A post office called Galloway was established in 1883, and the township was born.

1900

Guided Tours are Held in Sequiota’s Caves1900
Sequiota’s biggest cave has an 8-foot entrance, and a small boat can venture more than 1,300 feet into the cave, where there's a waterfall. In the early 1900s, an enterprising entrepreneur began offering guided boat tours of the cave.

1914

Frisco Railway Begins Weekend Excursions1914
Sequiota Park’s popularity was such a big draw by 1914 that the Frisco Railway began offering weekend excursion trains from its main depot in downtown Springfield to the park. During the week, visitors could ride the “Chadwick Flyer” or take advantage of the hourly motorcar services.

1921

Sequiota Becomes a State Fish Hatchery1921
Sequiota Park was purchased for a state fish hatchery for $23,000, making it the second such hatchery in Missouri. The other hatchery was in Forest Park, a suburb of St. Louis at the time.

1959

Sequiota Park Is Donated to the Springfield Park Board1959
In 1959, the state hatchery in Sequiota was relocated to just below Table Rock Dam due to the cold water coming from the bottom of the new lake. The state donated the former hatchery to the city for a public park that now serves as the trailhead for the popular Galloway Creek Greenway Trail. Today, Sequiota Cave is home to a migrating colony of endangered gray bats and is closed to the public except during scheduled tours.

2016

Hip, Environmentally Friendly District Is Pitched2016
Green Circle Projects pitched a new mixed-use community—Quarry Town—to Springfield City Council in August 2016. The plan was approved, and Green Circle broke ground in late 2017. Commercial space will be complete in fall 2018, and apartments set to open for residents in early 2019.

2019

Quarry Town Opens2019
Quarry Town opens in 2019, tastefully mixing historic charm with an urban vibe.