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Mining country
continues as you near
Webb City and
Joplin, where you’ll notice piles of chat and old mine tailings in
the area.
Webb City - The Mine
Owner's Town
Webb City, now principally a
suburb of
Joplin, was once a large corn
and wheat farm belonging to a man named John C. Webb. When Webb
discovered lead in his corn field in 1873, he took on a partner and
began to mine. However, the mine continually filled with water and
Webb, discouraged, sold his interest to an experienced miner two years
later.
Webb City Mine,
vintage
postcard.
Moving in
another direction, Webb platted the town of
Webb City in July, 1875 when miners began to flood the area. Soon mines surrounded the town and between the years of 1894 and 1904,
they produced 23 million dollars in lead and zinc, though they
wouldn’t reach their peak until 1918. Mining continued in the area
until after World War II.
While
most of the miners made their homes in nearby
Joplin, filled with gambling
halls, saloons, and brothels, the mine owners made their homes in
prosperous
Webb City. Victorian
architecture still abounds throughout the town as you travel
Route 66. While in
Webb City, check out the
thirty foot oil painting on the inside of the
Webb City Bank. The
painting depicts 100 years of the city’s history.
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