Joplin

Sister cities

• Bethlehem

History

Lead was discovered in the Joplin Creek Valley before the Civil War, but only after the war did significant development take place. By 1871, numerous mining camps sprang 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, which had been named for the Reverend Harris G. Joplin, who settled upon its banks circa 1840. Carthage resident Patrick Murphy filed a plan for a city on the opposite side of the valley and named it Murphysburg. As 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 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 mineshafts. Mining left…

Geography

Joplin is the center of what is regionally known as the Four State Area: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. Joplin is located north of I-44, its passage to the west into Oklahoma. In recent years, the residential development of Joplin has spread north to Webb City. Route 66 (formerly US 66) passes through Joplin, as 7th Street. The city is drained by Joplin, Turkey, Silver and Shoal creeks. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Roanoke, Arbor Hills, Blendville, Gateway Drive, Iron Gates, Eastmorland, Midway, Murphysburg, North Heights, Oak Pointe, Royal Heights, Silver Creek, Sunnyvale, Sunset Ridge, Westberry Square, and Cedar Ridge are among the many neighborhoods in Joplin. Joplin has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), as defined by the Köppen climate classification system, with cool, dry winters and hot, humid summers; the severe weather season from April through June is the wettest time of year. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in July. }}

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,463
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  5,600
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,741
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,693
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,620
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  4,349
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,260
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,029

Largest nearby schools

• JOPLIN HIGH
  High · JOPLIN · 2,233 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• WEBB CITY HIGH
  High · WEBB CITY · 1,349 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Carl Junction High School
  High · Carl Junction · 960 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Carl Junction Intermediate
  Middle · Carl Junction · 777 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• WEBB CITY JR. HIGH
  Middle · WEBB CITY · 732 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• WEBB CITY MIDDLE
  Middle · WEBB CITY · 696 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Carl Junction Primary K-1
  Elementary · Carl Junction · 670 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• EAST MIDDLE
  Middle · JOPLIN · 597 students · 13.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3 — 2014-10-01
  9 km SSW of Galesburg, Kansas
• M 2.6 — 2010-05-21
  2 km SW of Centerton, Arkansas
• M 2.5 — 2010-04-29
  3 km SW of Centerton, Arkansas