West Plains, Missouri

West Plains, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1839
Population	11,986 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	13.33 mi²
Current mayor	Jack Pahlmann

West Plains is the county seat and largest city of Howell County, Missouri. It had a population of 11,986 at the 2010 census, making it one of the largest communities in south-central Missouri.

History

The first settler in what became West Plains was a pioneer by the name of Adams, who established a homestead in 1839 along a natural spring (later called Town Spring) just east of what is now the downtown section. That same year or the next, however, he sold his plot to Josiah Howell, a recent arrival from Tennessee. Howell and his sons quickly became recognized as leaders in the community that sprang up there and in the surrounding area; his first son, Thomas, became the first man to represent Oregon County, to which the area was then attached, in the Missouri legislature, while his second son, Josephus Howell, became the community's first postmaster when a post office was opened in 1849 or 1850. It was Judge John R. Woodside of Thomasville, at that time the county seat, who is said to have given West Plains its name, as it lay west of Thomasville, and the countryside between the two towns consisted largely of open, rolling prairies.

Upon the organization of Howell County (named for its leading family) in 1857, West Plains was quickly chosen for the county seat, owing to its central location, and early the following year it was surveyed and laid out, with a first courthouse hastily built. It had a population of around 150 by 1860, but was subsequently devastated by the Civil War. Though no major battles were fought there or elsewhere in Howell County, guerrilla warfare was constant, and both the town and its courthouse were burned down in the course of the conflict. By the war's end, some 90% of the (mostly pro-Confederate) population had fled the area. Nonetheless, the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction eras saw a gradual recovery of the area.

West Plains' growth really accelerated beginning with the arrival of the Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Memphis railroad, with the first train rolling into town on Christmas Day, 1882. As there were few other places in the central Ozarks from which residents could easily transport goods at the time, this made it a natural economic hub for the region, and its population accordingly surged, rising from 350 in 1880 to just over 2,000 in 1890. A new courthouse was built in 1883, and a thriving business district developed around it. The expansion of West Plains was further aided by the cultivation of extensive fruit orchards throughout Howell County after 1900, and by the operation of some small zinc and iron ore mines nearby. Occasional setbacks, such as major fires in 1895 and again in 1919, and a serious flood in 1915, did not seriously disturb this period of growth and prosperity, and by the 1920s the city included a thriving school system, well-built churches, banks, and hotels, and a summer resort.

West Plains Dance Hall Explosion

West Plains was the scene of a tragedy that drew national attention in 1928, when an explosion occurred on the night of April 13 in a building on East Main Street. The destructive force of the blast was so great that it severely damaged the nearby Howell County courthouse (which later had to be demolished) and was heard at least ten miles away. It caused the collapse of the building itself, on whose second floor was housed the Bond Dance Hall, where some 60 people had just gathered for an event. Thirty-seven people were killed inside the dance hall by the explosion, many of them so badly mangled they could never be identified, with another twenty-two seriously injured. The cause of the explosion was never clearly determined; it is generally believed to have originated in a garage on the first floor, due to some leaking gasoline, though many alternative theories of its source, and whether or not it was accidental, have been advanced over the years.

Modern-Day West Plains

Like many American communities, West Plains was hit hard by the Great Depression, with banks failing and joblessness increasing, with serious damage to the standard of living resulting. One temporary source of relief was the construction of a new courthouse in the 1930s with funds from the Works Progress Administration, along with a new post office and several elementary schools. Following World War II, the city and surrounding area saw a wave of electrification through the formation of the Howell-Oregon Electric Co-Op, and the infrastructure was improved with the building of several highways. The opening of the International Shoe Company and the Southwest Truck Body factories also allowed a diversification of the local economy, and the city gradually spread out beyond its original boundaries.

West Plains was struck by an F4 tornado on April 2, 1982, which killed three residents and injured 28, besides inflicting significant damage on a number of homes and businesses. The city has continued to grow in recent decades, despite such temporary setbacks as this, increasing from about 9.500 residents in 1990 to almost 12,000 in 2010.

