Editing Joplin, Missouri (section)

==History==

===19th century===
[[Image:Main Street, Looking South, Joplin, MO.jpg|thumb|left|Main Street, below 5th Street, {{Circa|1910}}]]
Lead was discovered in the Joplin Creek Valley before the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], but only after the war did significant development take place. By 1871, numerous mining camps sprang up in the valley and resident John C. Cox filed a plan for a city on the east side of the valley.<ref>Dolph Shaner, ''The Story of Joplin'' (New York City: Stratford House, 1948), 20.</ref> Cox named his village Joplin City after the spring and creek nearby, which had been named for the Reverend Harris G. Joplin, who settled upon its banks circa 1840.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1916 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n76 179]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n170 171]}}</ref>

[[Carthage, Missouri|Carthage]] resident Patrick Murphy filed a plan for a city on the opposite side of the valley and named it Murphysburg.<ref>Shaner, ''Joplin'', 21.</ref> As the nearest sheriff was in Carthage, frontier lawlessness abounded in Joplin. The historic period was referred to as the "Reign of Terror". The cities eventually merged into Union City, but when the merger was found illegal, the cities split. Murphy suggested that a combined city be named Joplin. The cities merged again on March 23, 1873, this time permanently, as the City of Joplin.<ref>Shaner, ''Joplin'', 31 – 33.</ref>

While Joplin was first settled for [[lead]] mining, [[zinc]], often referred to as "jack", was the most important mineral resource. As railroads were built to connect Joplin to major markets in other cities, it was on the verge of dramatic growth. By the start of the 20th century, the city was becoming a regional metropolis. Construction centered around Main Street, with many bars, hotels, and fine homes nearby. Joplin's three-story "House of Lords" was its most famous saloon, with a bar and restaurant on the first floor, gambling on the second, and a brothel on the third. [[Tram|Trolley]] and rail lines made Joplin the hub of southwest Missouri. As the center of the "Tri-state district", it soon became the lead- and zinc-mining capital of the world.<ref name=3State>Lasmanis, Raymond. [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-53288731.html Tri-State and Viburnum Trend Districts], ''Rocks & Minerals'', November 1, 1997. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612081804/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-53288731.html |date=June 12, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="GeoKS">[http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Extension/ozark/mining.html "GeoKansas: Lead and Zinc Mining"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706174103/http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Extension/ozark/mining.html |date=July 6, 2008 }}, [[Kansas Geological Survey]]. Updated May 5, 2005.</ref>

As a result of extensive [[surface mining|surface]] and [[Underground mining|deep mining]], Joplin is dotted with [[open-pit]] mines and [[shaft mining|mineshaft]]s. Mining left many tailings piles (small hills of ground rock), which are considered unsightly locally. The main part of Joplin is nearly 75% undermined, with some mine shafts well over 100&nbsp;ft (30 m) deep. These shafts have occasionally caved in, creating [[sinkhole]]s.<ref name=3State/><ref name=GeoKS/>

===20th century===
{{wide image|Joplin panorama.jpg|900px|Panorama of Joplin, in 1910}}
Joplin began to add cultural amenities; in 1902, residents passed a tax to create a public library, and gained matching funds that enabled them to build the [[Carnegie Library]]. It was seen as the symbol of a thriving city. In 1930, the grand commercial Electric Theater was built, one of the many movie palaces of the time. It was later purchased and renamed the Fox by [[Fox Theatres]] corporation. With the Depression and post-World War II suburban development, moviegoing declined at such large venues.

On April 15, 1903, Joplin police officers, including Theodore Leslie, 36, were searching nearby rail yards for a Black man who had allegedly stolen pistols from a hardware store when Leslie noticed a man in one of the rail cars. Shots were fired, and Leslie, a father of four, was mortally wounded. Hundreds of men launched a search using bloodhounds. On April 16, a Black man with a weapon, Thomas Gilyard, was arrested, and while he told one of the men involved in the arrest that he had been in the box car, he said several others had been there and that one of them fired the fatal shot.
Joplin City Attorney Perl Decker pleaded with the growing mob to break up, according to newspaper and other historical accounts, as did Mayor Thomas Cunningham, but the crowd soon stormed the jail and took Gilyard from his cell. He was lynched soon afterward.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/truth-and-reconciliation-sought-as-joplin-lynching-recalled/article_282f07b1-1c10-50a8-b589-ecb28e92cbd8.html  |title=Truth and reconciliation sought as Joplin lynching recalled  |date=April 15, 2018 |publisher=JoplinGlobe.com  |access-date=November 22, 2020}}</ref>

