Rare 1931 documentary on Joplin Stockyards to be screened

(From the City of Joplin)

After more than 85 years, a rare film documenting the history of the Joplin Stockyards and its significance to the area, will be presented to the public at 7 p.m., Friday, November 18 in the Corley Auditorium of Webster Hall at Missouri Southern State University.

This is the first time the film will be shown, highlighting the stockyards ‘official opening on August 27, 1931. More than 30,000 area residents attended the dedication, according to The Joplin Globe. Local historian Brad Belk will intertwine the historical narrative of the Joplin Stockyards, the fascinating story of the preservation efforts to restore the film, along with the biography of the company’s first president Lucius P. Buchanan and his contribution to Missouri Southern.

One of the biggest stories of the Great Depression was the creation of the Joplin Stockyards. In 1931 an 80-acre tract on the west side of Range Line was purchased. Under the direction of Buchanan, fifty-two businessmen formed the Joplin Stockyard Corporation. The Joplin Stockyards was an instant success. During the first year the stockyards employed 100 men with a payroll exceeding $100,000. Before the 1931 year concluded, and after just four months of business, paid sales topped the $600,000 mark.

Buchanan’s vision was accurate as the stockyards ably served 33 counties in Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. And today, 85 years later, the highly successful Joplin Regional Stockyards stand as living testimony to Buchanan and the businessmen that created this powerful industry.

The showing is free and open to the public.