EARLY HISTORY

The name “Joplin” was first heard in this area when a Methodist Home Missionary, the Rev. Harris G. Joplin, came here in 1839 from North Carolina. He built a log cabin near a spring known as Joplin’s Spring that flowed into Joplin Creek. Joplin’s cabin was large enough for church services. At this time, the small settlement was called Blytheville after Billy Blythe, a friendly Indian who often camped near Shoal Creek. A post office was established in Blytheville by John C Cox, who, with his wife and baby, had settled in the area in 1838. About this time, the area was organized into Jasper County. The first school, Franklin School, was built, and the original Forest Park Baptist Church was constructed. Pure Galena was discovered in the mid-1800’s on the farm of William Tingle. The farm was located northwest of the present Joplin in the Turkey Creek Valley. Lead mining operations began on a small scale, and a blast furnace was built. Lead was discovered on the banks of Joplin Creek by a slave boy owned by Cox, and Cox began leasing land for development. The mining boom was delayed, however, by the Civil War and the extensive border warfare waged in the area. After the Civil War, many earlier settlers returned, and new settlers joined them in building homesteads in the area. Mining was resumed, and in 1870 E.R. Moffet and John B. Sergeant sank the famous discovery shaft near the site of the Broadway viaduct. In the first 90 days the sensational strike was worth $64,000. Within a short time, the Joplin Creek Valley was filled with miners’ shacks and tents. Cox laid out a town on the hill east of Joplin camp and named it Joplin City in honor of his friend, the Rev Harris G Joplin. Thirty days later, Patrick Murphy platted a 40-acre track west of Joplin Creek named Murphysburg. Murphy and W.P. Davis also built the first lead smelter.  A great rivalry existed between the two towns, and with no authority to deal with it, lawlessness intensified. To remedy the situation, leaders of both towns petitioned the county court to incorporate the two towns into one. It was short-lived, however; the incorporation was dissolved, and Joplin City and Murphysburg became separate incorporated villages. With prosperity coming to the area, the rivalry between the towns cooled, and they decided to merge again. In 1873, Joplin became incorporated as a city of the fourth class, and the first mayor, E.R. Moffet, was appointed. By this time, Joplin had already outgrown its original mining camp beginning. Businesses were licensed; an opera house was opened; land was acquired for a cemetery; and Main Street was graded and graveled. Before the 1870’s was over, the first railroad was completed; Joplin had a library association; a plant to make white lead; and a gas works for city lighting. In the 1880’s, a water works was constructed to bring water from Shoal Creek; a paid fire department was organized; and there was a Joplin College of Physicians and Surgeons. The Sisters of Mercy opened an academy in 1885 and founded St John’s Hospital in 1889. Joplin was still a city of saloons, but their number had diminished from “every other store” to one on every downtown corner. Street cars drawn by mules began operation, and the forerunner of the Kansas City Southern Railroad had reached Joplin.  In 1888, a special election was held to elevate the city to third class. By 1890, the city had a population of 9,943. Percy Wenrich, a local musician who wrote more than 3,000 melodies, was famous for his songs and lyrics, although he was still in his teens. The House of Lords, operated by Billy Patton, was in full swing, and occasionally Scott Joplin, the “Father of Ragtime”, was at the piano there. THE JOPLIN GLOBE was founded; the Joplin Telephone Company was granted a franchise; and an electric railway line appeared. Joplin’s population was 26,023 in 1900. The value of lead and zinc ore produced had risen from $3,367,367 in 1890 to $10,862,464 in 1889. In the 1900’s, the Public Library was built with a gift from Andrew Carnegie; James Langston Hughes was born; the YMCA was founded; and a children’s home was constructed. Other construction included a new City Hall; the Connor Hotel; Union Depot; Third Street Viaduct; Main Street was paved with creosoted wooden blocks in 1911; and a bond issue was voted for a new city market. Joplin also had the world’s first automotive fire wagon, “The Goat”, which was built on a Buick chassis in 1907. Arts and entertainment reached new heights in Joplin during the early 1900’s. Magnets attracting people to Joplin included the Joplin Miners Baseball Team; the Barbee Racetrack; Cunningham Park with its bandstand and swimming pool; the Haven Opera House; the Club Theater; the Joplin Theater; Schifferdecker Park with its Electric Amusement Park, flower gardens, zoo, and golf course. From this tradition of culture and amusement came the present Little Theater; Taylor Performing Arts Center; the Spiva Art Center; the Joplin Mineral and Historical Museums; and the present park system.  It is from this same tradition that such Joplinites as Percy Wenrich, Langston Hughes, John Beal, Lonny Chapman, Bob Cummings, and Dennis Weaver have gone out into the world. The History of Joplin included numerous other dates, buildings, events, triumphs, disasters, and anecdotes, but it is primarily a history of the people who touched it and were touched by it. It is a continuing history as today becomes yesterday and tomorrow becomes today…