[[Image:Bonnieclyde f.jpg|upright|thumb|Bonnie and Clyde, photo developed by the ''Joplin Globe'' after the shootout]]
In 1933 during the [[Great Depression]], the notorious criminals [[Bonnie and Clyde]] spent some weeks in Joplin, where they robbed several area businesses. Tipped off by a neighbor, the [[Joplin Police Department]] attempted to apprehend the pair. Bonnie and Clyde escaped after killing Newton County Constable John Wesley Harryman and Joplin Police Detective Harry McGinnis; however, they were forced to leave most of their possessions behind, including a camera.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/bonnie/8.html |title=Court TV, CrimeLab website, page on Bonnie and Clyde |publisher=Crimelibrary.com |access-date=May 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222134253/http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/bonnie/8.html |archive-date=December 22, 2008 }}</ref> The ''[[Joplin Globe]]'' developed and printed the film, which showed now-legendary photos of Bonnie holding Clyde at mock gunpoint, and of Bonnie with her foot on a car fender, posed with a pistol in her hand and cigar in her mouth. The Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation nominated the house where the couple stayed, at 34th Street and Oak Ridge Drive, for inclusion on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on February 13, 2009.

After World War II, most of the mines were closed, and population growth leveled off. The main road through Joplin running east and west was designated as part of [[U.S. Route 66 in Missouri|U.S. Route 66]], which became famous as more Americans took to newly constructed highways. The roads provided improved access between cities, but they also drew off population to newer housing and eventually retail centers.

In the 1960s and 1970s, nearly 40 acres (16&nbsp;ha) of the city's downtown were razed in an attempt at [[urban renewal]], as population and businesses had moved to a suburban fringe along newly constructed highways. The Keystone Hotel and Worth Block (former home of the House of Lords) were notable historic structures that were demolished. [[Fifth and Main Historic District|Christman's Department Store]] stands (converted into loft apartments), as does the [[Joplin Union Depot]], since railroad restructuring and the decline in passenger traffic led to its closure. Other notable historic structures in Joplin include the Carnegie Library, [[Fred and Red's]] Diner, the Frisco Depot, the [[Scottish Rite|Scottish Rite Cathedral]], and the Crystal Cave (filled in and used for a parking lot). The Newman Mercantile Store has been adapted for use as City Hall. The Fox Theatre has been adapted for use as the Central Christian Center. {{citation needed|date=May 2011}}

On May 5, 1971, Joplin was struck by a severe [[tornado]], resulting in one death and 50 injuries, along with major damage to many houses and businesses.<ref name="joplinpl">{{cite web|url=http://www.joplinpubliclibrary.org/digitized/joplin_tornado_booklet.php|title=Joplin Tornado|publisher=Joplin Public Library|access-date=2012-11-16|archive-date=June 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624050333/http://joplinpubliclibrary.org/digitized/joplin_tornado_booklet.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[Image:Joplin Downtown Historic District.jpg|thumb|Historic district at 6th and Main, looking north, 2010]]

On November 11, 1978, Joplin's once-stately [[Connor Hotel (Joplin, Missouri)|Connor Hotel]], which was slated for implosion to make way for a new public library, collapsed suddenly and prematurely. Two demolition workers were killed instantly. A third, Alfred Sommers, was trapped for four days, yet survived.

