Carthage Westside, Ward 3 - Neighborhood History Project

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1. Park Cemetery, 801 South Baker Street

Carthage's largest cemetery was established in 1879 by Timothy Regan and later developed by his son Samuel. Park Cemetery also is home to the local Grand Army of the Republic post's Civil War monument and burial section for Civil War veterans (see Clio entry for GAR Monument). Other Civil War veterans are buried throughout the cemetery outside the GAR plot including Raphael G. Rombauer who died in 1912 but whose remains were not interred until 2015 once they were discovered and claimed by a family descendant (1). Other military veterans are buried throughout the cemetery and Memorial Day services are held annually.

2. Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, inside Park Cemetery, 800 South Baker Boulevard

Located inside Park Cemetery, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial and plot was dedicated in 1906.

3. Battle of Carthage Monument, Oak Hill Cemetery, 1600 Block of West Budlong Street (northside)

The monument, which memorializes the soldiers who died in the Battle of Carthage in July 5, 1861, was dedicated on August 16,1905. Located in the south west corner of Oak Hill cemetery, the monument was erected by the Carthage Soldiers' Memorial Association, of which Mrs. Cinderilla F. Mealey was President. The monument can be seen from Interstate 49 on the west side of Carthage when going north on the highway. Access to the 23 foot high Carthage limestone memorial is from Budlong Street and not from the cemetery's Oak Hill Cemetery Road main entrance. Land for Oak Hill Cemetery was donated by Dr. James Carter who lived on the east side of town above Carter Park (see Clio entry for Carter Park). Also, part of his home property is now the Battle of Carthage State Historic Site (see Clio entry for same).

4. Municipal Park,1800 Oak Street

Planning for Municipal Park began in 1934-35 by the City of Carthage with the assistance of landscape architects Hare & Hare of Kansas City, Missouri (1). Original plans called for construction of a swimming pool, picnic pavilions, baseball fields, 9 hole golf course, tennis courts and band shell. The field rock and concrete Carl Lewton Stadium at the park was first completed as the park's amphitheater in 1937. Funding for the construction was provided by the Works Project Administration (WPA) that was part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal Program. The stadium originally held 3,000 spectators. In June 1998, the Helen S. Boylan Foundation provided new playground equipment along with improvements to the skating rink (former dance pavilion) and Kiddieland. The latter is a small children's amusement park operated by the Carthage Kiwanis Club during summer at the eastern edge of the park. A carousel has been added to Kiddieland in recent years. Over the years, the park has hosted its share of community events. In 1937, more than 30,000 people came for a two-day 4th of July celebration and park dedication presided over by former Carthage resident Thomas M. Sayman (2). During World War II, servicemen stationed at Camp Crowder, near Neosho, Missouri, used the park for much needed recreation. The park also sits along former U. S. Highway 66 (also known as Route 66) and provided its facilities for travelers of the "Mother Road."

5. Powers Museum, 1617 Oak Street

This local history museum was established in 1988 and includes rotating exhibits and programs that preserve, interpret, and share the history of Carthage. Also the museum includes a local history library in addition to a gift shop. The museum is located on the for historic Jefferson Highway auto trail and former U. S. 66 as known as Route 66. Staff and volunteers are happy to offer area tourist information for visitors in addition to information about the history of Carthage. The museum is open seasonally, from April through last Saturday in October. The 2019 exhibit focus is Carthage and Jasper County during World War One.

6. 66 Drive-In

Built in 1949, the 66 Drive-In is an outdoor, car drive-in movie theater and was one of over 4,000 drive-in theaters that were opened during the post-World War II years. The concession stand/projection booth and ticket booth were designed in the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles. A series of poles put into the land were used to hold loudspeakers for better audio. The theater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Carthage Westside, Ward 3 - Neighborhood History Project

Created by Powers Museum on July 29th 2019, 1:57:52 pm.

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Description

This tour features selected addresses from Carthage's Ward Three on the far westside of town (except Powers Museum - Ward 2 and 66 Drive-in - outside City Limits). The digital sites on this Clio app were originally created by a grant project funded by the Missouri Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2017-18 as part of the Powers Museum's observation of Carthage's 175th anniversary. Other addresses in this tour may be added in the future by volunteers. Contact the Powers Museum for further information. www.powersmuseum.org

Entries on This Tour

Carthage Westside, Ward 3 - Neighborhood History Project

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