East Joplin, Missouri

It is now in place to give all that could be ascertained concerning the reverened gentleman from whom the city undoubtedly gained its name. Eev. Harris G. Joplin was a native of Tennessee, born about the year 1810. The father of the subject of this sketch died when he was quite young, leaving him and a widowed mother. They were not abundantly blessed with this world's goods, and hence great want and inconvenience were experienced. Possessed of an indomitable will, however, young Joplin acquired a very liberal education and studied for the ministry. He was ordained in western Tennessee, and at once moved to Missouri, locating in Greene county. There he engaged in preaching and was shortly afterward married to a Miss Simms, of that county. He came to this vicinity in 1840, locating just outside of the corporate limits of the city, near the graveyard, east of East Joplin. There he built a large log-cabin and improved a farm of about eighty acres. He employed a number of negroes, but in connection with his ministerial labors gave personal supervision to all work on his farm. He organized the first Methodist Episcopal congregation in this part of the county, and held meetings in his cabin home. By a gentlemen who was intimately acquainted with him, he is described as an extraordinary man in many respects. He had a clear, well trained voice, was highly excitable, deeply in earnest, and at times would grow most eloquent, holding his audience spell-bound. His height was about five feet eight inches; his weight probably one hundred and fifty-five or sixty pounds. He wore his hair short, shaved clean, had a very light complexion, dressed neatly, but economically, and was of an amiable disposition. While here he built up a large congregation considering the sparse settlement of the country. Devoted, ambitious, and liberal to a fault, he soon found himself so financially embarrassed as to render it necessary for him to dispose of his property, and at the earnest solicitation of friends in Greene county, was induced to return to his former field of labor in the fall of 1844. He labored in Greene and surrounding counties until his death, which occurred in 1847. Near the log-cabin of the Rev. Mr. Joplin was a spring, the source of the little run which now divides East Joplin and empties into Joplin Creek proper. This little stream was originally Joplin Creek, the larger one subsequently taking its name. The city took her name from the creek. As regards the authenticity of the above the writer has only to say that every efibrt has been made to get at the exact facts with results indicated.

Passage source: The History of Jasper County, Missouri : Including a Condensed History of the State, a Complete History of Carthage and Joplin, Other Towns and Townships : Together with Numerous Portraits of Prominent Men : Cuts of Elegant Residences and Public Buildings : a Sectional Map of the County : Biographical Sketches of Many Enterprising Farmers, Merchants, Mechanics, Professional, and Business Men : the Constitution of the State : an Abstract of Laws : an Elaborate History of Jasper County - Its Topography, Natural History, Pioneers, Organization, Political History, Courts and Bar, Religious, Educational, Medical, Agricultural, Mining, and Horticultural, Its Commercial and Business Interests, Etc, published 1883.

