In the winter of 1908, the heart of Joplin pulsed with
a kind of opulence rarely seen in small mining towns. At the corner of Fourth
and Main, the newly opened Connor Hotel stood like a palace—nine stories
of Beaux-Arts splendor, built at a staggering cost of $723,000
(equivalent to over $23 million today). It was a hotel beyond its means,
a statement of ambition in a city still dusted with chat piles and mining grit.
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| “AI-Reproduced Vintage Postcards" |
At the time, Joplin’s population hovered around
26,000, a boomtown swollen by the promise of lead and zinc. The Tri-State
Mining District spanning parts of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma was
responsible for half the world’s lead and 10% of its zinc during
peak production. Joplin was the business district for this industrial engine,
and the Connor was its crown jewel.
The Arrival
On Christmas Eve, the hotel’s grand dining room
shimmered beneath stained-glass skylights and chandeliers with frosted globes.
Guests arrived in carriages and early motorcars, stepping onto marble floors in
floor-length gowns, exquisite fur coats, and black-tie tuxedos.
The women’s heels clicked softly as they passed fluted Corinthian columns
wrapped in garlands. The men adjusted their cufflinks and tipped their hats to
the doorman, who stood proudly beneath the signbell that read THE CONNOR.
Inside, the tables were dressed in white linen, fine
china, and crystal glassware. Poinsettias bloomed in polished silver
pots, and the scent of roast duck, spiced apples, and mulled wine drifted
through the air. A live orchestra played from the mezzanine, and laughter
echoed beneath the coffered ceilings.
This was more than dinner. It was a declaration: Joplin
had arrived.
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| Reproduced Connor Hotel Using AI Technology |
🏛️ A Hotel of
Firsts
The Connor wasn’t just a place to sleep. It housed five
restaurants, a rooftop garden, a barber shop, a beauty
salon, and even its own newspaper and orchestra. Business travelers
came for mining deals; locals came for weddings, banquets, and the social
scene. The hotel’s annex, added in 1928, doubled its size and turned Joplin
into a convention city.
Footnote: The Fall
But grandeur has its shadows. After decades of decline
and failed restoration efforts, the original Connor Hotel collapsed during
demolition in 1978, killing two workers. The site now holds a vacant brick
building that once served as a library a quiet echo of what was.
You can read more about the hotel’s legacy and tragic
end on Historic Structures, KSNF’s local history feature, and the Connor Hotel Wikipedia page.
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