Geography

West Plains is located in the approximate geographic center of Howell County in southern Missouri. It lies at the intersection of two major highways, U.S. Routes 63 and 160, with the north-south Missouri State Highway 17 also running through it and State Highway 14 having its eastern terminus at the city's northwestern edge. It is the largest city in the southern tier of Missouri between Springfield, some 80 miles to the northwest, and Poplar Bluff, about 80 miles to the east. The city's official coordinates are 36°44’14”N 91°51’54”W.

The chief terrain feature of the West Plains area, and from which the city partly derives its name, is the gently rolling, lightly-timbered plateau that makes up this portion of the Ozarks. The downtown district is built just southwest of Howell Creek, a tributary of the Spring River; most of the newer residential and business sections lie further north along Route 63 and Highway 17. The city has a total area of 13.33 square miles, including 13.31 of land and 0.02 of water; its average elevation is 1,004 feet, with few significant changes throughout.

Weather and Climate

Like most of southern Missouri, West Plains has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot summers and cool winters with a moderately high amount of precipitation. January temperatures average 33°F, while July temperatures average 77°F. Summer highs above 100°F and winter lows below 0°F are fairly rare, but not unknown. The highest recorded temperature was 108°F on August 3, 2011, while the record low was -21°F on February 2, 1951. Average annual precipitation is 47.22 inches (including a small amount of snow); the record for one-day precipitation was 5.69 inches, on March 18, 2008.

Month	Average High (°F)	Average Low (°F)	Average Precipitation (in)
January	44.5	21.8	3.02
February	49.8	25.6	2.99
March	59.1	32.4	4.53
April	68.9	42.5	4.50
May	76.0	52.3	4.84
June	84.1	60.9	3.80
July	89.1	65.4	3.41
August	89.1	64.1	3.46
September	80.6	55.8	3.97
October	69.8	43.5	4.05
November	58.0	34.2	4.90
December	45.8	24.4	3.75
Annual	67.9	43.6	47.22

Demographics

At the 2010 census, West Plains had a total of 11,986 inhabitants, grouped into 5,001 households, with a population density of 900.5 people per square mile. This figure represented a significant increase from the 2000 census, when West Plains had a population of 10,866. 95.04% of the inhabitants were White, 0.85% were African-American, 0.63% were Native American, 0.85% were Asian, 0.05% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.76% were from some other race, and 1.83% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.21% of the population.

The median age in West Plains was 36.7 years, with 24.6% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 10.4% between 18 and 24 years old, 24.1% between 25 and 44, 22.1% between 45 and 64, and 18.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 45.8% male, 54.2% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, West Plains had a median household income of $34,715, and a median family income of $47,156. The unemployment rate was 1.7%. The per capita income was $22,491. About 25.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 41.9% of people under the age of 18 and 17.2% of people 65 years old or older.

Government

West Plains adopted a home rule city charter in 2014. It has a mayor-council form of government, administered by a mayor and four councilmen representing each of the city's wards, one of whom also serves as mayor pro-tempore. Mayors and councilmen are normally elected to four-year terms. The current mayor of West Plains is Jack Pahlmann, first appointed in 2012 following the death of his predecessor, and elected to a full term in 2015 and again in 2019.

Education

Public Schools

All of the city is served by the West Plains R-VII School District, which operates five schools:

• West Plains Elementary School (PK-4)
• South Fork Elementary School (PK-6)
• West Plains Middle School (5-8)
• West Plains High School (9-12)
• South Central Career Center (9-12)

The West Plains High School also serves students from PK-8 districts in rural Howell County, while its career center provides vocational and adult education. The district has a total enrollment of about 2,600 students, with about 375 faculty and staff. Its mascot is the Zizzers, and the school colors are red and white. The district has won multiple Distinction in Performance awards from the state in recent years.

Private Schools

West Plains is home to two private schools: Faith Assembly Christian School, a PK-12 school operated by the Assemblies of God, and Ozarks Christian Academy, a nondenominational school which covers grades K-10 and advertises its focus on a classical Christian education.

Higher Education

Missouri State University, based in Springfield, operates a community college in the city, Missouri State University-West Plains. Established in 1963, it currently has an enrollment of about 2,000 students. Its mascot is the Grizzlies.

