The District is fortunate that members of the Holland Springfield Spencer Historical Society have maintained a wealth of information about the Springfield/Holland community.

From the members, we know that in 1898, Springfield Schools held its first commencement exercises for a class consisting of two graduates - Mabel Hovey and Eathel M. Wood. Ms. Hovey later became Holland’s first Mayor and believed “...what Holland had been was nothing compared to what it could be.” When elected mayor, Ms. Hovey was one of only two women mayors ever elected in Ohio. She later went on to teach Holland students for more than 27 years.