I have always wondered why Route 66 took such a circuitous path through Joplin. Coming in on West Seventh, it made a sharp turn left onto Main, then headed east on First over the viaduct. It continued on Broadway, turning north on St. Louis; after crossing Turkey Creek, it took off at a 45-degree angle on Euclid. It went a couple of blocks on Florida, then right on Zora and left on Range Line. If it were not for the fact that Route 66 was built during Prohibition, one might wonder if the cartographers had been a little tipsy!
Recently I was looking at some old plat maps of Joplin, and I noticed something. The Southwest Missouri Electric Railway, an electric streetcar that was established in 1893 by Alfred H. Rogers, took an identical 45-degree angle after crossing Turkey Creek in its route from Joplin to Webb City, Carterville, Lakeside Park, Carthage and other points east. The trolley line angled through Royal Heights, a separate village that had incorporated in 1907. Eureka! This information may be common knowledge, but since I did not know about it, I was excited to figure it out on my own.
At its peak, the railway company operated a huge fleet of streetcars and 94 miles of tracks in three states. But its days were numbered. As private ownership of motor vehicles increased, railway patronage dwindled. In 1925, the company began running passenger buses and phasing out its streetcars. The Joplin stretch of Route 66 was under construction from 1927 through 1932. After Royal Heights was annexed into the city of Joplin in 1929, the railway company removed the tracks through Royal Heights. The old track-bed was paved as Euclid and became part of the historic “Mother Road.”
Good stuff! I am interested in more details about where the tree line from the old horse racing track around 18th and Harlem/ Porter as this was where we played as children and I would love to go back and look for those trees! Got a map?
The area where the “old horse racing track” (as you put it) used to be has been hit hard by metal detecting enthusiasts over the last few years. :(
I am interested in more history of Royal Heights and Euclid street as I live there and have always wondered about my 100 plus yr old house :)
We recommended visiting the Post Memorial Art Reference Library and asking for help on researching your home. The director, Leslie Simpson, is an expert in Joplin architecture and experienced with researching property histories.