Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. In 2006, the population was estimated at 47,994 and the surrounding Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 166,178. Although often believed to be named for ragtime composer Scott Joplin who lived in Sedalia, Missouri, Joplin is actually named for Reverend Harris Joplin, the founder of the area's first Methodist congregation.

History

Lead was discovered in the Joplin Creek Valley before the Civil War, but it was only after the war that any real development occurred. By 1871 numerous mining camps had sprung up in the valley and resident John C. Cox filed a plan for a city on the east side of the valley.

Cox named his village Joplin City after the spring and creek nearby. The namesake comes from the Reverend Harris G. Joplin who founded the first Methodist congregation in the area in mid-century. Carthage resident Patrick Murphy filed a plan for a city on the opposite side of the valley and named it Murphysburg. While the nearest sheriff was in Carthage a sense of lawlessness was abound in the town. This time is referred to as the "Reign of Terror". The cities eventually merged into Union City, but this merger was found illegal and the two cities split. Patrick Murphy then suggested that the town become Joplin. They merged again on March 23, 1873, this time permanently, a short time later as the City of Joplin.

While Joplin was first put on the map by lead, it was zinc, often referred to as "Jack", that built the town; and for a time, Joplin was the lead and zinc capital of the world. With the railroads coming through Joplin was on the verge of major growth. What was once a simple mining town became a more complete mining town that built smelters, dynamite, and all sorts of mining necessities.

By the turn of the century Joplin was quickly becoming a regional metropolis. Construction centered around Main Street, with many bars, hotels, and fine homes nearby. Joplin's House of Lords was its most famous saloon, with a bar and restaurant on the first floor, gambling on the second, and female companionship on the third. Trolley and rail lines made Joplin the hub of Southwest Missouri and it soon became the lead and zinc capital of the world.

As a result of extensive surface and deep mining, Joplin is dotted with open pit strip mines and mine shafts. This left many tailing piles (small hills of ground rock) considered unsightly locally. The open pit mines themselves pose both hazards and sources of beauty. The main part of Joplin itself is nearly 75% undermined, with some mine shafts well over 100 feet deep. These mine shafts have occasionally caved in, creating large sink holes. The mining history and geology are well documented in the mineral museum in town.

In the 1930s, Bonnie and Clyde spent several weeks in Joplin and robbed several area businesses. Tipped off by a neighbor, Joplin police attempted to apprehend Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde escaped (killing two Joplin police officers in the process); however, they were forced to leave most of their possessions behind, including a camera. The film in this camera was developed by the Joplin Globe. These are possibly the most famous photos of Bonnie and Clyde.

After World War II, most of the mines were closed, population growth leveled off, and in the sixties and seventies nearly 40 acres (160,000 m²) of the city's downtown were razed in the name of urban renewal.

Notable places in Joplin included the House of Lords, the Connor Hotel (demolished), the Keystone Hotel, the Newman Mercantile Store, the Frisco Depot, Christman's Department Store, the Union Depot, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Liberty Building, the Fox Theatre, and the Crystal Cave.

Modern Joplin

It is the home to two major hospitals, St. John's Regional Medical Center and Freeman Hospital and Health System. The city also has a park system that includes a golf course, three swimming pools, walking trails, the world's largest Chert Glades, and a waterfall, Grand Falls, on Shoal Creek just south of town. Included in Schifferdecker Park is the Everett J. Ritchie Tri-State Mineral Museum and Dorothea B. Hoover Historical Museum.

Numerous buildings still exist in Joplin that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Recently, the city has undertaken a project to revitalize its Main Street downtown district. It has refurbished its sidewalks and added new lamp posts. Numerous trucking lines such as CFI (now Con-Way Truckload) are headquartered in town, as the city is situated near the geographic and population centers of the nation. Eagle-Picher Industries and F.A.G. Bearings are noted employers in Joplin, and Leggett & Platt (Fortune 500) is located in nearby Carthage. The city is served by the Joplin Regional Airport located in the north of town near Webb City, in a small village known as Airport Drive.

In the nineties the city continued to expand eastward towards U.S. 71 (future I-49), and largescale development occurred along Range Line Road, particularly around Northpark Mall. Growth has also occurred in many of the "bedroom communities" surrounding Joplin. Webb City, Neosho, Pittsburg, and Carthage all have populations of at least 10,000. There are numerous other suburbs that touch the city itself including Carl Junction, Duquesne, Airport Drive, Oronogo, Carterville, Redings Mill, Shoal Creek Drive, Leawood, and Saginaw.

Due to its location near two major highways and its many event and sports facilities, Joplin is a stopping place for travellers and a destination point for groups. With nearly 2,500 hotel rooms, the majority located within a 1/4 mile area of Range Line and I-44, Joplin offers many lodging choices. In addition, Joplin is home to the 30,000 square foot John Q. Hammons Convention and Trade Center which serves as the primary event facility for conventions, associations, and large events.

For the past two years, ice storms have destroyed local surroundings, and it will take years for the landscape to grow back to its beautiful condition.

Geography

Joplin is located at (37.077760, -94.511024).

Joplin is located just to the north of Highway I-44, its passage to the west into Oklahoma. In recent years the settlements of Joplin have spread north to about Webb City. U.S. Route 66 passes through Joplin. Joplin is also mentioned in the song Route 66 when sung by Chuck Berry.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.5 square miles (81.6 km²), of which, 31.4 square miles (81.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.25%) is water.

Joplin is the center of what is regionally known as the Four State Area: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas.

Education

The college of "Physicians and Doctors" opened in an early day, and today Joplin is home to Missouri Southern State University, and two bible colleges, Ozark Christian College and Messenger College. Joplin is also served by the Joplin Public Library, which is situated on Main Street between the intersections of 3rd and 4th Streets.

