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Historic Murphysburg Preservation, Joplin, Missouri

Celebrating National Historic Districts & Places That Matter

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Our Guidestar Rating: Silver Transparency 2022, by Candid
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(417) 208-9376
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  • Our Neighborhood
    • Virtual Tour
    • Walking Tour Options
    • Our Historic Homes
    • Sacred Places
    • Historic Murphysburg Events
    • Visit Joplin
      • Visit Joplin MO
      • Connect 2 Culture
      • Post Art Library
      • Downtown Joplin Alliance
    • Area Accommodations
      • Joplin Hotels
      • Vacation Rentals
    • Murphysburg Homes for Sale
  • Resources
    • Homeowner Resources
    • Historic Markers
    • Places in Peril
    • Architectural Elements
    • Local History
    • Women of Murphysburg
  • Membership
    • Membership Levels
    • Volunteer
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Friends of Murphysburg
  • Contact Us

Treasure Hunt

Ready for a History Treasure Hunt?? Test your skills and have fun with your team.

May 15, 2026 //  by Paula Callihan

HMP celebrated Historic Preservation Month this May with a History Treasure Hunt! The hunt was inspired by Joshua Shackles book“The Explorer’s Club”

HMP Mission: To promote, educate and preserve the integrity of historic properties throughout the Murphysburg District and Joplin.

HMP Vision: To help the people who live and visit our community understand how history shapes, inspires, and informs the present. To help the District remain a historic community that is beautiful, inviting, inclusive and safe for our neighbors to live and visitors to explore.

First Place “Team Fischer”
Second Place “Team Zerkel”
Third Place “Team Box”

Winners had to check in at 11 locations to win! Our winners showed up approximately within 30 minutes of one another, taking about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to finish. Good work!!!

Want to learn about Joplin’s existing treasures and some that were lost. Take the tour on your own below.

Stay tuned for more fun events Murphysburg has coming up.


2nd Annual Murphysburg Treasure Hunt. Take the challenge!

  1. Where city fathers sleep in rows A miner’s stone keeps quiet score. He lost to history’s winning woman, Yet built the house that came before. ANSWER

2. Before the park, before the fame, The Creekside glasses filled with cheer. A German fortune found its roots,  Where mining money flowed like beer. ANSWER

 3. Two men dug down and struck a spark, That split the valley into two. Before the mansions, courts, and streets, The buried gray began to view. ANSWER


 4. A merchants home on Sergeant stands, With faith and fabric interlaced. Seek the corner fire where art looks back, And temple dreams were first embraced. ANSWER

5. The mothers road once took a bend, Where travelers stopped for food and flame. Before the clippers claimed the pumps 
A lucky leaf sold gas by name. ANSWER

6. A lawyers name, a bankers rise,
A mansion born of boomtown gain, From family halls to sacred work, Its walls have changed, but still remain. ANSWER


7. Where Joplin fought to hold the law, A stone recalls the county’s pride. A crowd once marched, the towers rose, Then smoke and fire took all inside. ANSWER

8. Not the mansion, but near its shade, A gardener kept the grounds in line. He crossed from servant into kin, And managed wealth of lead and vine. ANSWER


 9. Before the rival town was one,
An eastern founder marked his claim. Across the creek from Murphy’s dream, His spring-fed plan preserved the name. ANSWER

10. Find the city’s maker of stone and line, Who shaped the skyline, school and prayer. His final room still holds its form,  Among the gardens high in air. ANSWER

Our event was sponsored by: Thank you for your dedication to HMP’s preservation efforts.

Category: Fundraiser, History, Sacred Places, Spotlight, Treasure HuntTag: architecture, entrepreneurs Women, history, Route 66, Schifferdecker

Second Annual Murphysburg Treasure Hunt

March 31, 2026 //  by Paula Callihan

Help us celebrate Historic Preservation Month in May at the second annual Murphysburg Treasure Hunt, a race to solve riddles, uncover clues, and explore Joplin’s rich history.  The event starts at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026—rain or shine—in the west parking lot of Joplin City Hall, 602 S. Main Street.

Your host, Historic Murphysburg Preservation, Inc., has raised the bar this year by adding cash prizes for second and third place!

The event promises to take treasure seekers on an interactive adventure to find iconic historic sites, links to significant events and people, and hidden history stories in the Joplin metro area.  

At the start of the event contestants will receive their first riddle to solve that will lead them to a landmark. Once they arrive at the correct location, they will find a QR code. Scanning the code will unlock their next clue that will take them further along the treasure trail. The race continues until someone solves all the clues in the correct order and reaches the final destination—destination—thus claiming the $1,000 prize money! The second-place contestant
will receive $750 and third-place contestant will receive $250.

The treasure hunt is open to participants of all ages. The entry fee is $35 per person.

First place 2025 winners pictured to the right. Far right, Michelle Ferguson from Southwest Missouri Bank met the winners at the final clue to deliver the $1,000 prize!

Winners of the first Scavenger hunt with Michelle Ferguson from Southwest Missouri Bank to hand them the $1,000 1ts place prize

Register here to start the adventure . People can also pay in person on May 16 starting at 9:00 a.m. at the parking lot on the southeast corner of 6th and Joplin Avenue.  For questions contact Paula at paula@murphysburg.org

Category: Treasure HuntTag: architecture, entrepreneurs Women, historic joplin downtown, history, landmarks, Olivia, places in peril, researching skill, Route 66, Schifferdecker, treasure Hunt

Murphysburg Treasure Hunt

June 16, 2025 //  by Paula Callihan

The Murphysburg Treasure Hunt Coordinators.
The winners of the $1,000 Prize. Our friend on the right, Michelle Ferguson represented SMB and was there to give the prize to our happy treasure hunters.
More treasure hunters at the finish line. They stated, even though they did not win a prize they learned a lot about Joplin and had a good time.

 Historic Murphysburg Preservation, Inc. produced an exciting community  event to celebrate Historic Preservation Month: The Murphysburg Treasure Hunt is race to solve riddles, uncover clues, and explore Joplin’s rich history.

Want to take the Treasure Hunt on your own? The hunt features historical sites throughout the city. Each one is tied to significant events and unique stories from Joplin’s early days.

Message us on our Facebook page for Answers or more hints to find the treasures.

A special thanks to Southwest Missouri Bank for for sponsoring the event.

Paula’s Beauty shop

Joshua Shackles Production

City of Joplin

Category: Fundraiser, Historic Preservation Month, Joplin's Great Architects, Past Events, Treasure Hunt, UncategorizedTag: 150th anniversary, architecture, entrepreneurs Women, history, Olivia, Route 66, Schifferdecker, sesquicentennial

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