West Plains in Howell County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Early West Plains Spring

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2021

1. Early West Plains Spring Marker

Inscription. Beneath this building still flowing is the spring around which the early Indian tribes camped. The first known white man to claim land in the immediate vicinity of the spring was a hunter named Adams. In 1839 Adams sold his claim to Josiah Howell who established the first permanent settlement which became West Plains. County lines were defined in 1848, and the first post office was established. In 1857 the county seat was established at West Plains, and in 1860 the first court house was built. There were 150 people in West Plains.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1839.

Location. 36° 43.681′ N, 91° 51.07′ W. Marker is in West Plains, Missouri, in Howell County. It is on East Main Street just east of Walnut Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is mounted at eye-level on the north/front façade of the Old Post Office building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 204 East Main Street, West Plains MO 65775, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

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this marker is in Southeast Missouri. It is also in the American Ozarks,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mount Zion Lodge Masonic Temple (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); In Memory of Six Confederate Soldiers (about 500 feet away); Civil War Skirmish - 1862 (about 500 feet away); Time Capsule (about 500 feet away); Polly the Parrot (approx. half a mile away); Lincoln School (approx. 0.9 miles away); West Plains (approx. 3 miles away); Porter Wagoner's Guitar (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in West Plains.

Also see . . . West Plains, Missouri.

The history of West Plains can be traced back to 1832, when settler Josiah Howell (after whom Howell County is named) created the first settlement in the region
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2021

2. Early West Plains Spring Marker
known as Howell Valley. West Plains was so named because the settlement was on a prairie in a westerly direction from the nearest town, Thomasville.

(Submitted on November 18, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Historic Post Office, West Plains, Missouri (<i>north elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2021

3. Historic Post Office, West Plains, Missouri (north elevation)

(marker visible below windows on left/east side)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 809 times since then and 80 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 18, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.