Monett in Barry County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

V.B. Hall

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 29, 2024

1. V.B. Hall Marker

Inscription. Viga Burns Hall was born on 17th of June, 1892 in Hancock Missouri. Raised by a prominent Monett businessman, Francis Marion Hall, V.B. Hall followed in his father's footsteps founding V.B. Hall Company in 1919. A leader in the transition from a Frisco railroad town to an industrial community, V.B. Hall brought progress and growth to Monett that the town still benefits from today. V.B. Hall was a dedicated civic leader serving as mayor of Monett between 1938 to 1948 and then again in 1963 to 1968 for a total of 16 years as mayor. He was friends with Harry S. Truman and was asked by Truman to run for governor of Missouri in 1952, but ultimately declined. During World War I, V.B. Hall served in France as a Sergeant in the US Army Quartermaster Corps. He founded the American Legion Post 91 in 1919. In 1971 V.B. Hall sold his business to Bill Medlin and in 1974 he passed away.

Opened in 1919, V.B. Hall Company the business was a wholesale produce business. V.B. Hall company's first location was on Fourth and Front streets. In 1929, the business relocated to a three story building located on South Central and

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Main Street. The business moved once more, to its third and final location, as an antiques store today. The current antiques store is 12,000 square feet and houses an array of vendors. Historical references can also be found throughout V.B. Hall including old photographs and fruit crates from Monett's days as the strawberry capital of the world. Viga Burns Hall owned the business from 1919 to 1971 when it was sold to Bill Medlin. His son V.B. Hall Jr. owned the current building and in 1995 he made the transition to antiques, as it is today.

Written by: Mandy Botlik

This sign was created by students under the direction of Monett High School Missouri Literature and Composition teacher Amy M. Sampson and was paid for via a grant she wrote and was awarded from Rural Schools Collaborative and their 2023 Celia B. Godsil Grants in Place Fellows Program.

Erected 2023 by Monett High School students.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Government & Politics • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Missouri, Monett High School class project

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 29, 2024

2. V.B. Hall Marker

series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 17, 1892.

Location. 36° 55.096′ N, 93° 55.746′ W. Marker is in Monett, Missouri, in Barry County. It can be reached from the intersection of Main and Euclid Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Marker is at the entrance to V.B. Hall Antique Warehouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 201 Main, Monett MO 65708, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Missouri and in the Branson and Table Rock Lake Area.

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 walking distance of this marker: Central School by B-W Funeral Home (approx. ¼ mile away); The Frisco Railroad (approx. 0.4 miles away); Where Did Monett Get its Name? (approx. 0.4 miles away); Monett Floods (approx. 0.4

V.B. Hall Company image. Click for full size.

from Barry County in Pictures (1937), Mid-West Map Co., pub; via Barry County Museum (Public Domain)

3. V.B. Hall Company

A company facility during the mid-1930s.

miles away); Strawberry Capital of the World (approx. 0.4 miles away); Whistle Stops (approx. 0.4 miles away); Monett Lynching (approx. 0.4 miles away); Monett Harvey House (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Monett.

Viga Burns Hall (1892-1974) image. Click for full size.

via Barry County Museum (Public Domain)

4. Viga Burns Hall (1892-1974)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 445 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.