===21st century===
The city had three hospitals at one time.  Oak Hill Hospital, which was located at 34th & Indiana.  Joplin General Hospital was founded by Dr. Kilbane and was later moved and renamed Oak Hill Hospital. Freeman Hospital merged with Oak Hill Hospital to become the Freeman-Oak Hill Hospital Health System.  The city has two major hospitals now, which serve the Four States region, [[Freeman Health System|Freeman-Oak Hill Hospital Health System]] and [[Mercy Hospital Joplin]], the latter replacing St. John's Regional Medical Center which was destroyed in the May 22, 2011, tornado. Freeman Hospital East, the former Oak Hill Hospital, and Landmark Hospital serve more specialized community health needs.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Witte|first=Griff|date=July 4, 2020|title=A small Missouri city thought it had dodged the coronavirus. Now, it's hitting home.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/a-small-missouri-city-thought-it-had-dodged-the-coronavirus-now-its-hitting-home/2020/07/03/fd1c3778-bc7e-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html|access-date=2020-07-04|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en}}</ref> The city's park system has nearly {{convert|1000|acre|ha}} and includes a golf course, three swimming pools, {{convert|15|mi|km}} of walking/biking trails, Chert Glades and the Shoal Creek Nature Center located in Wildcat Park. A waterfall, [[Grand Falls (Joplin)|Grand Falls]], the highest continuously flowing in the state, is on Shoal Creek on the southern end of the city. 

Numerous buildings in Joplin have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their historic and architectural significance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/mariwinn1136493341 |title=Historic Preservation Commission is revitalized |publisher=Joplin Independent |date=January 5, 2006 |access-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref> The city has undertaken Agenda 21; a major project to revitalize its Main Street downtown district, which lies on the historic Route 66. It has refurbished building facades, sidewalks, and added old-styled lamp posts, flower baskets, and benches to highlight the historic center of the city.  A gasoline-powered citywide trolley system evokes images of the city's vibrant past.

Numerous trucking lines such as [[Contract Freighters, Inc.|CFI]] are headquartered in town, as the city is situated near the geographic and population centers of the nation. [[Eagle-Picher|Eagle-Picher Industries]], Tamko Building Products, [[AT&T Communications]], and [[Schaeffler Group]] are noted employers in Joplin, and [[Leggett & Platt]] (a [[Fortune 500]]) is located in nearby Carthage. The city is served by the [[Joplin Regional Airport]] located north of town near [[Webb City, Missouri|Webb City]].

Since the 2011 tornado, the city continued to expand eastward toward [[Interstate 44|I-44]]. Large-scale development occurred along [[Range Line Road]], particularly around [[Northpark Mall (Missouri)|Northpark Mall]]. Numerous other smaller cities are in close proximity to the city include [[Carl Junction, Missouri|Carl Junction]], [[Webb City, Missouri|Webb City]], [[Duenweg, Missouri|Duenweg]], [[Duquesne, Missouri|Duquesne]], [[Airport Drive, Missouri|Airport Drive]], [[Oronogo]], [[Carterville, Missouri|Carterville]], [[Redings Mill, Missouri|Redings Mill]], [[Shoal Creek Drive, Missouri|Shoal Creek Drive]], [[Leawood, Missouri|Leawood]], and [[Saginaw, Missouri|Saginaw]].

Due to its location near two major highways and its few event and sports facilities, Joplin attracts travelers and is a destination for conferences and group events. Joplin offers nearly 500 hotel rooms, the majority located within a 1/4-mile area of Range Line Road and I-44. It has the {{convert|30000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} [[Rogers Convention Center|John Q. Hammons Convention and Trade Center]], which serves as the primary event facility for conventions, associations, and large events.

Each June, Joplin hosts the [[Boomtown Run]], a half marathon, 5K, and children's run. The event attracts runners from across the country, and features USTA certified courses which start and end in the historic downtown area. Celebrity runners featured at the [[prerace banquet]] have included Bart Yasso, Sarah Reinerston, Suzy Favor-Hamilton, and Jeff Galloway. In 2011, due to the devastating EF5 tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, just three weeks before the run, the event was transformed in the Boomtown Run Day of Service. About 270 individuals registered for the race after the tornado struck, knowing their proceeds would benefit tornado recovery. On June 11, about 270 registered runners and volunteers turned out to help clean debris and sort donations, contributing more than 1,200 hours of service. On August 7, 2012, the Village of Silver Creek and the City of Joplin voted to have Silver Creek annexed into Joplin City limits.<ref>{{cite web | title = Boundary Changes | url = http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/partnerships/bas/2010-2015entitychanges.txt | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170818212400/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/partnerships/bas/2010-2015entitychanges.txt | archive-date = 2017-08-18 }}</ref>

