Jasper County, Missouri

Where Justice Gets Dispensed...

Jasper County Courthouse, Public Square, Carthage, Missouri (County Seat)

The photograph below is the Jasper County, Missouri, Courthouse. Jasper County is one of only two counties in Missouri that actually have two separate courthouses. There is also a courthouse in Joplin, which is called the Jasper County Courts Building, but the main courthouse and seat of justice is this one in Carthage. [For those dying to know, the other Missouri county with two courthouses is Marion County, the cities of Hannibal and Palmyra.] The courthouse is situated in the center of the public square in Carthage, Missouri.

My grandparents told me stories of public hangings in the early part of this century, and how they were a public spectacle and event. The gallows were freshly built right there on the grounds of the courthouse. People brought lunches, even had picnics, and came for miles to see the "show". Many of us today would view all this as being morbid, but that was a different day and a different social clime. They said that vendors set up booths, selling food and trinkets. I can envision the language of the newspapers of that day, as they might have said in their reporting upon the day: "A good time was had by all."

I can't help but to think that such public hangings must have been a powerful visual deterrent. I can think of few things in life that would impact upon a young child as much as seeing the body of a convicted criminal swinging in the breeze from the gallows. Frankly, I think our administration of criminal justice has come a long way from those days, and I don't necessarily think we need to go back to public hangings. Call me squeamish... those stories told to me, even though it was about something that occurred years earlier, left a lasting impression on me.

Anyway, moving along, I claim Carthage as my home town. I grew up just east of Carthage, and graduated from CHS. I have spent many, many hours as a child walking around the square and in and around this majestic building, so it holds a special meaning to me. I like this particular picture in that the overcast skies provide an interesting backdrop.

Another big attraction is the nearby Civil War Museum in the old fire station and other nearby monuments relating to the Battle of Carthage. The New York Times termed the July 5th, 1861 Battle of Carthage as the first major land skirmish between the North and the South. The Carthage area is rich in Civil War history, and has no small number of Civil War historians and buffs. About an hour away is the Wilson Creek National Battlefield, near Springfield.

There is a delightful museum highlighting war relics and early day memorabilia, inside the courthouse. This courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Sites. If you get to Southwest Missouri, you need to visit this structure! Maybe while you're on your way to Precious Moments Chapel, go visit it!

Jasper County Courthouse

This photograph used courtesy of Heritage Publishing of 510 S. Main,Carthage, Missouri, 64836, (H.J. Johnson, Proprietor), with permission. All rights are reserved and any further reproduction or removal to another website is forbidden. Be sure to visit the online version of their daily tome, Mornin' Mail, which I find very entertaining. One of my favorites. Check it out!

QSL.net page last updated 12-23-99