Alfred Harrison Rogers

Alfred Harrison Rogers

Alfred Harrison Rogers Early Life and Education Alfred Harrison Rogers was born on February 2, 1858, in the riverside town of LeClaire, Iowa. He was the youngest child of Robert H. Rogers and Mary Jane Caldwell Rogers. His father, a Pennsylvanian by birth, had settled...
William Byers

William Byers

William Byers Early Life and Education (1818–1850s) William Byers was born on November 14, 1818, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. His parents, Frederick and Anna Byers, were deeply rooted in Pennsylvania, with Frederick having served as a soldier during the...
Joplin’s Story

Joplin’s Story

The Birth of Joplin Origins and the Discovery of Lead The land that would become Joplin, Missouri, was once an expanse of unbroken prairie. In 1868, it was covered in tall grass, scattered bushes, and occasional trees, offering little indication of the immense mineral...

The Keystone Hotel

The Keystone Hotel Origins and Construction (1890s) The Keystone Hotel was one of Joplin, Missouri’s earliest grand hotels, rising at the southeast corner of 4th and Main Streets in the early 1890s. Its story began in 1888 when Elias Zollinger Wallower, a Pennsylvania...
Joplin’s Enduring Fascination with Bears

Joplin’s Enduring Fascination with Bears

Joplin’s Enduring Fascination with Bears The Early Days of Bears in Joplin The story of Joplin’s Bears begins with the establishment of Schifferdecker Electric Park in 1909. Originally a trolley park with attractions that included alligators, Texas longhorn steers,...