====2011 tornado====
{{Main|2011 Joplin tornado}}
[[File:Joplin 2011 tornado damage.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of tornado damage]]
[[File:Obama-joplin-missouri1.jpg|thumb|President [[Barack Obama]] greets an 85-year-old tornado survivor in front of his house on May 29, 2011.]]
On May 22, 2011, an EF5 [[tornado]] formed near the western edge of the city at about 5:34&nbsp;pm CDT (22:34 UTC) and tracked eastward across the city and Interstate 44 into rural portions of [[Newton County, Missouri|Newton County]]. The tornado's damage path reached up to {{convert|1|mi|km||spell=in}} in width and {{convert|22.1|mi|km}} in length, though the six miles of the path through Joplin itself contained the heaviest damage.<ref name="CRH2">{{cite web |title=Storm Event Survey, May 22, 2011: Joplin Tornado Survey |url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_survey |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302154024/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_survey |archive-date=March 2, 2012 |access-date=August 31, 2013 |website=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Springfield, MO |publisher=NOAA.gov}}</ref> About 2,400 houses, 1,000 cars, and businesses were flattened or blown away in Joplin, particularly in the section between 13th and 32nd Streets across the southern part of the city. The tornado narrowly missed the downtown area.

St. John's Regional Medical Center was damaged, and demolished in 2012. The Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team <!-- (DMAT) --> temporarily replaced the demolished St. John's Regional Medical Center with a mobile hospital<ref>"[http://blu-med.com/missouri-dmat-mobilizes-blu-med-hospital-to-joplin/ Missouri DMAT Mobilizes BLU-MED Hospital to Joplin]" (June 1, 2011). BLU-MED. Retrieved on May 21, 2014</ref> until the permanent hospital was rebuilt. The local high school, Joplin High School, was totally destroyed, as well. A total of 161 people died from tornado-related injuries as of the end of July 2011. Communications were lost and power was knocked out to many areas.<ref name=reuters>{{cite news |work=Reuters |date=May 22, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |title=Powerful tornadoes kill at least 31 in U.S. Midwest |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-weather-tornadoes-idUSN2213101220110523}}</ref> An official statement from the [[National Weather Service]] has categorized the tornado as an [[Enhanced Fujita Scale|EF5]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Unattributed|publisher=United Press International|date=May 23, 2011|access-date=May 23, 2011|title=Five families rescued, 158 dead in Joplin|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/05/23/Tornado-death-toll-at-24-in-Joplin/UPI-69631306125745/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ky3.com/news/kspr-tornado-strikes-joplin-major-damage-reported-20110522,0,7268775.story |title=Tornado Strikes Joplin; major damage reported |publisher=Ky3.com |date=May 23, 2011 |access-date=May 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525213915/http://www.ky3.com/news/kspr-tornado-strikes-joplin-major-damage-reported-20110522%2C0%2C7268775.story |archive-date=May 25, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kansas.com/2011/05/22/1859953/tornado-strikes-joplin-mo.html |title=Joplin tornado death toll jumps to 89; ''The Wichita Eagle''; May 22, 2011 |newspaper=Kansas.com |date= May 23, 2011 |access-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite news|author=<!-- the CNN Wire Staff Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/23/missouri.tornado/index.html?hpt=P1&iref=NS1 |title=116 dead in from tornado in Joplin, Missouri; number expected to rise |publisher=CNN  |date=May 23, 2011 |access-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref> On Sunday, May 29, President [[Barack Obama]], Missouri Governor [[Jay Nixon]], and [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] Director [[Craig Fugate]] visited and toured Joplin to see what the damage looked like and attended a memorial service for the deceased. Later that day, the city held a moment of silence at 5:41&nbsp;p.m., to mark the time the tornado struck. The area was declared a federal disaster area.

