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Nestled between the bright lights of Branson and the
beautiful skylines of St. Louis and Kansas City, lies
Marshall, Missouri, located directly in the heart of
Saline County. The sixty-five acres of land for the City of
Marshall was donated by Jeremiah O’dell deeded April 13,
1839 and was named for United States Supreme Court Chief
Justice, John Marshall, August 14, 1839, when chosen as the
county seat. The first courthouse was built in 1841 and
stood until burned by Confederate partisans in 1864. The
second, built in 1865, stood until it burned April 3, 1889.
The cause of which was believed to be arson. The third and
present courthouse was built January 9, 1882 and placed on
the National Register of Historical Places by the United
States Department of the Interior.
On the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn was an
iron fountain placed in 1915 by the Roger Nelson Chapter of
the DAR to honor six revolutionary soldiers of Saline
County; a similar fountain was on the southwest corner.
Both fountains were removed due to
vandalism. A red granite Santa Fe Trail marker was erected
in 1909 on the northwest corner; on the north side of the
courthouse is Saline County’s World War I Doughboy
Memorial. A statue of Chief Justice John Marshall,
sculpted by Andrew Harader, was erected July 19, 1976 on the
southeast side of the courthouse. In 1991 a red granite
memorial was erected on the southeast corner of the lawn to
honor the Veterans of Saline County listing those who paid
the ultimate price for their country from World War I, World
War II, Korea, Viet Nam and the Persian Gulf.
The
Saline County Courthouse is an enduring landmark in the
center of the Marshall Square and a legacy of nineteenth
century architecture. The 1882 cross-gabled courthouse with
central tower has become, for many Saline Countians, “The
Light of Saline County”.
Saline
County was named for its many salt deposits where
westward travelers along the Santa Fe Trail stocked up
before their long journeys southwest. To commemorate the
Santa Fe Trail, Marshall holds “Santa Fe Trail Days” the
first weekend in August each year. The events begin with a
kick off luncheon and continue with a Chuck Wagon Dinner on
the Courthouse lawn, arts & craft show, sidewalk sale,
carnival, car show, and many other items of interest.
Farming is
a revered and respected industry in the community. Some of
the richest soil in the world can be found in this north
central Missouri County, bordered on the north and east by
the Missouri River, with topsoil that can be measured as
deep as thirty feet. Early Indians farmed the bottomlands,
however, white settlers quickly discovered the lands with
thick tall prairie grass were ideal for many agricultural
purposes.
One of the
greatest rural sporting events, The National Corn
Shucking Contest was developed in 1922. Due to the
bountiful corn production, Marshall was selected as the site
of the 14th annual contest held November 4,
1937. The three previous years attendance had reached
100,000 but this record was shattered at the Marshall
contest with an attendance estimated at 120,000 – a record
that was never exceeded. The tradition continues with The
Missouri State Corn Husking Championships and the National
Corn Husking Championships held each year in the Fall at the
Saline County Fairgrounds. Another interesting event hosted
by Missouri Valley College is the “Valley Stampede
Rodeo” which is held in September or October each year,
also at the Saline County Fairgrounds. The rodeo features
300+ entrants participating in Tie Down Calf Roping, Saddle
Bronc Riding, Bareback Riding, Breakaway Roping, Steer
Wrestling, Goat Tying, Team Roping, Barrel Racing and Bull
Riding competition.
One of Marshall’s most cherished citizens was
the remarkable “Jim The Wonder Dog”. Jim was a
Llewellyn English Setter from a line of champion field
dogs. He was born in the Taylor Kennels in Louisiana on
March 10, 1925. Because of a private joke he was sent to
Samuel H. VanArsdale who a short time later came to Marshall
to operate the Ruff Hotel where Jim was a very important
attraction. Jim was a champion hunting dog, but much more.
He carried out instructions given to him in any foreign
language, shorthand, or Morse Code. Newspaper and magazine
writers came to witness Jim and were stunned. They wrote of
the incredulous things they saw, and Jim’s fame spread
across the United States and elsewhere. He was featured in
Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
Jim passed
away March 18, 1937 and is buried in Marshall’s Ridge Park
Cemetery with a gravestone and is probably the only animal
in a “people” cemetery. Caretaker’s say his is the most
visited grave there and is seldom without flowers and coins
left on it. There is a statue of Jim placed in the “Jim the
Wonder Dog Garden Park” off the northwest corner of the
Marshall Square, along with many of the stories and
eyewitness accounts about Jim’s talents. The park sits on
the original site of the Ruff Hotel. You can learn more
about Jim the Wonder Dog and other Saline County History by
visiting the Saline County Historical Museum housed in the
building next door to the Jim the Wonder Dog Park.
