We know which Springfield is the real Springfield that inspired the town in The Simpsons.
But now people are wondering which local landmarks made it into the hit show.
Okay, point of clarification: The Simpsons don’t actually live in the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday, the world learned that Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie’s hometown was named after Springfield, Oregon.
But Simpsons creator Matt Groening never claimed that the series really takes place in the Beaver State. As everyone knows, Springfield is located in a state that borders Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky — that is, one that’s fictional.
Ask most people around the area, and they'll tell you some places in and around Springfield bear an uncanny resemblance to those in the cartoon.
Springfield's museum might shed light on the city's history, but the museum's director holds another original piece. It's a spoof the city created for a contest years ago.
Written by Niel Laudati and Steve Woodward, it highlights the similarities between the Simpsons' Springfield and Oregon's Springfield.
For example, some wonder if Max's Tavern in Eugene could be Moe's.
"Moe's is a huge bar in the series, been in there for 20 years, and that was a connection people always made," Laudati said.
And the wood products mill, some say, bears a resemblance to the power plant.
The Springfield Simpson comparisons are definitely creative. We'll give them that. But there's also one no longer here -- the Springfield arch.
"That's the old lost arch that used to be in the Glenwood area, and a flood took that out many years ago," Laudati said.
Then there are the characters.
"I look like Bart. No, I mean Homer," said Sweety's owner Jack Koehler. Koehler says he's not Homer but says for a certain amount he would be.
All kidding aside, while the show at times can be unflattering, those on Springfield's Main Street struggling to revitalize see this as an opportunity to turn yellow into green.
"I think Springfield, if they take advantage of it, it is something that could be globalwide known," Koehler said.
"I think people will start looking to Springfield and finding what we have to offer here, so I think it's amazing," said Eugene resident Leslie Taubenfeld.
"They are pretty famous, and it sounds pretty cool that our city can be an icon of that," said Adey Gabuya.
"We're already hearing it from the arts community," Laudati said.
Another noted comparison is the names of streets in Portland are the same as names in the show.
Also, some say Shelbyville is Eugene, which is the wealthier larger city close to Springfield.Guess we'll all just keep wondering.
But don’t tell that to Homer Simpson. Since Groening’s revelation spread across the internet, the yellow-bellied kwyjibo has been tweeting up a storm about his city’s supposed locale. Shortly after the Springfield story broke, the Simpson patriarch’s official account reacted to the news: “Springfield’s in Oregon, I am the walrus, and Maggie killed J.F.K. Now you know,” he declared. (People have simply got to stop giving that baby guns.) Later tweets celebrate Oregon as “California’s toupée,” employ pun-tacular dad humor, and express misgivings about Groening’s home state. Evidently, Homey isn’t totally sure how to take this tidbit of information.
And he’s not the only one who feels conflicted. For a record-breaking 23 seasons, the mystery of Springfield’s exact location has been one of The Simpsons‘ most enduring running gags. Even though we know the town can’t really exist, speculating about where it might be is a favorite fan pastime — it’s up there with ranking the series’ best episodes and debating when, exactly, its “golden age” ended. Revealing which Springfield inspired Homer’s Springfield doesn’t solve the riddle, but it does take some of the fun out of guessing.
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