History

Looking into our past, I'm impressed at the resourcefulness of Ozarkers in making a living. I have personal experience with some people who found an unusual niche and a way to make a living in a unique business.  Fifty-four years ago, at the ripe old age of twelve, I found my first job. Wanting...
Willow Springs celebrated the 4th of July with a parade this past Saturday for the twenty-sixth year in a row. It was one of the best in memory, despite the pandemic. The crowd was spread over a wider area along Main Street than in previous years. In the recent past, most observers gathered...
Headline from the St. Louis Republic August 15, 1900
One hundred twenty years ago this month, Howell County was abuzz with news of a murder - over a dog fight. The story initially garnered little attention in local newspapers. Though the incident occurred on June 2, 1900, it was three weeks before the West Plains Journal-Gazette got around to...
Miss Masnor in the 1965 Willamizzou
The articles in this column often mention my appreciation for the teachers and the education I received at Willow Springs. Learning was fun, and I was mostly an A and B student. In fact, I received my first D in college. Well . . . that’s not entirely true, so I will fess up to an incident...
Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis Commander Army of the Southwest
The tragic murder of two men near the Howell/Douglas County line in September 1861 is one of the first stories that impacted me when I began researching the Civil War forty-five years ago. As told by Union Captain William Monks in his 1907 book, "History of Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas...
 Chances are, if you went to Willow Springs High School from 1927 to 1967, you had Mrs. Jessie Munford as an English teacher. Even if you came afterwards, most likely you have heard stories about her.  I have previously described her as Jennifer Jones in the vintage movie Good Morning, Miss...
Fifty-nine years ago, the curtain went up for the WSHS production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma. It was the first musical play in school history, and of my high school memories, it ranks near the top.         Oklahoma played to capacity crowds in the school auditorium November 16-17,...
The public is invited to participate in a variety of free, virtual programs being offered by the State Historical Society of Missouri. Presentations include how to access and preserve digital archives for genealogy and other research. Staff archivists will explore how communities in Missouri...
Captain Norris Wilkinson Headstone Willow Springs City Cemetery
It might come as a surprise to Howell County readers that a local politician and popular civic leader ran in regional and state elections on the Socialist ticket. For over a decade, Norris Brazilla Wilkinson sparred with Democrats and Republicans alike in debates and at local gatherings while...
Mountain View in the 1950s bustled with activity on Saturdays. It seemed the town doubled in size. Farm families from the surrounding countryside showed up to do their weekly shopping and socializing. Women in freshly-ironed, cotton dresses and men in clean jeans, or even khaki work trousers,...

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Willow Springs, MO 65793
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