In the southwest corner of Missouri sets Jasper County. Formed in 1841, Carthage, named after the ancient Phoenician city-state of Carthage, was selected as the county seat. On the eve of the Civil War, the population was over 500 was divided over the issue of slavery, most Negroes in the area were slaves.
On July 5, 1861, Union troops from St Louis and pro-southern Confederate troops lead by Missouri Governor, Claiborne Fox Jackson, met in the Battle of Carthage. In the Second Battle of Carthage, October 1863, Union troops met Confederate forces north of town and forced them back into Arkansas. Other minor skirmishes and attacks occurred in and around town and in September 1864 pro-Confederate guerrillas burned most of the city, including the court house.
Following the war, with the arrival of the Missouri Western Railroad in 1872, the town and surrounding area grew. Town residents worked in the foundry, furniture factory, woolen and grain mills, a plow works and numerous liveries and other businesses. Nearby lead mines and limestone quarries contributed significant wealth and Carthage became one of the most prosperous towns in the area. Wealthy residents built ornate Victorian-style homes, many are now part of the Carthage South District, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Numerous local buildings, in addition to the courthouse, were built in the late 19th and early 20th century out of stone from local quarries. The local limestone is hard enough to be polished into "Carthage marble" and was used in both the interior and exterior of the state capitol building in Jefferson.
Route 66 and the Jefferson Highway intersected in town in the 1920s. The original owners of Boots Court Motel, at this crossroads, promoted a drive-in restaurant with radio broadcast on KDMO AM, "Breakfast at the Crossroads of America.” Route 66 was eventually re-routed, and then replaced in the 1960s with Interstate 44 running south of town. The Boots Court Motel has been renovated to the 1940s era and is a lovely stop for the night if you don’t need a TV – but there is a radio in every room!
A Radio In Every Room!
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