The railroad had a great impact on the town, spurring its growth and development. Since it connected the town to major cities, it became an important shipping center for lumber and other wood products as well as wheat, cotton, and corn. The station was designed in the Colonial Revival style and has remained mostly unchanged.&nbsp; The station has been owned by the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad, which in 2003 donated it to a non-profit group committed to saving the building. This local organization continues to maintain the building.&nbsp;

Poplar Bluff station was built in 1910 and operates as an Amtrak station today.

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This historic train station was built in 1910 by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad. This railroad became the first to reach Poplar Bluff in 1872 and connected the city to Little Rock and Cairo, Illinois. Today, the station continues to operate as an Amtrak stop with two trains arriving at the station daily. 

Poplar Bluff Station

This tour of Poplar Bluff begins at the city's historic train station that was built in 1910. The tour includes the county courthouse, Margaret Harwell Art Museum, a school named in honor of poet Phillis Wheatley, and several other historic landmarks. The tour concludes at the Poplar Bluff Museum at the former Mark Twain School.

Poplar Bluff Missouri History Tour

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Butler County Courthouse has been the seat of county government since it was built in 1928. It was designed in the Neo-Classical style and features Doric columns and other architectural elements of this style. Situated in the heart of downtown Poplar Bluff, the building has been well maintained and largely unaltered. Until the 1970s, a jail was located in the attic. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Butler County Courthouse

The house was built in 1883 by Thomas H. Moore as a one-story residence. He added the second floor in 1890. The house underwent further changes, giving it its current Neo-Classical appearance, after James L. Dalton bought it in 1896. Dalton made a living as a businessman, served a term in the state legislature, and invested in manufacturing.&nbsp;

Located at the historic Moore-Dalton House, the Margaret Harwell Art Museum collects contemporary art by Missouri artists and offers a wide range of programs and exhibits throughout the year. The museum, which opened in 1979, is one of only five art museums in the state. It offers art classes as well in wood carving, pottery, painting, and others. Lectures, concerts, and workshops are offered as well. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Margaret Harwell Art Museum

Linda Bloodworth Thomason's career took off after she wrote an episode of M*A*S*H, which garnered an Emmy nomination. She has produced&nbsp;a number of television shows including Designing Women and written numerous scripts. She also directed and produced&nbsp;The Man from Hope, the documentary for President Bill Clinton at the 1996 Democratic Convention. She also produced documentaries for Hilary Clinton in 2000 and 2008.&nbsp;

This stately residence is now the headquarters of the Claudia Foundation, an organization geared towards helping people, especially women, achieve their personal and educational goals. It was founded by writer, director, producer and Poplar Bluff native Linda Bloodworth Thomason, whose paternal grandparents built the house in the early 1900s. The English-style home was expanded significantly over years. The library, in fact, was built in England, disassembled, shipped to New Orleans where it was then shipped by barge up the Mississippi River to Cape Girardeau, and finally it was sent by truck to Poplar Bluff. The company that built it sent workers from London to reassemble it. 

Claudia House

The African-American community of Poplar Bluff lived on the city's north side. The first school, a one-room schoolhouse, was built in 1901 at the current school's location. It was renamed Wheatley School in 1908 in honor of the poet. By the mid-1920s, the community needed a larger school so the city built the present one. The building was also used for social gathers, theater productions, and other events. Desegration of the school was gradual (one grade at a time) and was not complete until 1968.&nbsp;

Wheatley Public School holds special significance for the African-American community in Poplar Bluff. Constructed in 1928, it was the only school for African Americans in the city until 1958 when desegregation ended. It became one of the city's integrated schools and appears to still operate as a school today. The school, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is named after Phillis Wheatley (c.1753-1784), a slave who, in 1773, became the first published African-American poet.

Wheatley Public School

Named after famed American author Mark Twain School, this historic school was built in 1910. Designed in the Classical Revival style, the school operated until 1988, at which point it became the Poplar Bluff Museum. The museum features exhibits on the history of the town and Butler County. Topics explored included conservation, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, sports, and schools. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Poplar Bluff Missouri History Tour

Poplar Bluff Station

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information