The upside of the down economy
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pened, there was a liquidity crisis among the large banks,” Houston says. “Literally all your community banks here had money to lend for those people who were credit-worthy and capable of borrowing money. It was never a matter of there not being money to lend, whereas on a national basis, people couldn’t borrow.”

Houston says community banks with continued lending capabilities are able to support small businesses, in turn fostering job growth.

“Replacing the jobs we’ve lost will be the key to recovery,” he says. “When you look at businesses that have reduced their employment, they try to operate on a very lean basis. They’re not going to be anxious to add additional cost in terms of people or anything else, unless they start to see some recovery in their own businesses.”

Thank Lincoln

Springfield has a unique advantage as the political stomping grounds of one of history’s most recognizable figures. Practically everything here bears the mark of Honest Abe, from the Old State Capitol where he served as a state representative to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum where many of his personal items still enthrall visitors from around the world.

The Springfield Convention and Visitors