This article originally appeared on OzarksAlive.com and was reposted with permission.
When Springfield’s University Club set about commemorating noteworthy Greene County sites with markers in the 1920s, its aim was historic preservation. Now, however, the work itself has become a piece of Springfield’s history — because nearly 100 years later, many of those markers still stand in plain sight.
Springfield’s University Club helped coordinate the placement of more than 20 historic markers in Greene County, many of which date back to the 1920s. Today, most of the monuments still remain.
But to find them, one must know where to look: Even in 1964, the Springfield Leader & Press noted that “some have become about as obscure as parts of our pioneer history.”
A few are embedded in buildings — such as at the corner of Boonville Avenue and Olive Street — while others stand alone several miles out of town. One, trapped behind a fence topped with barbed wire, proves times have changed. But that’s an advantage for Marker #5, which got a new lease on life when Springfield’s new bus transfer station opened in the spring of 2016.
Regardless of location, University Club member Bob Trewatha says the markers play a role in preserving Springfield’s history. “(They’re) significant because we can lose that history very easily unless it’s maintained through markers or stories or books,” he says.
The men behind the markers
Although Trewatha doesn’t quite know why the University Club formed in the first place, he does know “it wasn’t because of (historical) markers,” he says. “It was a social organization.”
The group, which began in 1919, consisted of college-educated men who regularly gathered at Heer’s Garden Room for smokes, drinks and programs, says Trewatha. Two years after it formed, however, the club decided to propel a new project.
“The University Club, in its efforts to … celebrate Missouri’s centennial year, has secured the erection of eight markers which will serve to commemorate and perpetuate the location of historic points in Springfield and Greene County,” wrote Dr. Edward Shepard, the group’s president and monument proponent, for the Springfield Republican on May 29, 1921.
Made of granite, the markers “often look like tombstones, for they were installed before the day of fancy metal concoctions,” reported the Springfield Leader & Press in 1964. Shepard himself described them as “dolomitic limestone, the most durable of all rocks,” in a newspaper article he wrote announcing their placement.
The most recent marker was installed in 1972 on Park Central Square. It was added after the area became a pedestrian plaza: The marker, in the shape of a book, listed significant Springfield-square-related dates. “I think that when they did that, they wanted to say ‘Here’s (our history),’” says Trewatha.
That monument ultimately sparked controversy because one historic date — Springfield’s infamous lynching — wasn’t included.
After much debate, that changed in 2002. “With a simple addition to a bronze, book-shaped marker on the square’s southeast corner, Springfield publicly acknowledged that ‘On April 14, 1906, three black men, Horace B. Duncan, Fred Coker and Will Allen were lynched without a trial,’” recorded the Springfield News-Leader on April 4, 2002.
Finding the markers
Here are the sites the markers identify (and to find out where they’re located, simply click on each name):
- Greene County’s first white settlement
- Springfield’s first settlement
- Schoolcraft’s Camp
- Southwest Missouri’s first mill
- Springfield’s first school
Marker No. 5 — recognizing Springfield’s first school — was incorporated in City Utilities’ new Transit Center.
- The first school in Greene County
- The first store in southwest Missouri
- Southwest Missouri’s first classical academy
- Greene County’s first church
- The first church in Springfield
- Kickapoo Indian Village
- A monument to Greene County soldiers from World War I
- Native American mounds
- Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield
Marker No. 14 was placed at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield to mark the spot where General Lyon fell in battle. - First cabin in Springfield
- Fort Ancient
- Zagonyi’s Charge
Marker No. 17, noting Zagonyi’s Charge, sits on Mount Vernon Street. The marker was previously located near Springfield’s Frisco Depot, and was later moved to its present location
- Butterfield Overland Stage
Marker No. 18, a small plaque near the sidewalk, is located at the corner of Boonville Avenue and Olive Street. It recognizes the Butterfield Overland Stage.
- First post office in Springfield
Marker No. 19 notes that Springfield’s first post office was at Jefferson Avenue and Walnut Street. The building burned in the late ’90s, but the plaque was salvaged and replaced when the building was rebuilt. - First religious service in Greene County
- Defining moments of Park Central Square
Marker No. 21 — installed in 1972 — was amended 30 years later to note the lynching of three black men on Springfield’s Park Central Square in 1906.
Maintaining the markers
There was considerable controversy regarding the amendment of that monument — but even though the University Club originally placed the marker, it wasn’t its debate to decide. After all, the club doesn’t own any of the monuments: It simply coordinated their placement and worked with other local groups to provide funding. Club members don’t own land where they’re located, either.
“…We don’t have any rights,” says Trewatha. “We just said we’d maintain them.”
The club does that by periodically checking each one to ensure all are in good repair. Thankfully, the stones have held up well over the years, and generally don’t require much work, says Trewatha.
Although it’ll soon be a century since the first set of markers was installed, they’re still a central focus of the University Club. So much so that when asked about the club’s purpose, Trewatha simply points to its mission statement, printed on a paper in his hand, and begins to read.
“The mission of the club is the maintenance of historical markers with which the club was involved in their placement,” he says. He does also note that the organization exists to for the development of higher ideals in the community, knowledge and scholarship, entertainment and good fellowship. But it’s mostly about the markers.
One of the markers — No. 5, which recognizes the first school in Springfield — got a new chance to make history. For many years, it was located at the corner of Main Avenue and College Street, but was incorporated in Springfield’s new bus transfer station, which opened in May 2016.
“(City Utilities) was really nice about working with us and keeping us informed,” notes Trewatha.
After all, as is the case with many older professional organizations, the University Club could use some more members. “Now we have 42 members and half of those are inactive,” says Trewatha. “If you’d like to join, we’d love to have you.”
The club’s members comprise a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, including medicine, religion, business, law, military, government and education. And these days, women are welcome to join, too.
“We fixed that,” says Trewatha. “It’s open to women. We changed our bylaws and said ‘Let’s get with the 21st century.’”
Want to get involved?
The University Club meets the first and third Wednesday September through May, so our next meeting at 11:30 a.m. at Jimmy’s Egg, 3837 S. Campbell. Those interested can contact Trewatha at RTrewatha@MissouriState.edu.
Unless otherwise noted, all vintage photos are courtesy of the Springfield-Greene County Library District.