- 1777 -
-The Prehistory of the Springfield Armory-
The American Soldier, 1775
Aide-de-Camp, General Washington, General Ward.
Troops of General Ward's division

The government's choice of Springfield, Massachusetts as the site for one of the two federal armories (the other bring Harpers Ferry, Virginia,) was influenced by the need to conserve scarce resources. As a consequence of the War for Independence, the republic owned buildings and stored military supplies in Springfield. In 1777 Henry Knox, General Washington's trusted chief of artillery, recommended the "...hill above Springfield..." as the most suitable location for a military "laboratory." This evolved into an important supply depot and center for manufacturing cartridges. In 1794, Secretary of War Knox reaffirmed the selection, and President Washington again ratified the choice.


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