Joplin is home to thirteen public elementary schools in the Joplin R-VIII School District: Cecil Floyd, Columbia, Duenweg, Duqeusne, Eastmorland, Emerson, Irving, Jefferson, Kelsey Norman, McKinley, Royal Heights, Stapleton, and West Central. It has three public middle schools--Memorial, North, and South--and one high school, Joplin High School. A school bond issue for $57.3 million was passed in April 2007, allowing the district to build two new middle schools to replace Memorial and South Middle Schools, and to renovate North. Joplin also has many private schools, such as College Heights Christian School, St. Mary's Catholic School, Martin Luther School, and more. There is also one Independent School, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, which has been running since 1993.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 45,504 people, 19,101 households, and 11,517 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,448.4 people per square mile (559.2/km²). There were 21,328 housing units at an average density of 678.9/sq mi (262.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.44% White, 2.67% African American, 1.53% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population.

There were 19,101 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,555, and the median income for a family was $38,888. Males had a median income of $28,569 versus $20,665 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,738. About 10.5% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Joplin is served by the mainline of the Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad, as well as by branchlines of the BNSF Railway and Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad (MNA). The city was once a beehive of railroad activity, however, many of the original railroad lines serving Joplin were abandoned after the demise of the mining and industrial enterprises. Passenger trains have not served the city since the 1960s. The city's Union Depot is still intact along the KCS mainline and efforts are underway to restore it.

Interstate 44 connects Joplin with Springfield and St. Louis to the east and Tulsa and Oklahoma City to the west. U.S. Route 71 runs east of the city, connecting Joplin to Kansas City on the north and Shreveport, LA to the south. It has been proposed to convert 71 into Interstate 49 in the future; the highway is already built to four-lane freeway and expressway standards from Kansas City, south through Joplin to Ft. Smith, AR.

A trolley opened on July 25, 2007, with a fee of one dollar.

Famous people born in Joplin, Missouri

• John Whitby Allen (1913-1973), photographer and model railroading pioneer
• Robert Cummings (1910–1990), actor
• Langston Hughes (1902-1967), poet and writer
• Hale Irwin (b. 1945), golfer
• Jack Jewsbury (b. 1981), midfielder for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer
• Tito Landrum (b.1954), Professional Baseball Player
• Jamie McMurray (b. 1976), NASCAR driver
• Charles McPherson (b. 1939), jazz musician
• Mrs. Miller (1907-1997), singer
• Darrell Porter (1952-2002), Professional Baseball Player, 1982 World Series MVP
• Mel Purcell (b. 1959), tennis player
• Pattiann Rogers, poet
• Dennis Weaver (1924-2006), actor
• Percy Wenrich (1880-1952), composer
• Grant Wistrom (b.1976), American football player

Famous residents of Joplin, Missouri

• Mickey Mantle played with the Joplin Miners minor league baseball team.
• Thomas Hart Benton began his art career with a local newspaper.
• Gabby Street, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, adopted Joplin as his hometown. He died in Joplin in 1951.
• Lonny Chapman, actor, graduated from Joplin High School and Joplin Junior College (now Missouri Southern State University).
• J. Eddie Peck, actor, was raised in Joplin graduating from Parkwood High School.
• Preston Lacy, member of the cast of Jackass' graduated from Joplin High School.
• Rod Smith, wide receiver for the NFL's Denver Broncos, graduated from Missouri Southern State University.
• Jamie McMurray NASCAR driver of the number 26 Ford Fusion, Also the only driver to win a race in less then 2 starts.
• Bonnie and Clyde had a hideout in Joplin for several weeks before a shootout with local police
• H. Dale Jackson, noted Baptist minister and ethicist, lived here with his wife when they were newly married in 1949.
• James Thrash, wide receiver for the NFL's Washington Redskins, graduated from Missouri Southern State University.
• Jeff Speakman, Martial artist and actor, attended Missouri Southern State University
• Ferrell Anderson, Professional Baseball Player
• Alan Cockrell, Coach, Colorado Rockies

Popular culture

• Joplin is mentioned in the script of The Music Man and in the lyrics of the song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66".
• In the 1962 film "Lonely Are the Brave" starring Walter Matthau and Kirk Douglas, Joplin is the starting point for the truck (driven by Carroll O'Connor) that hits Jack Burns (Douglas) and his horse in the end.
• In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Joplin was referenced in at least one episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show (flashback episode #6, November 6, 1961 that shows Rob and Laura falling in love while Rob was stationed at Camp Crowder in Neosho, Missouri)
• The Beverly Hillbillies (indicated to be a big town to the Clampetts and friends).
• Joplin was mentioned in the TV series "The Fugitive" and in the western movie "The Long Riders", a movie about the James/Younger gang.
• Joplin was also referenced as a trucking distribution center in the 1980s movie The Secret of My Succe$s starring Michael J. Fox.
• Joplin was the setting of a Saturday Night Live skit called "Joplin Alive! Podcast" (Season 31: Matt Dillon host).
• These regular mentions of Joplin in multiple mass media led the City fathers to erect a billboard that described Joplin as "the town you've heard so much about."
• Mickey Mantle, Dennis Weaver & Robert "Bob" Cummings often mentioned "Joplin" on TV & radio interviews. Bob Cummings character, Bob Collins was from Joplin.
• Trick My Truck, a CMT reality show, is filmed in Joplin.
• In the Hal Roach comedy film short series starring Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts, Pitts often makes references to Joplin as being her home town. In real life, Pitts was born in nearby Parsons, Kansas.

Gallery

References

External links

• City of Joplin
• Chamber of Commerce
• Joplin Globe
• Joplin Public Library
• Joplin School District