Springville is the site of the Springville Free Methodist Church, built in 1891.[3] Businesses in the town include two large gas stations serving highway travelers, and a large mobile home park. Springville is part of the Michigan City Area Schools school district.
The Springville area was originally almost entirely forest, but is now a mixture of forest and farmland.[4][5] The town stands on a low hill that divides the watershed of Trail Creek from the Galena River, which rises a short distance to the east in the Springfield Fen, which provides habitat for a variety of rare plants and animals.[6][4]
History
Springville was first settled in 1833, and platted on August 19, 1835.[2][7] It lay on the Michigan Road, an important early road which ran from the Ohio River to Michigan City, Indiana.[3] In the mid-19th century, it was the site of businesses including a mill, sawmill, schoolhouse, tannery, shoemaker and general store, as well as both Baptist and Methodist congregations.[8] Springville also had a post office from 1835 to 1863.[7]
During the 1840s, many locals hoped that Springville would become the county seat.[9] The town's ambitions of becoming a location of importance ended, however, when the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway passed through LaPorte instead of Springville.[2] In the 1850s, a company was organized in Springville to build a plank road from Michigan City to South Bend, but this too was unsuccessful.[2]
Later, however, the LaCrosse Division of the Pere Marquette Railroad, running from New Buffalo to LaCrosse was built through the town and stopped at Springville.[10] The Pere Marquette right-of-way was ultimately acquired by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, and was abandoned in the late 20th century.