Jasper County History Finds with Annie Golden

10/15/2025

https://tinyurl.com/29bd65kn

BY JOHN [email protected] PURCELL, Mo. — For years, resi

10/10/2025

I am so glad I got to be a part of this. We think there are about 80-100 infant and children in these unmarked graves at Purcell Friends Cemetery from around 1902-1927. We found 58 and possibly more. Amazing work being done in this cemetery.

Inmates from the Jasper County Jail, along with volunteers, recently discovered records of unmarked graves while cleaning out a relative’s attic and have since begun excavating the property t…

10/08/2025

I had the opportunity to take this tour and it was amazing, I highly recommend

Have you booked your 2025 tour yet? Tour season concludes at the end of November, so snag your spot while there's still time. Don't forget - we also offer select tours during the week!

🗝️: MissouriPenTours.com
📷: Tim Buchanan Photography

10/04/2025

We are thrilled to share a new coloring book that pays tribute to the past: "A Tour Through Historic Carthage, Missouri"

Step back in time as you color beautiful illustrations of Carthage’s historic homes and learn about the notable figures who shaped our community. Illustrated by local artist Cheryl Church, this coloring book features fun historical facts about the homes, places, and people that make Carthage unique.

Perfect for families, history buffs, or anyone who loves Carthage!

Grab your copy at any of these locations (with more to come soon!):

• The Jasper County Clerk's Office at the Jasper County Courthouse
• The Carthage Visitor's Center (at the Boots Court Motel )
• The Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce

"A Tour Through Historic Carthage, Missouri" is available for just $12, cash or check made out to CHP. Proceeds will support local historical educational efforts.

Bring Carthage’s history to life — one page at a time!

Thank you to Carthage Community Foundation and Carthage Printing for their support of this project.

The Boots Court
Carthage Missouri Chamber of Commerce

10/03/2025

👉 Sometimes history isn’t about famous outlaws or landmark hotels — it’s about ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives right here in Jasper County. What happens when a forgotten mugshot reveals a murder, a scandal, and a trial that shook Webb City in 1913?

As I was indexing a set of sheriff’s records in the Jasper County Archives, one mugshot made me stop in my tracks. It wasn’t the usual hardened outlaw or petty thief. It was a woman — in 1913. Her name was Mary Gilmore, and the note on her card said she had been arrested for murdering her husband.

That discovery led me down a rabbit hole of old newspapers, court records, marriage licenses, and penitentiary files. Soon, another mugshot surfaced — James Linn, also accused of murdering Mary’s husband, Elijah. The two were linked not just by scandal but by a shocking confession reported in the Carthage Evening Press.

The paper told the story: on February 5, 1913, Elijah Gilmore was walking home from the theater with Mary when he was shot by an unknown gunman. He died a few hours later. At first, suspicion fell on another man — but within 24 hours, Mary and James were both under arrest. The newspapers reported that they admitted to a relationship and to plotting the crime, though Mary later denied it.

Justice was swift in those days. By March 19, just over a month later, both Mary and James were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in the Missouri State Penitentiary.

The penitentiary records show the rest of the story:

James died of tuberculosis in 1916.

Mary was released in 1919 due to overcrowding in the women’s prison.

By 1920 she was back in Webb City, living with her daughter. A year later she remarried and lived in Carterville until her tragic death in 1936.

Mary’s story reminds us that history isn’t just about the “big names” we all know — it’s also about the complicated, very human lives of ordinary Jasper County residents. The Gilmore case came to light through marriage licenses, census records, penitentiary files, and old newspaper reels — all preserved in the Jasper County Archives.

Digging into these records can solve mysteries, debunk family legends, or even bring forgotten stories like Mary’s back to light. And if there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that life a century ago wasn’t as different from today as we sometimes imagine.

✨ Follow Jasper County History Finds with Annie each week for more true stories uncovered from the archives — the people, places, and moments that shaped our community.

09/26/2025

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉

Barry Chorum, Mark Duncan, Crystal Fast

09/19/2025

✨ Prosperity, Missouri: A Small Town Wrapped in History ✨

Just southwest of Carterville once stood the thriving mining town of Prosperity. Born in the late 1800s during the lead and zinc boom, Prosperity quickly grew into a bustling community. At its height, it boasted hundreds of homes, grocery stores, churches, a train depot, and even a streetcar line that connected residents to nearby Webb City.

The town’s heartbeat was its school — a proud brick building that educated generations of children from the mining families. Inside its walls, children studied their lessons by day, and the community gathered for events in the evenings. To those who attended, the Prosperity School remains a symbol of pride and lasting memories.

Life in Prosperity was not easy. Water had to be hauled in barrels, and electricity was scarce in the early years. Still, the miners and their families built a close-knit town where neighbors looked out for one another. Grocery stores kept shelves stocked, churches rang their bells on Sunday mornings, and the hum of the mines filled the air.

As the mines closed and the work disappeared, Prosperity slowly faded. Families moved on, houses were abandoned, and businesses shuttered their doors. Today, only a few homes remain, along with the weathered shell of the school and remnants of once-busy streets.

Yet Prosperity’s story is not one of loss, but of memory. It reminds us of the resilience of families who came chasing opportunity, the children who carried their lessons into the wider world, and the sense of community that flourished even in difficult times. Though the town stands quiet now, its history is etched in stone, wood, and memory — a lasting part of Jasper County’s heritage.

📜 This is a summary of the article pictured here, in case the original text is hard to read. The story was first published in the Joplin Globe on Sunday, April 27, 1980, and is part of the Joplin Globe Archives donated to the Jasper County Records Center. This article — along with many others — is available to explore for research or even just curiosity.

09/18/2025

As I continue sorting through donated collections, county records, and old reels of microfilm, I often stumble across unexpected pieces of Jasper County history. This article, tucked away in a box with other papers, caught my attention because it describes something I had never heard of before—a lake that once lay just southwest of the square. Written in 1935, it preserves Mrs. E. O. Brown’s memories of arriving in Carthage in 1874 and recalling the spring-fed waters, the neighborhood boys who played along its banks, and the homes and businesses that surrounded it.

I haven’t had time yet to dig deeper into the story, but I thought others might enjoy seeing this fascinating glimpse into our community’s past. Pieces like this remind me how every record or clipping can lead down a rabbit hole and uncover new layers of Jasper County history.

-Annie