In 1927 the
Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company was the largest
distributor of airplane parts in the United States. The
Flight School opened in April 1929. The new all metal
monoplane of the Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Co. was
successfully tested in 1928. The Nicholas Beazley Aviation
Museum, Inc. has formed for the sole purpose of preserving
and promoting the aviation history of Marshall and Saline
County, Missouri. The Aviation Museum is currently in the
process of raising the necessary funds, selecting a site,
and restoring both a NB-3 and Flying Flea. They hope to
open the museum, including a traveling display in the near
future.
The
City of Marshall and Saline County are truly fortunate to
have such wonderful park facilities available to them.
Indian Foothills Park was purchased on March 20,
1933. The original deed was for 100 acres; over the years
an additional 215 acres were purchased, including the
80-acre purchase in 1992. Currently Indian Foothills Park
sits on a total of 325 acres. Included within the park are
the following items of interest:
New in 2003 the
Aquatic Center features zero depth entry, a
diving pool and a 25-foot water slide ending in a safety
pool. These features make the Marshall Aquatic Center an
enjoyable experience for all ages. It is open daily from
Memorial Day to Labor Day and is also available for private
parties. Visit one of the best public 18 hole courses in
Missouri. Indian Foothills Golf Course offers
a driving range, putting greens, and a well-groomed course
that provides challenges for players of all ages and skill
level. The course is open all year around as weather
permits. A wide variety of leagues and tournaments are
offered. Tee times are recommended especially for weekend
play. Call 660-831-0929 for tee times, fees, and rates on
corporate tournaments. Season passes and group rates
available. New to our other wonderful facilities is the
addition of an 18 hole Disc Golf Course.
Contact the Park Office at 660-886-7128 for additional
information.
Shelters
are available for picnics, family reunions, birthday
parties, graduation celebrations, or an afternoon outing.
All our shelters are equipped with barbeque grills and
electricity. Our newest shelter, North Point built in 2003,
has a beautiful rock fireplace and rustic pole
construction. Most of our shelters have play equipment
available. Reservations are required for all our shelters
and can be reserved up to a year in advance. Call early and
reserve the shelter of your choice for only $25.00.
Completion of our
Skate Park is still pending. We will welcome
skaters of all ages and abilities to take advantage of our
newest addition to Indian Foothills Park. Features at our
skate park will include "hubba ledges", "vertical walls" and
"quarter pipes".
Additional
activities available include 3-D bow range,
Osage Baseball Field,
Lyon
Bowl Softball Fields,
sand
volleyball courts,
tennis courts – lighted,
horseshoe pits and
children's
playground
Pennytown –
In 1871 Joe Penny a freed man from Kentucky, paid $160 for
eight acres of land in Saline County, Missouri. This was
the first of eleven purchases to be made in the next eight
years by Penny and other black families in the area. By
1879 these eleven land acquisitions, each averaging six and
one half acres, constituted the sixty-four acres known as
Pennytown, the largest of Saline County’s historic black
hamlets. In 1886 a white landowner permitted Pennytown
residents to erect a frame house of worship on his land. In
1894 church trustees purchased the land for $20. The
building burned in 1924, but a new church was completed on
the same spot by 1926. In 1988 the crumbling church
building was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places. The church was restored in 1996 and today Pennytown
Freewill Baptist Church stands as the only structural
reminder of the thriving community that once existed on this
land and their successful vision of self-reliance.
Self-guided
Civil War Driving Tour - throughout the Civil
war, Marshall was garrisoned by Federal troops. As most
residents harbored southern sympathies, many stores remained
closed during the four year conflict (1861-1865). Although
Marshall itself was strategically unimportant during the
war, the town did lay in the path of two confederate raids
(Shelby/’63, Price/’64). As a result, several small
skirmishes were fought in the surrounding countryside, plus
the climatic Battle of Marshall. Points of interest include
Benson Execution site, Saline County Courthouse, Rock
Presbyterian Church, Odell Cemetery, Ridge Park Cemetery,
Eastwood Street, Montegue Hill, and Robion Springs.
Marshall is
the home of Butterfield Youth Services founded in
1963 by Tom Butterfield. It is a private, not-for-profit
organization that serves the needs of troubled youth. The
children normally range from 10-14 years of age when first
admitted with their average length of stay being about one
year.
http://www.bys@bys-kids.org
Marshall is
proud of to be the home of Missouri Valley College, St.
Peters Catholic School, Marshall Public School System, the
Marshall Community Chorus, the Marshall Municipal Band,
Philharmonic Orchestra, and a wide variety of churches.
Pamphlets are available at the Marshall Chamber
of Commerce Office on most of the above-featured
attractions, in addition, there are links on our web page to
most of them. If you would like additional information
please contact us.
Marshall Chamber of
Commerce
214 N. Lafayette
Marshall, Missouri 65340
660-886-3324.
marshallchamber.com
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