Joplin, MO, is the largest city in the Spring  River Basin.  The town was formed in 1873 as miners arrived to work in nearby lead mines.   Joplin  continued to thrive when historic Route 66 was constructed through the city center.  Located near the center of the U.S., Joplin  has become a hub of transportation among Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas.  Today, Joplin  is home to four major trucking companies and a precision manufacturing industry.  Joplin  is currently the fourth largest metropolitan area in Missouri.

More links to Joplin  city history can be found at http://www.what2do.to/serv05.htm and http://www.joplinmo.org/.

Raids on Lamar
On November 5, 1862 , Lamar was raided by the Confederate Captain William Clarke Quantrill.  He was unsuccessful in defeating the Union troops that were stationed inside Lamar’s brick courthouse, but Quantrill set fire to one third of the town’s homes before retreating into Arkansas . 

In 1863, the town was raided again.   The courthouse was burned and county records were stolen.   Most of these records, however, were eventually recovered after the war ended.

In 1864, rumors spread that the infamous Quantrill was planning an attack on Neosho , so many of the Union soldiers currently occupying Lamar left to defend Neosho.  However, on May 20 of that year, Quantrill raided Lamar again, this time being defeated by only a handful of Union soldiers who remained.  Quantrill once again was forced into retreat.

For a list of Civil War veterans buried in Barton  County , visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~mocivwar/Barton.html. 

The Battle  of Carthage
The Battle of Carthage took place on July 5, 1861, in Jasper County , MO.   Led by Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, Union forces pushed the confederates, led by Governor Claiborne Jackson, out of Jefferson City and Boonville into southern Missouri.  Shortly thereafter, Union Colonel Franz Sigel went in search of Governor Claiborne and his troops and established a camp in Carthage, MO.   Jackson’s soldiers engaged the union army ten miles north of Carthage  forcing the smaller Union squadron into Sarcoxie.  

There were about 44 Union  and 200 Confederate casualties.   Even though this battle had little importance, the pro-confederate Missourians championed this as their first victory.

For more information on the Battle of Carthage, visit http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/mo002.htm and http://www.geocities.com/battleofcarthage/.

Before coal-burning power plants were used to produce electricity, running water in rivers was used to turn  watermills.   The energy produced by the watermill was used to grind corn and wheat into flour.

Jolly Mill
Jolly Mill is located about 8 miles southwest of Monett on Capps Creek.  The mill was built by Thomas Isbell, his son John, and their slaves in 1837, and initially functioned as a distillery.  Soon after the mill was built, a small village and post office were established nearby.   This community was named Jollification.   Pioneers traveling west stopped frequently at Jollification to buy supplies and visit the town’s blacksmith.   The town’s activity began to decline upon construction of the Frisco railroad, which directed travelers away from Jollification.

At the beginning of the Civil War, John Isbell left Jollification, and the mill subsequently stopped running.   Although there were two civil war skirmishes in Jollification during 1862, the mill remained unharmed.  After the war, John’s cousin George Isbell bought the mill at a sheriff’s auction for two hundred dollars

In 1885, the Haskins family purchased and began operating the mill, using it to grind wheat into flour until 1934, at which time they began grinding corn.  In 1971, the mill was owned and operated by Frank Haskins.   Today wheat and corn are no longer ground at the mill, but it is a site for tourists to picnic and and to catch a glimpse of the past.   Jolly Mill is currently being restored by the Jolly Mill Park Foundation.

For a picture of Jolly Mill, visit http://keziahoriginals.com/galleryOZK/FgalleryJ-1.jpg. 

Ritchey Mill
Ritchey Mill is located on Shoal Creek, 12 miles northeast of Neosho , MO , in Newton County.  The mill was built in 1841 by Colonel Matthew Ritchey and his slaves.   The mill survived the civil war, and in 1867, Ritchey and seven other investors formed the Ritchey Milling Company.  

The mill primarily produced high quality corn meal that was shipped all over southwest Missouri. During the winter, blocks of ice were cut from Shoal Creek and stored in an icehouse at the rear of the mill for sale the following summer.

When the Frisco Railroad was built, the town of Ritchey sprung up bolstered by the economic activity at the nearby mill.  In 1960, Ritchey Mill was completely shut down.  As of 1990, the mill ownership switched to Gorton Thomas.