Economy

The West Plains area has always had a mixed economy, with both agriculture and various forms of industry having a significant role during the late 19th and 20th centuries. This continues to be the case today; the city's size and location astride multiple major highways makes it a natural center of commerce for south-central Missouri, and it has a number of major businesses, especially in the fields of food processing, electronics, and light manufacturing. Some of the largest employers include Armstrong-Bruce Hardwood Floors, Systems and Electronics Inc. (SEI), Caterpillar, Royal Oak Enterprises, and Arlee Home Fashions, as well as the West Plains R-VII School District, some retail chains such as Wal-Mart, and Ozarks Healthcare, a multi-department medical center.

Transportation

The principal highways in the West Plains area are U.S. Routes 63 and 160, the former of which provides connections to Springfield (via U.S. 60) and St. Louis (via Interstate 44), while the latter provides access to Branson, about an hour and a half to the west. These also provide an axis for several of the city's business districts.

The railroad constructed in 1882 that first led to an economic boom for West Plains is still in operation today. It is now owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company, and follows the same basic route from Springfield to Memphis, Tennessee.

There is one public-use airport in the area, the West Plains Regional Airport, located about 10 miles northwest of the city center. Owned and operated by the city, it has no regular airline service but commonly serves a variety of business jets and chartered planes.

Media

As one of the largest towns in the central Ozarks, West Plains is home to a number of media outlets. There have been several different newspapers over the years; at present, it has one daily, the West Plains Daily Quill, in operation since 1885. There are also eight radio stations:

• KBMV (107.1 FM), Contemporary Christian music
• KHOM (100.9 FM), 60s, 70s, and 80s Oldies
• KKDY (102.5 FM), "New Country" music
• KSMW (90.3 FM), an NPR station
• KSPQ (93.9 FM), Classic Rock
• KUKU (100.3 FM), Classic Country music
• KUPH (96.9 FM), Urban and Adult contemporary music
• KWPM (1450 AM/105.1 FM), conservative news/talk

Five of these stations (KKDY, KSPQ, KUKU, KUPH, and KWPM) are part of the independently-owned Ozark Radio Network, while KBMV and KHOM belong to the E-Communications Network, based in Thayer, Missouri.

West Plains has no network television stations, instead receiving broadcasts from Springfield. It does, however, have an independent local station, K38HE-D, a 24-hour Christian channel owned by Promised Land Ministries.

Community Life

West Plains has multiple venues for public recreation, with a number of city parks, including Butler Children's Park, Carmichael Field, Galloway Park, and People's Park, the latter containing the city swimming pool. There is also a great deal of tourism to natural sites of interest in the area, such as the Mark Twain National Forest and the Eleven Point River.

The downtown district, centered on the county courthouse, is today home to a number of antique shops and family restaurants. These and other local businesses take part in the "First Friday Night Stroll," held monthly from April to December, staying open throughout the evenings.

There are also several important seasonal events: The Greater Ozarks Blues Bash in mid-May, held at the Civic Center and featuring outdoor blues concerts, barbecue, motorcycle and car shows, and a variety of street vendors; the Old Time Music Ozark Heritage Festival, held in early June with a variety of live music, crafts, and other entertainment; and "Haunting in the Hollows," a Halloween celebration held in Galloway Park.

Notable People

• Jan Howard (1929-2020), country music singer and songwriter
• Elwin Charles "Preacher" Roe (1916-2008), baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Brooklyn Dodgers; part of U.S. Route 160 in West Plains is named in his honor
• Stephen Thompson (1894-1977), World War I aviator credited as first member of U.S. military to shoot down an enemy aircraft
• Dick Van Dyke (1925-), film and television actor and comedian
• Bill Virdon (1931-), former baseball outfielder, manager, and coach
• Porter Wagoner (1927-2007), country music singer and songwriter; part of Business Route 63 in West Plains is named in his honor
• Daniel Woodrell (1953-), writer of crime novels and short stories set in Missouri Ozarks, including Woe to Live On and Winter's Bone