Lebanon - Friendly People. Friendly Place.
As America expanded west from St. Louis, a road has always run through Lebanon, Missouri. At first it was just a rough Indian trail, as tribes like the Wyota and Osage roamed the Ozarks hunting for game. During the Civil War that trail became known as the "Wire Road" because of the telegraph lines installed along it between St. Louis and Springfield. Then, in the late 1920s, Route 66 was born and roughly followed that same path the Indians had marked. Today the road is called I-44.
Lebanon really came into its own as a town in the 1850s. It took its name from the Tennessee hometown of one of its leading citizens, the Reverend Benjamin Hooker. During the Civil War, Lebanon was continually occupied, usually by Union troops trying to protect the telegraph line. Sentiment for and against both sides ran strong in a town populated by people from border states. Sometimes the divisions even split up families.
The railroad came to Lebanon in 1869 and it changed the town forever. The Frisco Railroad built the station a mile away from the main part of town, because the city fathers had refused to donate land to them. A "new " town grew parallel to the tracks and Lebanon on the hill started to decline.
Perhaps the most unique piece in Lebanon's history is the magnetic water. A worker digging a new city water well in 1889 found that his tools could pick up nails. The water had magnetized them. Bathing in the magnetic waters was said to have healing powers and visitors came to bathe in them. The Gasconade Hotel was built to accommodate them and no grander building has ever been seen in Lebanon. The frame structure could house up to 500 guests, who were transported from the depot via an electric railroad. Never a great success, the Gasconade burned after only 10 years.
Another important building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is the Ploger-Moneymaker House. Built in 1870 by a Pennsylvania architect, the two-story, white-framed house was purchased in 1903 by Professor Frederick Ploger. He served as Lebanon's superintendent of schools and later as its mayor. Ploger's daughter, Minnie Moneymaker, occupied the house until her death in 1969. Today it is adjacent to the grounds of Wallace Park.
Lebanon was an important stop on Route 66 and it provided the road services that tourists sought. In fact, one of the very first motels along the highway was Camp Joy, opened in 1927 as a tent camp at a rate of 50 cents a night. Later, cottages and a combination gas station/grocery store were added. The Spears family ran Camp Joy for 44 years in Lebanon and even named one of their daughters after the business.
Lebanon's attractions provide a variety of experiences. Love auto racing? Try Lebanon I-44 Speedway or Midway Speedway. Love history? There's the Laclede County Historical Society Museum. Don't forget to check out our Route 66 Museum! Don't miss the Alpaca Ranch tour and store! For those who enjoy the outdoors, be sure to visit High Prairie Bird Hunts! For family fun, see a movie at Ritz 7 Theaters, shop at Nancy Ballhagen's Puzzles, or go bowling at Bowl-A-Rena or Starlite Lanes!
Come. Explore. Enjoy!
Source:
City of Lebanon
