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| Panorama of Joplin, circa 1910 |
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| Bonnie & Clyde |
Joplin is a city
in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner
of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County,
though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population
was 50,150. With the city’s recent[when?] annexation of Silver Creek, the
population is now estimated at 51,186. In 2011, the surrounding Metropolitan
Statistical Area had an estimated population of 176,849. The city is named
after the Reverend Harris Joplin, an early European-American settler and the
founder of the area’s first Methodist congregation. The town was established in
1873 and expanded significantly from the wealth created by the mining of zinc; its
growth faltered after World War II when the price of the mineral collapsed. The
city gained travelers as Route 66 passed through it; “Joplin, Missouri” is
named in the lyrics to Bobby Troup’s legendary song about the famous highway.
On May 22, 2011, Joplin was struck by an extremely powerful EF-5 tornado, which
resulted in at least 161 deaths and more than 900 injuries; there was also the
total destruction of thousands of houses, and severe damage to numerous apartments
and businesses, St. John’s Medical Center, and multiple school buildings. 19th
century. Lead was discovered in the Joplin Creek Valley before the Civil War,
but it was only after the war that significant development took place. By 1871,
numerous mining camps sprang up in the valley and resident John C. Cox fi led a
plan for a city on the east side of the valley. Cox named his village Joplin
City after the spring and creek nearby, which had been named for the Reverend Harris
G. Joplin, an early settler who founded the first Methodist congregation in the
area in mid-century. The Carthage resident Patrick Murphy fi led a plan for a
city on the opposite side of the valley and named it Murphysburg. While the
nearest sheriff was in Carthage, frontier lawlessness abounded in Joplin. The
historic period was referred to as the “Reign of Terror”. The cities eventually
merged into Union City, but when the merger was found illegal, the two cities
split. Murphy suggested that a combined city be named Joplin. The cities merged
again on March 23, 1873, this time permanently, as the City of Joplin. While
Joplin was first settled for lead mining, zinc, often referred to as “jack”, was
the most important mineral resource. As railroads were built to connect Joplin to
major markets in other cities, it was on the verge of dramatic growth. By the
start of the 20th century, the city was becoming a regional metropolis.
Construction centered around Main Street, with many bars, hotels, and fine
homes nearby. Joplin’s three-story “House of Lords” was its most famous saloon,
with a bar and restaurant on the first floor, gambling on the second, and a
brothel on the third. Trolley and rail lines made Joplin the hub of southwest
Missouri. As the center of the “Tri-state district”, it soon became the lead
and zinc mining capital of the world. As a result of extensive surface and deep
mining, Joplin is dotted with open pit mines and mine shafts. Mining left many
tailings piles (small hills of ground rock), which are considered unsightly
locally. The open pit mines pose both hazards, but some find them to have a
kind of beauty as well. The main part of Joplin is nearly 75% undermined, with
some mine shafts well over 100 ft (30m) deep. These mine shafts have
occasionally caved in, creating sink holes. The mining history and geology are
well documented in the mineral museum in town. 20th century. Joplin began to
add cultural amenities; in 1902 residents passed a tax to create a public
library, and gained matching funds that enabled them to build the Carnegie
Library. It was seen as the symbol of a thriving city. In 1930 the grand
commercial Electric Theater was built, one of the many movie palaces of the
time. It was later purchased and renamed the Fox by Fox Theatres corporation.
With the Depression and post-World War II suburban development, moviegoing
declined at such large venues. Bonnie & Clyde, photo developed by the
Joplin Globe after the shoot out. In 1933 during the Great Depression, the
notorious criminals Bonnie and Clyde spent some weeks in Joplin, where they
robbed several area businesses. Tipped off by a neighbor, the Joplin Police
Department attempted to apprehend the pair. Bonnie and Clyde escaped after
killing Newton County Constable John Wesley Harryman and Joplin Police Detective
Harry McGinnis; however, they were forced to leave most of their possessions
behind, including a camera. The Joplin Globe developed and printed the film,
which showed now-legendary photos of Bonnie’s holding Clyde at mock gunpoint,
and of Bonnie with her foot on a car fender, posed with a pistol in her hand and
cigar in her mouth. The Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
nominated the house where the couple stayed, at 34th Street and Oak Ridge
Drive, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places on February
13, 2009. After World War II, most of the mines were closed, and population
growth leveled off. The main road through Joplin running east and west was
designated as part of U.S. Route 66, which became famous as more Americans took
to newly constructed highways. The roads provided improved access between cities,
but they also drew off population to newer housing and eventually retail
centers. In the 1960s and 1970s, nearly 40 acres (16 hectares) of the city’s
downtown were razed in an attempt at urban renewal, as population and
businesses had moved to a suburban fringe along newly constructed highways. The
Keystone hotel and Worth Block (former home of the House of Lords) were notable
historic structures that were demolished. Christman’s Department Store stands
(converted into loft apartments), as does the Joplin Union Depot, since
railroad restructuring and the decline in passenger traffic led to its closure.
Other notable historic structures in Joplin include the Carnegie Library, Fred
and Red’s Diner, the Frisco Depot, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, and the Crystal
Cave (fi lled in and used for a parking lot). The Newman Mercantile Store has
been adapted for use as City Hall. The Fox Theatre has been adapted for use as
the Central Christian Center. On May 6, 1971, Joplin was struck by a severe tornado,
resulting in one death and 50 injuries, along with major damage to many houses
and businesses. On November 11, 1978, Joplin’s once-stately Connor Hotel, which
was slated for implosion to make way for a new public library, collapsed
suddenly and prematurely. Two demolition workers were killed instantly. A
third, Alfred Sommers, was trapped for four days, yet survived.
