The Story of Fred Coker, Horace Duncan, and Will Allen – 1906 Lynching
Current Setting Just as there is with every town, Springfield has both great and unsavory aspects of its history. On Saturday, April 14, 1906, three innocent men, Fred Coker, Horace Duncan, and Will Allen were brutally murdered and hanged in Springfield’s public square. This is the same public square that the History Museum on the…
Homer Fellows Kept The City Rolling with Springfield Wagon Company
Moving isn’t an easy task, but we’re lucky to have plenty of ways to make it a little simpler: moving vans, trucks, dollies and plenty more. In 1873, however, this wasn’t the case. Wagons were the most efficient manner of transporting materials so our communities could grow and expand further than previous boundaries. The Springfield Wagon…
Homer Boyd: Keeping up with Springfield History and Singing with The Philharmonics
Homer Boyd was never someone who could be measured with a single title. Not only was he known for his vocal talents and being part of a famed vocal group, he was also one of the key figures in retaining the history of the black community in Springfield, Missouri. His life in Springfield was a…
John T. Woodruff: Linking Springfield to the Main Street of America
John T. Woodruff is a name that’s well known around Springfield, Missouri for a variety of reasons, but his contributions to Route 66 have been underestimated for years. While Cyrus Avery has received the title of “Father of Route 66,” Woodruff’s contributions to the creation of Route 66 are far less known. We know Springfield…
Elvis Presley’s TCB Band Has Springfield Roots with John Wilkinson
It was the evening of May 17, 1956, and nine-year-old Johnny Wilkinson had heard on the radio that Elvis Presley was in town to perform at the Shrine Mosque. His parents had refused to buy him tickets to the concert saying Presley was too “lewd” in his music. However, Wilkinson’s parents were leaving town that…
The Founding of Springfield, Missouri: John Polk Campbell
We know Springfield, Missouri, as our home, but what do we know about its beginnings? If not for a traveler and a donation of 50 acres, Springfield may have never been the city that it is now. The History Museum on the Square has put together a brief history of the founder of Springfield with…
Wild Bill Hickok: Bringing the Dueling Wild West to Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri, is known for many things: cashew chicken, our ever-changing weather, and the Birthplace of Route 66. Thanks to Wild Bill Hickok, Springfield got to add another feature to that list: the origin of the quick shooting duels that are a hallmark of western movies. An argument over a pocket watch and two men…
Bring Local History to Life in the Classroom: Teaching Resources from History Museum on the Square
By visiting History Museum on the Square, you can take a look at the artifacts and reproductions that make up our local history. But through our educational trunk program, you can bring Missouri history to life in the classroom by borrowing a collection of artifacts from History Museum on the Square. The educational trunk program…
How the Historic Fox Theatre Became Springfield, Missouri’s History Museum on the Square
The historic Fox Theatre in Springfield, MO, has been a staple of the square for longer than most Springfieldians can remember. From its opening in 1916 as a movie theater to its new life as a beautiful history museum space, the Fox Theatre has seen countless changes in its century of life. The detailed history…
Help Preserve George Kieffer Murals in Fox Theatre on Give Ozarks Day 2017
Are you a die-hard Missouri State Bear, Drury Panther or Civil War buff? If so, now’s your chance to vote for your favorite mural at the historic Fox Theatre in Springfield while helping to preserve the artistic and cultural heritage of our region. For Give Ozarks Day 2017, the History Museum on the Square invites…