Joplin

by Priscilla Purcell Brown

Overview

When lead was first discovered in southwestern Missouri around 1830, it had little value, and zinc, called "black jack," was discarded as waste. After the Civil War, mining camps sprang up along the Joplin Creek Valley, which was named for Methodist circuit rider Rev. Harris G. Joplin. As the mining camps merged into neighborhoods and zinc increased in value, Joplin was quickly coined "the city that jack built." Known for being a rowdy boomtown, it was said that Joplin had a bar on every corner and a church across the street. Many early settlers came to Joplin seeking their fortunes in the mines, while others came to make their fortunes off of the miners.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467110723
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	11/11/2013
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Priscilla Purcell Brown's ancestors came to the Joplin region before 1850 to farm. To date, seven generations of her family have lived in the area. After the tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, 2011, preserving the photographic history of the city became more important than ever before. The images in this collection, which came from the businesses and old families that built Joplin, show the area's history and the strength of its people, who have endured economic changes and national disasters. They worked hard, played hard, and prayed hard.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 The City That Jack Built 9

2 Schools and Students 27

3 Community of Joplin 43

4 Business and Finances 61

5 Call to Duty 81

6 Clubs and Worship 93

7 Regarding Joplin 103