In July 2011, the City of Joplin entered into a contractual agreement with a master developer company, hired to assist in nearly $3 billion in reconstruction efforts. Priority construction projects included residential districts and senior and assisted-living facilities; 7,500 residential dwellings in the city were damaged or destroyed by storm. The city council began receiving government funds for additional recovery projects intended to spur expansion and economic growth included the construction of a new and expanded public library and a senior center, among other city amenities of trails, sidewalks, transportation, and park enhancements. A variety of additional major projects were to follow, greatly enhancing and expanding all aspects of the community's development.  City Manager Mark Rohr said, "This effort is the greatest opportunity the city has ever seen." Among other resources and support from governmental agencies, the [[Economic Development Administration]] provided $20&nbsp;million to construct a new Joplin Library and a two-year funding agreement to hire a disaster recovery coordinator to help coordinate the city's nearly $850&nbsp;million in immediate restoration and recovery efforts.<ref>KSN</ref>

In the summer of 2012, the [[United States Housing and Urban Development Department]] awarded a $45&nbsp;million community development block grant for reconstruction efforts and in 2013 awarded another $113&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x941526949/City-outlines-plan-for-CDBG-funds/print|title=City outlines plan for CDBG funds|last=Woodin |first=Debby |website=Joplin Globe|date=July 15, 2012 |access-date=2016-05-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x182746760/Proposed-spending-of-second-round-of-CDBG-funds-spans-many-sectors|title=Proposed spending of second round of CDBG funds spans many sectors |last=Woodin|first=Debby|website=Joplin Globe|date=June 22, 2013 |access-date=2016-05-11}}</ref> In May 2013, the [[Missouri Department of Natural Resources]] awarded Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center $500,000 to help with the restoration of the urban forest, which was passed through to the City of Joplin as a subgrant; 1,500 large-calibre trees were planted in the tornado zone and along an urban stream, Joplin Creek.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1696741641/1-500-trees-being-planted-from-Campbell-Parkway-to-Landreth-Park|title=1,500 trees being planted from Campbell Parkway to Landreth Park|first=Wally|last=Kennedy|website=Joplin Globe|date=July 9, 2013 |access-date=2016-05-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130711200316/http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1696741641/1-500-trees-being-planted-from-Campbell-Parkway-to-Landreth-Park|archive-date=2013-07-11}}</ref>

In May 2016, a summit was held under the name of "Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit". The summit's purpose was to tackle several issues and ensure that the recovery plans take place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/us/joplin-tornado-anniversary/index.html|title=Joplin, Missouri, tornado: 5 years later|author=Carma Hassan, Faith Karimi and Ralph Ellis|website=CNN|date=May 22, 2016 |access-date=2017-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinproud.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JoplinProud-SummitProgram-8.5x11-WEB.pdf|title=Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit|date=2016}}</ref>

As of March 2018, the only project finished that was proposed in the recovery effort besides the hospital and schools was the new public library. [[David G. Wallace#Wallace-Bajjali and personal bankruptcy|Wallace-Bajjali]] was sued by a city they formerly contracted with and skipped town without fulfilling the contract made to refurbish Joplin.

[[Mercy Park, Joplin, Missouri|Mercy Park]] was created at the site of the former hospital.

