Changes

The first American pioneers to settle in the region had begun to trickle in by the late 1830s, also attracted to the prairies with their potential for livestock grazing. Among the most important of these was the Howell family from [[Tennessee]], whose leader, Josiah, purchased a plot of land near the center of what is now West Plains. One of his sons, Thomas Jefferson Howell, would later represent Oregon County (to which most of the area was still attached at that time) in the Missouri legislature, and the family as a whole was prominent enough for many nearby landmarks to bear their name (such as Howell Spring, Howell Valley, etc.). It was natural, then, that when the legislature organized this part of the state as a new county in 1857, it would be named for the family: specifically for Josiah, still regarded as the family patriarch.<ref>https://collections.shsmo.org/manuscripts/columbia/C2366/howell-county</ref>

The first American pioneers to settle in the region had begun to trickle in by the late 1830s, also attracted to the prairies with their potential for livestock grazing. Among the most important of these was the Howell family from [[Tennessee]], whose leader, Josiah, purchased a plot of land near the center of what is now West Plains. One of his sons, Thomas Jefferson Howell, would later represent Oregon County (to which most of the area was still attached at that time) in the Missouri legislature, and the family as a whole was prominent enough for many nearby landmarks to bear their name (such as Howell Spring, Howell Valley, etc.). It was natural, then, that when the legislature organized this part of the state as a new county in 1857, it would be named for the family: specifically for Josiah, still regarded as the family patriarch.<ref>https://collections.shsmo.org/manuscripts/columbia/C2366/howell-county</ref>

At the time of the 1860 federal census, Howell County had a population of a little over 3,000, and West Plains had already come into existence as a flourishing farming community and the permanent county seat. It was hit especially hard, though, by the subsequent [[Civil War]]; no significant battles were fought within the county, but there was constant [[guerrilla warfare]], and West Plains was mostly burned to the ground. By 1865, over 90% of the original population had fled. The immediate post-war era saw a slow rebuilding, but this was soon accelerated by the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s, creating a boom for agriculture and timber harvesting and making West Plains a significant rail hub. The county's population soared from only about 4,200 in 1870 to almost 22,000 in 1900.   

At the time of the 1860 federal census, Howell County had a population of a little over 3,000, and West Plains had already come into existence as a flourishing farming community and the permanent county seat. It was hit especially hard, though, by the subsequent [[Civil War]]; no significant battles were fought within the county, but there was constant [[guerrilla warfare]], and West Plains was mostly burned to the ground. By 1865, over 90% of the original population had fled. The immediate post-war era saw a slow rebuilding, but this was soon accelerated by the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s, creating a boom for agriculture and timber harvesting and making West Plains a significant rail hub, as well as the center of such industries as canning and the making of bricks and cigars. The county's population soared from only about 4,200 in 1870 to almost 22,000 in 1900.<ref>http://ozarkscivilwar.org/regions/howell</ref>

 

 

Howell County briefly drew national attention in 2008, due to a billboard outside West Plains that drew attention to then-candidate [[Barack Obama]]'s murky religious loyalties by displaying an image of him wearing a turban. Media outlets such as the ''Washington Post'' insinuated that the billboard's message was racist.<ref>https://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-10-30/news/36866635_1_west-plains-anti-obama-sign-george-w-bush-s</ref>  

==Geography==

==Geography==