MCP Directory

Special to McDonald County Directory While the McDonald County Historical Society has been around for many years, their museum is just over five years old. It resides in the renovated old county courthouse. e City of Pineville had built a new facility for their legal operations, leaving the old courthouse vacant. e society stepped in and rescued the historical building from demolition and raised the funds to renovate the inside. Today, it is a treasure trove of southwestern Missouri history, housing fascinating exhibits and priceless artifacts from days gone by. Karen Hobbs is the Director of the McDonald County Historical Society and loves to talk about the museum and the history of the region. A colorful history "We have exhibits on the colorful history of McDonald County in every room… even the bathroom," Hobbs quipped. "It's very professionally done. It's not cluttered, it tells stories very clearly. It's educational and entertaining." e museum has also added interactive components to some of the exhibits to make them more engaging. And the Society is much more than just a building that houses historical artifacts. It plays an active role in keeping the history of the region alive. "Our quarterly meetings feature speakers who talk about the unique history of McDonald County," Hobbs said. "We also partner with the schools in the area. Every single fourth grader who goes through the McDonald County school system spends a day at the museum for a tour and lecture." Stories worth remembering e museum is run by local volunteers and funded by Keeping McDonald County's history alive Photos courtesy McDonald County Historical Society Historical footnote: The time McDonald County seceded from Missouri e year was 1961 and, like today, tourism was an important industry to the thriving townships of McDonald County. e county, however, received a one-two punch from the state of Missouri early in the year. First, US 71 (that predated Interstate 49) was rerouted east of Noel. e change took the highway away from several of the region's resorts and tourist areas, causing great alarm. Second, e State Highway Department omitted three of McDonald County's most popular tourist towns from a map they distributed to promote tourism in the state. e people of McDonald County took this omission personally. What resulted, aer a few exchanges between the county and then governor John Dalton, was that McDonald County officially filed to secede from the state of Missouri and form McDonald Territory. At the height of the controversy, checkpoints were set up at the county lines where they issued visas to travelers. It was even suggested that the territory become its own country. If such a thing were to happen, the Springfield Daily News explained, its new government would petition United Nations for $4 billion in foreign aid relief. Of course, McDonald County never officially le the state of Missouri. But the whole kerfuffle proved to be a great promotional vehicle for tourism in the region. e McDonald County secession story was national news during 1961 and for years aer, the "territory" was referred to in travel ads and promotions. Information courtesy www.ozarksalive.com donations from the community. It is free and open to the public from May to December, Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. e society distributes a quarterly newsletter that is also worth checking out. It features great stories from McDonald County's past. It also serves as a clearinghouse of information on all six of the other historical preservation groups in the county. e society publishes an annual calendar that has a different theme every year. "Each month features an historical photo of a different McDonald County township main street," Hobbs said. "e calendar also includes historical dates so you can follow McDonald County history throughout the year." And what makes McDonald County history so engaging? "It's the people," Hobbs said. "e unique history of McDonald County and the Ozarks is about people who find a way to survive adversity. And that is what yields these inspiring and hopeful stories that are worth retelling and remembering." 2021 McDonald county Directory | 15

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