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Joplin Memorial Hall history
The idea takes shape
Veterans, civic leaders, and voters turn the idea of a World War I memorial into a public commitment.
Joplin officials began discussing a war memorial in November 1918, just after the First World War ended.
In January 1920, Robert S. Thurman American Legion Post 13 and its Women’s Auxiliary began planning a campaign for a hall that would honor local service members while giving the growing city a major civic gathering place.
The campaign culminated in a special election on July 24, 1923. Voters approved construction bonds by roughly three to one. Later that year, the city selected and purchased the former Central School property near Eighth Street and Joplin Avenue.