Chad Stebbins

Joplin's Connor Hotel Chad Stebbins

Determined to build the finest hostelry in the Southwest, Joplin's first millionaire spared no expense on the magnificent Connor Hotel. The lobby, with its Italian marble rotunda and grand staircase, would serve as the city's main gathering spot for the next fifty 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.