On February 8th, 1872, was recorded the Joplin Mining and Smelting Company's first addition to Joplin, and on February 4th, 1872, Murphy's addition to Murphysburg was recorded. As was to be expected in these towhs wl)ich had so rapidly sprung into active life, where there -were neither town, nor township, nor local officers for the maintainance of law and order, there were naturally many rough characters, who, having everything their own way, created many disturbances, and gave the place an unenviable reputation abroad. This was carried so far that it was found necessary to take immediate steps to suppress the lawlessness which rendered unsafe both life and property. Pursuant to notices circulated during the day, and by mutual agreement, the citizens of Joplin and Murphysburg held meetings in their respective towns on the evening of February twenty-seventh, for the purpose of securing some means by which the notoriousness, drunkenness, careless shooting, and rowdyism which had frequently became so intolerable, might be stopped. In Murphysburg a large number of citizens congregated at Breazeales' store, a new and spacious building. The meeting was opened by calling John B. Sergeant to the chair, and appointing C. J. G. Workizer as secretary. Mr. Murphy stated the object of the meeting, and suggested that the incorporation of the two towns in one would secure the proper officers to maintain law and order. A committee was appointed to act in conjunction with the committee from Joplin to take the sense of the people in regard to petitioning the county court for an act of incorpora- tion. On the following day the committee met in the News office, at Murphysburg, for conference. Mr. Shortess, of the Joplin committee, stated that their people were unanimously in favor of the incorporation of the two towns, and cited the advantages to be secured from such a union. Mr. Carter made a similar report in behalf of the people of Miirphysburg, and urged that as a matter so much affecting future growth, prosperity, and happiness, there should be harmony and unity of action, and that the object be accomplished as soon as possible. Peter Schnur and W. H. Fallis were appointed a subcommittee to draw up a petition to the county court, praying for incorporation, and cause the same to be circulated among the people. The petition was signed by nearly everyone to whom it was presented. A meeting was also held in each town for the purpose of selecting five persons, to be appointed by the county court, to act as trustees until an election for such officers was provided for. The name suggested in the petition was Union City. Messrs. Murphy and Shortess, having been appointed as delegates to present the petition to the county court, proceeded to Carthage March fourth, but found that they had been misinformed as to the meeting of that body, it having adjourned, on the Saturday evening previous, until the fourteenth instant. At that time the petition was duly presented, and, after a hearing, was granted. The gentlemen suggested were constituted a board of trustees. The board was accordingly organized, necessary additional officers were appointed, and thus ended the " reign of terror." From this time forth the growth of the place has been more rapid. The action of the people in securing union and incorporation seemed to have inspired a degree of confidence in the stability of the place, and a respect for law and order among all classes, which was not manifest before. Miners and business men no longer hesitated to bring in their families; new business houses were opened almost daily; town lots were in demand, and were being sold at the rate of from twenty-five to fifty per day; school-houses and churches were talked of; dwellings, many of them of a better class than were before desired, were erected as fast as workmen could be employed, and these were filled up by a quiet, orderly, and industrious class of people. There was a corresponding increase in the number of miners, mines, and general development of the mineral lands. The name of Joplin spread abroad until it became familiar, not only all over the state, but was spoken of by eastern capitalists as the coming lead metropolis of the West. All things evidenced prosperity. East Joplin City was filed for record March 20, 1879. About the same time "Porter's addition to Murphysburg" and "Murphy's second addition " to the same were made. The former was recorded on April 8th, and the latter April 16, 1872.

Passage source: The History of Jasper County, Missouri : Including a Condensed History of the State, a Complete History of Carthage and Joplin, Other Towns and Townships : Together with Numerous Portraits of Prominent Men : Cuts of Elegant Residences and Public Buildings : a Sectional Map of the County : Biographical Sketches of Many Enterprising Farmers, Merchants, Mechanics, Professional, and Business Men : the Constitution of the State : an Abstract of Laws : an Elaborate History of Jasper County - Its Topography, Natural History, Pioneers, Organization, Political History, Courts and Bar, Religious, Educational, Medical, Agricultural, Mining, and Horticultural, Its Commercial and Business Interests, Etc, published 1883.

On May twenty-third was recorded the "Joplin Mining and Smelting Company's Second Addition," and on June third following the First addito East Joplin city was filed for record. Two weeks later Cox's first addition to Joplin was placed on the records. In this month the first steam pump was put in operation by Messrs. McCrum & Co. The " Pioneer " was a sixteen horse-power engine, and was brought by wagon from Baxter Springs, This was important in that previously deep mining could not successfully be engaged in because of imperfect drainage facilities.

Passage source: The History of Jasper County, Missouri : Including a Condensed History of the State, a Complete History of Carthage and Joplin, Other Towns and Townships : Together with Numerous Portraits of Prominent Men : Cuts of Elegant Residences and Public Buildings : a Sectional Map of the County : Biographical Sketches of Many Enterprising Farmers, Merchants, Mechanics, Professional, and Business Men : the Constitution of the State : an Abstract of Laws : an Elaborate History of Jasper County - Its Topography, Natural History, Pioneers, Organization, Political History, Courts and Bar, Religious, Educational, Medical, Agricultural, Mining, and Horticultural, Its Commercial and Business Interests, Etc, published 1883.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Joplin Township - it names this place 18 more 18 times.