Webb City, MO

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Starting as a mining camp, the meteoric growth of Webb City, Missouri reached a population of more than 15,000 people in a period of about twenty-five years. Webb City occupied the central district of the largest lead and zinc mining area in the world. More than 100,000 people lived in the immediate area of the Webb City district. This included the city of Joplin.

While plowing a field on his farm one June morning in 1873, John C. Webb’s plow hit a considerable sized rock causing his mules to come to an abrupt stop. Upon inspection of the sizable boulder, he discovered that he had found pure lead ore. While Webb knew the value of what he had uncovered, he pondered the discovery and continued to plant and cultivates his corn crop for the year.

In 1874, Webb tried his hand at mining. As soon as he would dig just few feet deep, the mine-shaft would promptly fill with water. After he ordering a large pump and with the help of his prized mules, he was able to unearth a chunk of lead ore weighing more than 1000 pounds. After discovering that mining was a laborious task with a continual race with water, he decided to hire experienced men to lease his land on a royalty basis. This wise decision caused him to become the first millionaire in the area and the great mining boom of the Webb City area occurred. The Webb City district became known as the richest zinc and lead mining field in the world.

People came by railroad, covered wagons, horseback and afoot. They built shacks, stores, hotels, restaurants and saloons. Hard rock miners liked their liquor, and at the turn of the century the east side of Main Street (formerly Allen) supported a saloon almost every other door, and the self-respecting women of Webb City used the west side of the street, while the east side was reserved mostly for men and few women of “lesser estate.”

John C. Webb was a religious man and a Southern Methodist. When he laid out the town of Webb City, of which he originally wanted to call Webbville, he reserved one whole block, across from his home and 160-acre farm, for a Methodist Church and a school. The church space was used for the school, therefore he bought an adjoining lot of 100 square feet and build a brick church building on it at his expense and gave it to the congregation. It was originally named “The Webb Chapel” by Reverend Ben Deering, who was the pastor of the church at the time of Mr. Webb’s death in 1883. A building owned by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, now AT & T, stands on the corner of Broadway and Liberty Streets on the site of the first Methodist Church.

Each year brings progress and the numerous corporations located in Webb City extend their operations throughout the world and even into space. The property encircling the community that used to bring forth the prosperous zinc and ore have been reclaimed for retail and industrial businesses. Historic Route 66 still runs right through the center of Webb City’s National Register Commercial Historic Downtown District and sees hundreds of travelers from all over the world.

The perpetually optimistic people of Webb City look to the future with confidence, guided by an enthusiastic Chamber of Commerce and forward-thinking City Council, Mayor and city staff.