John William “Big Bill” Lupton

John William “Big Bill” Lupton Early Roots and the Civil War The Ohio countryside where John William Lupton was born in 1847 was a landscape of rolling fields, shaded creeks, and scattered farmhouses that dotted Highland County. This part of southern Ohio was a place...

Hook-Up Trucking Ownership (1998)

Hook-Up Trucking Ownership (1998) By the summer of 1998, the Newman Building had stood at the corner of 6th and Main for nearly nine decades, weathering cycles of change that reflected the fortunes of downtown Joplin. Its grand opening in 1910 had marked a high point...

Pentecostal Church of God Ownership (1973–1980s)

Pentecostal Church of God Ownership (1973–1980s) When the Newman Brothers department store closed its doors in 1972, downtown Joplin lost more than a major retailer. It lost a landmark institution that had been a cornerstone of commerce for over six decades. The...

Life Inside Joplin’s Grandest Shopping Destination

Life Inside Joplin’s Grandest Shopping Destination When the Newman Brothers Department Store opened its doors on November 21, 1910, it immediately became the crown jewel of downtown Joplin. The steel-framed, seven-story building at the corner of 6th and Main was more...