Pineville in McDonald County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Old McDonald County Courthouse
Photographed by Marc Hayot, October 2, 2026
1. Old McDonald County Courthouse Marker
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Erected 2012 by First Community Bank.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics. A significant historical date for this entry is July 8, 1885.
Location. 36° 35.61′ N, 94° 23.014′ W. Marker is in Pineville, Missouri, in McDonald County. It is on Main Street north of 4th Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 Main St, Pineville MO 64856, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest 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 14 miles of this marker, measured as
this page online
Regarding Old McDonald County Courthouse. The old McDonald County Courthouse was constructed in 1871 and was the center of political, administrative, judicial, and social happenings in McDonald County. County residents came to vote, pay taxes, record land purchases, and attend meetings. Various civic organizations have used the courthouse for meetings after regular business hours. Significant events included the lynching of Irwin Grubb, who was on his way to the courthouse for a murder trial only to be taken by an armed posse and lynched outside of town and Cora Hubbard, who robbed the McDonald County Bank
Photographed by Marc Hayot, October 2, 2026
2. Old McDonald County Courthouse and Marker
effect, a community shrine—and decades later it was saved from destruction for just this reason.
Also see . . .
1. National Register of Historic Places Registration form: Old McDonald County Courthouse. This form was prepared by M. Raylene Lamb, President of the McDonald County Historical Society, and Roger Maserang, National Register Historian with the State Historic Preservation Office. The summary statement of historical significance is on page 9:
Completed in 1871, the Old McDonald County Courthouse in Pineville, Missouri, is locally significant under National Register Criterion A in the areas of Politics/Government and Social History. For 107 years, this Foursquare-style building served as the political and geographic focus of McDonald County, housing various governmental and other public functions within its walls of locally made bricks, many of which were salvaged from the ruins of a previous courthouse on the site which had been burned by bushwhackers during the Civil War. Also, the Old McDonald County Courthouse has become a sort of community shrine since 1938 when it played a supporting role in Jesse James, a Twentieth Century Fox movie loosely based on the legend of the notorious Missouri outlaw. Local citizens were hired for bit parts, Pineville’s recently paved streets were temporarily covered with dirt, and a host of stars including Tyrone Power in the title roll, Henry Fonda, Randolph Scott and Nancy Kelly came to town. Subsequently, the celebration of “Jesse James Days” became, and remains, a regular summer event in Pineville. Plus when a brand new courthouse was completed in 1978, McDonald County became Missouri’s only county to build a replacement courthouse several blocks off the square in order to preserve the old one for posterity. The period of significance begins in 1871 when county officials accepted the building and ends in 1962, the fifty-year cutoff date for periods where activities begun historically continue to have importance but no more specific date can be determined. The Old McDonald County Courthouse substantially reflects its 1943 appearance when it was expanded with a one-story addition, stuccoed and painted white. Although a newer McDonald County courthouse exists, the old one is still county-owned and is an annex used for the storage of excess circuit clerk records.(Submitted on October 2, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.)
2. The Deadly Math of Irwin Grubb. This short YouTube video details the lynching of Irwin Grubb.
In 1885, a Missouri newspaper printed a chilling headline about a recent lunching. A mob hangs a man to save expense. They didn't kill him out of passion. They did it as a budget cut.(Submitted on October 2, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.)
3. A Backward Glance: 25 Years Ago -- August 25, 1938. Filming of "Jesse James" Picture Now Under Way. An article from the McDonald County News-Gazette about remembering the filming of the 1938 film "Jesse James.
One of the visiting movie officials remarked with a chuckle that Pineville seemed to be getting more attention in the California newspapers at present than Hollywood.(Submitted on October 2, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.)
Additional keywords. Works in Progress
Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 2, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
