Celebrating National Historic Districts & Places That Matter

The John Wise House

Hoosier-born John Wise moved to Joplin in 1874 to open a hide and grain business. As with many early Joplin merchants, he quickly realized that real money could be made in mining. Wise joined forces with Thomas Connor to operate lead mines. He also owned 3000 acres of land in Oklahoma where he invested in coal mining and cattle and horse ranching. Wise helped organize Miners Bank and served on the city council, an “uncompromising advocate of the principles of the Republican Party” according to biographer Joel Livingston. In 1898, Wise commissioned architect August Michaelis to design this fanciful Queen Anne style house. Built for $10,000, it featured round towers, balconies, and stained glass windows. Twenty years later, Mrs. Wise, who was active in civic concerns, convinced her husband that their house would make a good residential facility for the YWCA. Although the YMCA had a fine building on east 4th Street, the women’s organization, founded in 1905, had yet to find a suitable home. Instead, it shuffled between various old houses and vacant upper floors in downtown buildings. In 1920, a group of businessmen raised funds to purchase the Wise house for $15,000 and spend another $13,000 to remodel and furnish it. The new YWCA opened as a boarding house for girls who came to Joplin to work. The facility, with only 3 bathrooms, lodged up to 40 girls. The young women had to walk a few blocks to eat their meals at the YWCA cafeteria at 514 ½ Joplin Street.

John was affiliated with the local organizations of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and his wife was a member of the Congregational church. At Joplin, on the 20th of February, 1878, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wise to Miss Alice Clark, daughter of  Monroe Clark, a prominent business man and influential citizen of this city. In conclusion is entered brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Wise: Delmar C., married Miss Jean Gregg,  Nina is the wife of Haywood Scott, Raymond F. and John Connor,  The family is prominent in connection with the best social activities of the community and the attractive home is one in which is dispensed a most gracious hospitality.

The Arthur Waite House

Waite arrived in Joplin in 1880 at the age of 27. He grew up splitting rails in Nebraska and at the age of 21, applied and received a job at the country bank in Brownville, Nebraska. Thus began a lifetime career in the banking industry. Eventually he rode a “hog train” to St. Joseph, Missouri, and worked as a book keeper at the Merchant State Bank for Thomas Tootle. Tootle, meanwhile, was a partner of Joplin founding father, Patrick Murphy, in the ownership of the Miner’s Bank. It was a job at Miner’s Bank, located in the same building as the old Joplin Hotel, that brought Waite to Joplin.

Later on, Waite took a job as cashier at the Joplin National Bank, which for a time was located in the Keystone Hotel building. Eventually, Waite rose to the position of president of the bank. Established as a major figure in the Joplin banking community, he was the president of the Joplin National Bank and Trust Company, the Missouri Bankers Association, Jasper County Bankers’ Association and was a member of the Elks Lodge in Joplin.

Waite remained involved in banking and in the house that Garstang & Rea designed until his death in April, 1934.

Susie Chase Leonard Waite worked on the Y.W.C.A. board for many years, was a member of the Woman’s Club, Ridpath Club, Curtis Club, and Buddy Club.  At the time of her death in 1956, she was a member of the Health and Welfare board, on which she had served since its establishment in the early 1900s.  After Mr. Waite’s death in 1934, Mrs. Waite moved to the Olivia Apartments where she lived until the time of her death.

Credits to Historicjoplin.com

The Joseph E. Garm House

Joseph Edward Garm, vice-president of Joplin National Bank, was a well-known banker and financier. 

He was a member of the Joplin Rotary, president of the Joplin Parks Board, manager of Joplin Clearing House Association, president of the Missouri Bankers’ Association, and a member of the Home Building & Loan Association.

In 1946, Mr. Garm was the campaign treasurer for the proposed Tri-State World War II memorial museum in Schifferdecker Park.  The purpose was to give dignified tribute to the veterans and miners who gave their lives, and adequately display mineral specimens as well as war relics.  The prize collection of zinc-lead minerals was valued at more than a million dollars in 1946. 

The Julius Fischer House

In 1883 Mr. Fischer was on the Joplin School Board, in 1884 was associated with the Granby Mining & Smelting Co. as a cashier and secretary, and was Joplin City Clerk in 1887-1888.

Mr. Fischer was infamously known as the man that lost the election of Jasper County Clerk to Mrs. Annie Baxter by a very wide margin in November 1890.  She was the first woman elected to office and first woman elected as a county clerk—30 years before women could even vote!  He planned to contest the election claiming she was not a citizen even though the “male citizen” requirement had been stricken a short time before.  In December 1890 he ultimately decided not to contest Mrs. Baxter because he was appointed to be the Deputy Circuit Clerk of the Joplin office.  Newspapers across the U.S. and even Canada reported that the election should not be contested based on her sex.  Various newspapers wrote: He is mean and the type of man that would not hesitate to drown a widow woman’s dog; Mr. Fischer is a galoot; He ought to go and soak his head in a beer keg!

 Originally a farmhouse, the current façade is an historic alteration, with Tudor elements applied to the original I-House Form.

The Charles G. Henderson House

Originally from Indiana, Charles Henderson became president of the S. C. Henderson Wholesale Grocery Company in Joplin.  Charles was also associated in mining ventures, was a director of the Joplin National Bank, a director in the Joplin Realty Company, and a pioneer in the telephone and electric business.  After Mr. Henderson’s first wife Emma Downs Henderson died in March of 1926, he married Jessie Onstott Mead in the autumn of 1927.

HENDERSON S WHOLESALE GROCERY HOUSE was located on the corner of Main and Sixth streets the elegant brick.  two storie building was filled to its utmost capacity with a full line of the best goods for the wholesale trade.

The marriage of Ethel Henderson (one of two daughters) to Robert Ballard was solemnized at this house on Christmas Eve 1927.  The wedding party descended the stairway and crossed to a rose-twined trellis. Guests walked into the house through the porte cochere entrance. A supper was served in the dining room on a lace table cloth with crystal candlesticks and a silver tea service.  Strands of smilax and roses were festooned from the front door to the nearest chandelier.

This house has beige brick cladding, gabled dormers, dentil molding at the roofline, and many other architectural features.

Charles G. Henderson died in 1947 at the age of 81, but in 1933 his hometown newspaper reported on his death!  Nine days later a retraction was printed with Charles Henderson stating that it was not often a man could read his own death notice. The newspaper should have reported on the death of Charles’s son, Charles A. Henderson.