Western finance west plains mo12/5/2023 ![]() Wiser, which happened to be on the floor below. The most widely accepted theory is that the explosion somehow originated from leaking gasoline in a garage owned by J. Numerous causes for the explosion have been offered, but a definitive story has never been proven to be true. The cause of the explosion is still a topic of controversy nearly a century after the blast. The explosion has also been remembered in a folk song recorded 30 years later. They are memorialized by the Rock of Ages monument, erected on October 6, 1929. Twenty of those killed were never positively identified, but buried in a mass grave at Oak Lawn Cemetery in the southeast part of town. Thirty-seven people were killed in the explosion, and 22 people were injured. The explosion also damaged the nearby Howell County Courthouse so badly that it was vacated and left until late 1933, when it was demolished by the Civil Works Administration. Windows were shattered throughout the block, and cars were also warped on the street. The explosion was reported to be felt for miles, even in Pomona, which is approximately ten miles from West Plains. About 60 people had gathered in the Bond Dance Hall, which was on the second floor of a building on East Main Street. On April 13, 1928, for reasons still unknown, a violent explosion occurred in downtown West Plains. Citizens had little knowledge of what was going on with the national scene, except for what Neathery says in his book, "every place was a boom town, in some places things were going bust as well." The first bank to fail in West Plains was the Farmers Savings Bank in West Plains circa 1926, and the lack of the present-day Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation meant that some people initially lost whatever wealth was deposited. The Great Depression era Īs was the case with many other locations, the Great Depression hit West Plains in the 1930s. In 1903, African Americans were driven out of West Plains under threat of violence. South Carolina native, and West Plains resident, William Monks, was a scout for the "North" (Union army) and recounted his tales of the Civil War in his 1907 book "A History of Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas." In that memoir, Monks recounts many depredations that occurred during the war and how the Confederates referred to those faithful to the Union as "lopeared Dutch" (many Missourians who were "Union men" were German). Men who spoke out against the Confederacy were arrested, as martial law had been declared by McBride. Many, however, also chose to fight for the Confederacy, as McBride promised to protect his soldiers' property and loved ones. An overwhelming majority of Howell County residents chose to flee, and over 90% of the population had fled by the time the war was over. Ĭonfederate Brigadier General James Haggin McBride gave residents an ultimatum to either join the Confederate army or to flee the area. No major battles occurred in West Plains or Howell County, but much of the devastation came from constant guerrilla warfare. ![]() West Plains was largely burned to the ground, and Howell County as a whole was devastated. The location of West Plains led to nearly constant conflict due to the proximity to what was then the border between the Union and Confederacy. ![]() and Ed Smith Building, and West Plains Bank Building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Courthouse Square Historic District, Elledge Arcade Buildings, International Shoe Company Building, Mount Zion Lodge Masonic Temple, W. West Plains was so named because the settlement was on a prairie in a westerly direction from the nearest town, Thomasville. The history of West Plains can be traced back to 1832, when settler Josiah Howell (after whom Howell County is named) created the first settlement in the region known as Howell Valley. The population was 12,184 at the 2020 census. West Plains is a city in and the county seat of Howell County, Missouri, United States. For the locality in Southland, New Zealand, see West Plains, New Zealand.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |