Joplin's Connor Hotel

by Chad Stebbins

Overview

The hospitable history of an attempt at “the finest hostelry in the Southwest.” Determined to build the city’s finest hotel, Joplin’s first millionaire spared no expense on the magnificent Connor. The lobby, with its Italian marble rotunda and grand staircase, served as the city’s main gathering spot for the next 50 years. Thousands flocked to the rooftop garden, which became known as the “most pleasant spot in all Joplin.” The Connor hosted hundreds of conventions, outlaws such as “Pretty Boy” Floyd and more reputable guests including star athletes, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gene Autry, and Robert Wadlow – the world’s tallest man. Local residents rallied to “Save the Connor” in the 1970s, but couldn’t stop its demolition and the tragic ending that caught the nation’s attention. Author Chad Stebbins details the fascinating history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467147675
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	02/15/2021
Series:	Landmarks
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Chad Stebbins is a professor of journalism and director of the Institute of International Studies at Missouri Southern State University. He is also the executive director of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. Stebbins is the author of All the News Is Fit to Print: Profile of a Country Editor, published by the University of Missouri Press in 1998.

Table of Contents

Foreword Brad Belk 7

Acknowledgements 9

The Place to Be 11

The Building of a Hotel 16

The Joplin Spirit 33

New Management 50

Soft Evening Breezes Nine Stories Up 53

Barney Allis 68

At Home at the Connor 81

All Roads Lead to Joplin 86

Oh, What a Strange Magic 99

George Washington Slept Here 110

Beginning of the End 125

Well, Here's Another Fine Mess the Connor Has Gotten Into 134

Save the Connor 146

A Tragic Ending 167

Bibliography 177

Index 183

About the Author 191