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 Webb City, Missouri Posted by:  iconions
N 37° 08.621 W 094° 27.805
15S E 370032 N 4111814
This one-story, red brick building is located at 200 South Main Street in Webb City, Missouri.
Waymark Code: WM18TH3
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/24/2023
Views: 2
Physical Description:
The Webb City City Hall is located in the eastern portion of 200 South Main Street. Fenestration from left to right has three large glass windows; a pair of glass and metal doors and a large bay window with access to the outside used as a drive through to pay city bills. The rest of the building is the Municipal Court.
History of Webb City City Hall:
Webb City has made changes through the years to go along with the growth of the town. One of the obvious changes has been our City Hall.
The original city hall was built at First and Allen (Main) streets. Before the building was built in 1891, the city hall was located at Main and Allen streets. Does that confuse you? It might be more recognizable as Broadway and Main. Now to confuse you more, Main Street was Broadway and Allen Street was Main Street, and there was a big two-story wood frame building, named Webb City Hall that seemed to be used for everything. It was a city hall, church, post office, school room, and anything else they needed a home for.
That building was torn down as Webb City Bank built a solid building there. The bank was originally in Webb City’s first brick building (built in1877) at Broadway (Main) and Webb Street. That building became a jewelry store owned by Wright. In the meantime, they had to put city hall in a few different locations, so the city decided in 1890 to build a permanent brick city hall on the northeast corner of Allen (Main) and First streets.
The new city hall building housed city offices, the chamber of commerce, police office and police court, fire department and city jail. It was a busy building. Eventually, Webb City purchased the Empire District building next door to the north and expanded. The original building had the fire department in front and police department in rear, with the courtroom between the fire department and city offices. Later, the front of the second floor fell forward onto the sidewalk and street for no apparent reason. The top floor was removed from the building.
- Webb City Sentinel 11May2022
Webb City information:
Webb City (Webbville) was platted by John C. Webb in September 1875 and incorporated in December 1876, with a population of 700. The city was located on a portion of Webb's 200-acre farm, which he entered in February 1857. There, in 1873, Webb discovered lead while plowing. With the assistance of W.A. Daugherty, he sank the first pump-shaft in 1874. Webb then leased his land to Daugherty and G.P. Ashcraft. In 1876, the Center Creek Mining Company leased the land and began operations. Some 20 years later, 700 mines were located within the limits of Webb City and adjacent Carterville, and the district ranked first in the production of zinc ore.
Webb aided the city in its material development. He donated land for a school and the first Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He built the Webb City Bank and the first hotel.
The St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad was built to Webb City in 1879, followed by the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1881. The population increased from 1,588 in 1880 to 9,201 in 1900. After the success of the first Webb City sheet ground mine ("Yellow Dog") in the 1890s, business boomed. The 100-room Newland Hotel was built and co-educational Webb City College was established. The Webb City Mining District was prominently represented at the Chicago Columbia Exposition in 1893 and at the 1898 Omaha International Exhibit. Webb City received for its mineral display the only silver medal awarded. A.H. Rogers built a mule streetcar line from Webb City to Carterville, 1889, the predecessor of the SouthWest Missouri Electric Railway, established 1893, and expanded in the 1900s to become the Southwest Missouri Railroad Company. a vast inter-urban system with a power plant, car barns and an employee clubhouse at Webb City.
The influx of miners supported a thriving saloon district on Daugherty Street, also called "Red Hot Street." However due to the Prohibition movement and efforts of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the city voted to become a dry city in 1910.
During World War I, zinc and lead concentrate produced in the Webb City ~ Carterville ~ Prosperity District were valued at more than $18 million. Webb City's population increased to some 15,000.
In 1914, the Webb City Register reported that "an aggregation" took responsibility to limit the African American population of the city. The Register would describe the 1916 population of 40 Black residents as too large, calling for another periodic expulsion.
After the decline of mining in the postwar period, Webb City turned to diversified industrial and agricultural production. In the 1930s and during World War II, explosives were manufactured by powder plants located near Webb City.
The Downtown Webb City Historic District and Middle West Hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Jasper County, Missouri, as is the Elijah Thomas Webb Residence, an elaborate Queen Anne style three-story built by Elijah Webb, son of the town's founder John Webb.
- Webb City Wikipedia Entry
Name: Webb City City Hall
Address:
200 South Main Street
Webb City, MO USA
64870
Date of Construction: unknown
Architect: unknown
Memorials/Commemorations/Dedications:
none
Web Site for City/Town/Municipality: [Web Link]
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