- Over the years, Springfield has had three other nicknames: Champion City (the highly successful Champion reaper was produced here in the 1800's), Home City (the Masons, Odd Fellows, and Knights of Pythias located retirement homes here around the turn of the century) and City of Roses (by 1919, Springfield's 33 greenhouses produced more roses than any other city in the world).www.ci.springfield.oh.us