The Toad Reloads (Article)

by Retro gal (Lesli Neuenschwander)

RetroGal Rambles- The Joplin Motel Scene

Where do you want to go in Joplin--or, rather, where DID you want to go in Joplin?

We all know Joplin has a rich mining legacy, amazing downtown history and buildings, and is mentioned in a famous song featuring Route 66.  

What you may not know- and amazingly, few do- is how the flourishing east side of Joplin (a.k.a. Rangeline) came to be.

I’m gonna start with….*drumroll*...Rangeline before it was Rangeline.  First of all, WHY did they call it Rangeline? Actually, I don’t know that specific tidbit. What I DO know is that at first it was Range Line Road, and it was pretty sparse.  At the far north end there was a lovely little junior college and a few small businesses. But mainly it was comprised of residences. Essentially, there didn’t NEED to be more along this stretch of road, since folks were getting their kicks on Route 66.

Then, it happened- progress.  A new roadway across America was about to change the face of American travel, and with it many a small town that depended on the “The Mother Road” would be bypassed forever.  Route 66 became famous in 1946 with the iconic song sung by Nat King Cole. (Check out that classic song here: Route 66 ). The highway had its heyday for 60 years, but the late ‘50’s ushered in the new Interstate.