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Elias M. Briggs
Personal Identity
Occupation	Farmer, City Planner, City Builder
Birthplace
Birthdate
Death
Place of Burial
Family	"Uncle" Isaac Briggs (father), Mary Briggs (wife), children, Isaac R. Briggs (unknown relationship), Robert Briggs (unknown relationship)
Personality & Physical nature
Education
Hobbies & Interests
Religion
Gender	Male
Heritage	Caucasian
Physical Characteristics
Social information
Affiliation
Residence	Springfield

History

Springfield was settled when Elias M. and Mary Briggs and their family arrived in the winter of 1848 via the South Road. Donation land claim records list their filing date on 640 acres as October 1849 (Geneaological Forum of Portland 1957):

[Briggs] chose as the site of his dwelling a spot convenient to a spring of water that sent up its bubbled with ceaseless energy. A portion of the prairie where stood this found in due time was fenced in the inclosure becoming known as the Spring-field - - hence the name of the town. Here for two years dwelt the Briggs family, the father and his belongings removing at the end of that time to a farm about a mile and a half from their original location. The Briggs’ father and son conducted the ferry where the fine bridge spans the Willamette…(Walling 1884:452).

In 1852, using shovel and plow, he built the Millrace.

After the Millrace was completed, he and Mr. Driggs of Linn County formed the Briggs and Driggs Company to build the flour and sawmills in 1853 and 1854. They were not the usual slap-dash mills built in pioneer communities for temporary and local consumption only, but instead, were constructed under the supervision of an experienced millwright hired from the east. They used the latest and best machinery and spending $10,000 on the two mills.

In the early 1850s, the settlement of Springfield consisted only of a ferry service across the Willamette, the Briggs' house, two mills, a trading post and a school.

Although Springfield was established as a small industrial center, the census of 1850 and 1860 clearly shows that an overwhelming majority of the settlers in the area were engaged in agriculture (U.S. Census Office 1850, 1860). Even the Briggs brothers continued to farm, while maintaining their commercial enterprises.

[-Springfield Beacon, Wednesday, August 1st, 2007, B4]