MCP Directory

by Randy Rice - MCDONALD COUNTY DIRECTORY While the McDonald County Historical Society has been around for many years, their museum is only turning seven this year. It resides in the renovated old county courthouse in Pineville. When the City of Pineville built a new facility for their legal operations, the old courthouse was left vacant. The society stepped in, 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. The museum has exhibits on the colorful history of McDonald County in every room… even the bathroom. The collection is full, but not cluttered, and tells stories very clearly while being both educational and entertaining. In 2020, the Historical Society began incorporating interactive components to some of the exhibits to make them even more engaging. Beyond the museum, the Historical Society plays an active role in keeping the history of the region alive. Their quarterly meetings feature speakers who share the unique history of McDonald County. They also partner with the schools in the area—every single fourth grader who goes through the McDonald County school system gets to spend an informative day at the museum learning about local history. The museum is run by local volunteers and funded by donations from the community. It is open to the public from May to December, on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. And the best part is, it's free. The 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. The society also publishes an annual calendar that has a different theme every year. What makes McDonald County history so engaging? The unique history of McDonald County and the Ozarks is about people who found a way to survive adversity. That yields an impressive collection of inspiring and hopeful stories that are worth retelling and remembering. Historical Society celebrates McDonald County's rich history Historical footnote: The time McDonald County seceded from Missouri The year was 1961 and, like today, tourism was an important industry to the thriving townships of McDonald County. The 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. The change took the highway away from several of the region's resorts and tourist areas, causing great alarm. Second, The State Highway Department omitted three of McDonald County's most popular tourist towns from a map they distributed to promote tourism in the state. The people of McDonald County took this omission personally. What resulted, after 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 left the state of Missouri. But the whole kerfuffle proved to be a great promotional vehicle for tourism in the region. The McDonald County secession story was national news during 1961 and for years after, the "territory" was referred to in travel ads and promotions. (Information courtesy ozarksalive.com) Ad Number: 022422nwr4531 2022 MCDONALD COUNTY DIRECTORY | 23 PROUDLY SERVING MCDONALD COUNTY FOR OVER 80 YEARS

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