=== Tourism ===
After the May 22, 2011 tornado came through a number of unofficial murals and monuments popped up across the city. These popups also showcased the beginning of an arts renaissance in Joplin which still can be seen throughout the city today. One of many monuments which popped up was the Rainbow Tree, which was found on 20th Street between Indiana Avenue and Illinois Avenue. The Rainbow Tree, not to be confused with the since-fallen Spirit Tree, was a tree which was destroyed in the May 22, 2011 tornado that the community decorated with bird houses, bird feeders, colored paint, and a sign saying "Help Us Feed The Birds"; as of November 2022, it had also fallen. After the tornado butterflies became a major part of the artistic works in the city due to the stories of children seeing butterfly entities carrying people through the sky shortly after the tornado which spread across the community of Joplin. One of the first works in Joplin to incorporate Butterflies was the "Butterfly Effect: Dreams Take Flight" Mural which is located on the Northwest corner of 15th and Main Street. The piece was painted by Dave Loewenstein with the support of a 20 community member design team and more than 300 community volunteers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://connect2culture.org/joplinpublicart/butterflyeffect/|title=Butterfly Effect: Dreams Take Flight Mural|access-date=September 22, 2019|archive-date=September 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922011738/http://connect2culture.org/joplinpublicart/butterflyeffect/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Joplin Rainbow Tree.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Former Joplin Rainbow Tree|alt=]]
On March 15, 2018, the City of Joplin conducted an independent tourism study which covered the purpose of the study, evaluation process, competitive market summary, recommendations, and implementations. In the overview, the City states its strategic priorities for tourism which were improve the visitor experience, increase the number of visitors, capture visitor spending, and emphasize results-driven tourism marketing. The purpose of the study was to provide direction for Joplin to help define the focus for future tourism efforts. In the study the city mentions the [[SWOT analysis|strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats]] of the tourism market in the region as well as recommendations to increase tourism in the city. One of the recommendations in the study was to develop a conference center with an incorporated or adjacent hotel which could accommodate groups up to 2,500 and include multi-use exhibit space, breakout rooms and the newest technology. Another recommendation was to enhance downtown by encouraging hotel development in downtown, supporting and promoting development of empire market and food culture, supporting development of an Arts & Entertainment complex, supporting efforts of Connect2Culture and the broader art community relating facilities and programs downtown, hosting a variety of special events downtown, promoting downtown as a location for dining, shopping and culture, and continuing Main Street and downtown core improvements. It is recommended that the first step for the CVB Board is to discuss and decide which of the recommendations they see as priorities and take these to City Council for their recommendation. Additionally, the CVB should start collecting visitor data, undertake Identity and Branding study (with the city as lead or in partnership with the city), work on increasing lodging tax, ear-marked for conference center use the Tourism Study as a roadmap for future decision-making.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joplinmo.org/DocumentCenter/View/7405/Joplin-Independent-Tourism-Study-Final-Report-3-15-2018|title=Joplin-Independent-Tourism-Study-Final-Report-3-15-2018}}</ref>

In September 2019, Joplin unveiled the Rotary Sculpture Garden in Mercy Park which is home to 9 new sculptures with more on the way. The project was a joint effort of Joplin Rotary Club and Joplin Daybreak Rotary Club and all the Sculptures were donated. One by Sharon and Lance Beshore, one by Barbara and Jim Hicklin, and seven by Harry M. Cornell Jr., an art collector and chairman emeritus of Leggett & Platt Inc.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-09-21|title=Our View: Take a walk to enjoy new Rotary Sculpture Garden|work=The Joplin Globe|url=https://www.joplinglobe.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-take-a-walk-to-enjoy-new-rotary-sculpture/article_e5aede87-b446-5ff6-80fd-c64a7bc44743.html|access-date=2020-07-04}}</ref> On February 7, 2019, the Joplin Rotary Club donated over $9,800 which funded signage at the entrance of the walking paths in Mercy Park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://newstalkkzrg.com/2019/02/07/joplin-rotarians-donate-to-sculpture-garden/|title=joplin-rotarians-donate-to-sculpture-garden|work=KZRG News Talk}}</ref> The sculpture garden represents a $200,000 investment by community members who looked for the works of art, bought them, and donated them for permanent display.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/mercy-park-unveils-rotary-sculpture-garden/|title=mercy-park-unveils-rotary-sculpture-garden}}</ref>

Joplin's local heritage, including its mining heritage, is celebrated by the [[Joplin History and Mineral Museum]] in Schifferdecker Park.  The museum contains wings dedicated to (a) local history, and (b) the minerals of the world, particularly those found during the era of lead and [[zinc]] mining in Southwest Missouri and the Tri-State Region.  An outdoor display near the museum features used [[mining equipment]] used for production in the Joplin region, including pieces of heavy machinery.

The Ghost Light or [[The Spooklight|Spooklight]], a mysterious orb supposedly spotted by locals and tourists, is also located in the region around Joplin.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fleury|first=Larry|date=2020-10-20|title=The Spook Light: This Creepy, Glowing Orb Might Give You Nightmares|url=https://www.farmersalmanac.com/what-spooklight-150132|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Farmers' Almanac|language=en-US}}</ref>