Chapter 2 – Joplin's Historic Character
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CHAPTER 2 – JOPLIN’S HISTORIC CHARACTER Joplin is significant as the commercial center of the Tri-State Mining District encompassing portions of southwest Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma. From its founding in the 1870s through the mid-twentieth century, Joplin served as the marketing, commercial, and transportation hub of the mining district, providing a focus for a large area well beyond its borders. After World War II lead and zinc mining within the region declined, yet Joplin has continued to grow and evolve. Today, Joplin retains much of its historic character, particularly in its downtown core and surrounding residential neighborhoods. It is this historic character, its contributing features, and the quality of life that they provide that are the subject of the Historic Preservation Plan. 2.1 REGIONAL CONTEXT Joplin is located within the watershed of the Spring River, a tributary of the Neosho River and the Arkansas River. Geographically, it is positioned at the northwest edge of the Springfield Plateau, a portion of the Ozark Highlands ecoregion. The Spring River originates near Aurora, Missouri and flows north and west toward the Missouri/Kansas border. About seventy-five percent of the river’s watershed, 2,777 square miles, is within southwest Missouri. Once in Kansas, the river turns south, joining the Neosho River near Wyandotte in northeastern Oklahoma. HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN 2-1 CHAPTER 2 ▪ DRAFT JULY 31, 2016 Arkansas River Watershed (Shanon1 2015). Grand Lake and Neosho River Watersheds (Left: Kmussler 2015; Right: GLWAF 2015). 2-2 CITY OF JOPLIN JOPLIN’S HISTORIC CHARACTER C r a w f o r d C r a w f o r d B a r t o n %&'(49 ek e r 71 C F ut r i a r s The Spring River e l t Liberal C C Arma o No w rth Girard F C ork r Lamar S e pr e in C k g o R Watershed w i v C er r e W e est k Mindenmines F Frontenac k 43 or is Cree e k Pett k e (! r C w Greenfield o 0 3 6 12 Miles C t Pittssburg I a 126 E (! Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection, UTM Zone 15 N, North American Datum 1983 ut160 k Golden City B or r h F Coo Missouri transportation data courtesy of the Missouri Department of Transportation. Kansas u c n Cherokee s n Creek h h a t and Oklahoma roads, cities and counties courtesy of ESRI. HUC-8 boundary data r C r r o e B Jasper courtesy of the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service, Environmental D a d e e N D a d e k r k o e e l l Protection Agency and United States Geologic Survey, all other data courtesy of the t e C h e r o k e e y t r C h e r o k e e i a C Missouri Department of Natural Resources. T s L l a Weir a B v L l u Roseland a Although the data in this data set have been compiled by the Missouri Department of Natural o s Asbury D re L n c ek Carytown C k r i g n D e Resources, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the department as to the accuracy of the t 69 b S e t B pr ry D t e l u a i e r C r n data or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no a B reek S n r g uck 39 h c y h K R B (! a r responsibility is assumed by the department in the use of these data or related materials. C i a k w ve nch e n r r e e e Alba r e e J a s p e r k C C k J a s p e r S oa h r te aw e hi Miller ne e W e k Oronogo Cr Avilla rk Springfield ee S o k p F ree r C k S 96 r y 160 i 171 te pring k n (! r ut n (! Ce River e g e Columbus D r R 249 C i l v (! S B pring R L a w r he n c e e Carthage iver L a w r a e n c e r t k u r S ee 44 s r %&'( C h Webb City t C it Republic r La Russell u e T Mt. Vernon urke r e y C 37 k r (! T eek Stotts City W ms Cree 174 Bi Short C illia k (! Battlefield tter C Creek e k reek G nter Cree r W Duenweg o i v l e J l o J o Joplin en 60 Galena C n ki w S ns ut e C p r re e s C e r Sho k al e i Cre C r D ry Vall k n k e e ek Shoal Cree e r D re k r y y H C g e o y k e Va B ne e e k ll r R e ey a r k B n B i r c rown v 59 a h ing 166 C (! nc Hollo e t S h w u g h Baxter Sprirngs o in al Clever il r C em e C p Diamond Freistatt iv re S re F ek e 97 Picher k (! Loma Linda k P Aurora e r re y e W C o Pierce City Verona e arr r r en B a h ranch d N e w t o n B c e r n n i Highlandville an C a r Creek r r n Clea Commerce B c o n h o rre u a t t W Peoria o Crane s Granby ps p C S Miami S lin s Ca ree Monett F t i k Branch M (!86 Newtonia %&'(44 60 S ut Neosho h o B a r r y a l C Purdy r a e e Wyandotte k Symbology Fairland m o Stella h State Line a l O tt tt a w a k County Please visit O www.dnr.mo.gov 5/2013 49 Municipality for additional %&'( information about the Anderson M c D o n a ll d HUC 11070207 (Spring River Watershed) Our Missouri Waters (!76 Initiative. The Spring River Watershed (MO DNR). Turkey Creek and Shoal Creek are tributaries of the Spring River and flow through Joplin. Turkey Creek is Joplin’s primary watercourse. Its main channel flows east to west just north of the city, joining the Spring River at the Missouri/Kansas border. Joplin Creek, a smaller tributary of Turkey Creek, flows diagonally southeast to northwest through the heart of the city. The City of Joplin was founded as two separate communities on either side of the valley of Joplin Creek. Between the two communities, on the east bank of the creek, was the location of a mine shaft sunk in August 1870 that struck a rich body of lead ore about thirty-five or forty feet below grade. This began the mining boom and led to Joplin’s founding. The location of the discovery mine is believed to have been about 500 feet north of the old Broadway viaduct (Renner 1985:25). In addition to mining activities, the valley of Joplin Creek provided level topography for development of an extensive railroad network that connected Joplin to the surrounding mines of the Tri-State Mining District and connected the Mining District to the nation. With the decline of mining after World War II and the subsequent removal of most of the railroads, the valley of Joplin Creek has become park land, Joplin’s primary belt of open space and a valuable community resource. HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN 2-3 CHAPTER 2 ▪ DRAFT JULY 31, 2016 2-4 CITY OF JOPLIN JOPLIN’S HISTORIC CHARACTER Joplin in 1900; detail of a USGS map of the Joplin District of Missouri and Kansas showing topography, creeks, roads, and railroads. A more complete view of the map is shown on the facing page. (U Texas 1900). Shoal Creek flows east to west just south of Joplin and joins the Spring River just west of the Missouri/Kansas border. Larger than Turkey Creek, Shoal Creek has a wider, deeper valley known for its rock outcroppings, waterfalls, and wooded slopes. Shoal Creek has served as an important water source for Joplin as well as a recreational resource. The Ozark Highlands is a large geographical area encompassing much of southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and a portion of northeast Oklahoma and has been identified as a Level III ecoregion. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions are identified to serve as a framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components (EPA 2014). The Ozark Highlands is the most significant highland region in central North America due to its diverse topographic, geologic, soil, and hydrologic conditions supporting a broad range of habitat types. The Highlands are characterized by extreme biological diversity and the uniqueness of its species. Overall, its vegetation communities are dominated by open oak-hickory and shortleaf pine woodlands and forests (USGS 2009). 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