BGuthrie Photos: MO -- Springfield

MO -- Springfield:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SFIELD_080416_04.JPG: John Q. Hammons statue in front of the convention hotel. JQH apparently lives on the top floor of the hotel. He made his fortune making... well, hotels.
2. SFIELD_080417_02.JPG: Battle of Springfield (1863): Marker 6: As the Confederate advance began, Brig. Gen. Egbert B. Brown suddenly realized that a dozen houses south and west of Fort No. 4 masked his field of fire. He immediately ordered the houses burned to deprive the enemy of cover, allowing residents only minutes to remove their possessions. Through the smoke, a line of 1,800 southerners attacked on foot, with cavalry on each flank, while artillery fire roared overhead. For over three hours, the Confederates assaulted Fort No. 4 but not dislodge the Union defenders.
3. SFIELD_080417_06.JPG: The Jenny Lincoln Center park is where Fort Number 4, the focus of the Confederate attack in 1863.
4. SFIELD_080418_06.JPG: Expo Hall in the front. The Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque in the background.
5. SFIELD_080418_17.JPG: People had mentioned there was some drug-inspired crime now in Springfield. "No Cruising" signs are never a really good sign. Others said the rates were overblown but if you check sites like http://www.city-data.com/city/Springfield-Missouri.html , it seems like crime there is worse than you'd expect.
6. SFIELD_080418_42.JPG: On this site stood the Jewell Theater. Originally known as the Jefferson, erected ca. 1910 by Harry S. Jewell this was the home of the nationally telecast Ozark Jubilee seen on ABC-TV from 1954 to 1960. Starring musical legend Clyde "Red" Foley the Jubilee favorably introduced millions of viewers to talented Ozarkers and inspired those viewers to travel to the Ozarks, where they experienced the beauty of Springfield and the entire area. -- Placed by a friend of the Ozarks
7. SFIELD_080420_021.JPG: (Memorial) History of Springfield Public Square, now Park Central Square 1835-1970: 1835: John Polk Campbell plans Greene County seat and donates 50 acres of land for townsite, including 2 acres for public square. 1836: First courthouse, of two story red brick, built in center of square. 1858: Butterfield Overland mail stagecoaches stop at station on northeast corner of square. Construction is underway on new courthouse on northwest corner at College Street,. Town well dug for public use. 1861: Union troops under Col. Franz Sigel march into square, June 24. Military command increases under Union Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, who loses his life at battle of Wilson's Creek, Aug. 10. Confederates under Gen. Sterling Price have brief control. Original (1836) courthouse in center of square burns during raid, Oct. 25, led by Maj. Charles Zagonyi, at head of bodyguard of Gen. John C. Fremont, Union army of 30,000 withdraws when Fremont loses command, Nov. 3. 1862: Union army again occupies Springfield, with new courthouse in use for military purposes. 1863: Battle of Springfield, Jan. 6, moves close to public square before on-coming Confederates and repulsed. 1866: Wild Bill Hickok kills Dave Tutt in gun duel concerning poke debt and Hickok's watch. 1871: Wooden bell tower with speaker's platform is built in square and stands until 1882. 1883: Union and Confederate veterans of Wilson's Creek dedicate monument to Gen. Lyon, which is removed in 1884 to National Cemetery. 1896: Cotteriel Tower, with statue of liberty and electric illumination is erected and stands until 1908. 1910: Courthouse on square sold as construction gets underway on new building at Boonville and Central. 1911: Round concrete slab, known as "the pie" circled by trolley tracks, centers square. 1947: The pie is removed, permitting cross-square traffic. 1970: Park Central Square is dedicated as pedestrian plaza. Dedicated 1972 by University Club of Springfield, Missouri Marker No. 21
8. SFIELD_080420_042.JPG: Battle of Springfield: A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri: The Battle of Springfield: The Battle of Springfield occurred during the raid, or expedition, into Missouri by Confederate acting Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke. This raid began on Dec. 31, 1862, and ended on Jan. 25, 1863. The Battle of Springfield commenced at 10am on the morning of Jan. 8, and continued until darkness brought a halt to the fighting. Despite several changes, Marmaduke's forces were unable to reduce Brig. Gen. Egbert Benson Brown's makeshift but determined force of defenders. The following morning, Marmaduke's forces withdrew toward Hartville, Mo., where, two days later, another fierce battle was fought. The Reason for Marmaduke's Raid: Marmaduke's raid was brought about by the presence of the Army of the Frontier in northwestern Arkansas. This large Federal army remained in Arkansas after its victory on Dec. 7, 1862 in the Battle of Prairie Grove against Confederates commanded by Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman. To relieve the Federal threat in Arkansas, the Southern commanders decided to strike into Missouri where they could threaten the main Federal supply depot at Springfield and disrupt the supply line that connected Springfield with Rolla and St. Louis (BSM 1). The Federal army in Arkansas would then have little choice but to withdraw from northern Arkansas to save its key posts and vital supply and communication lines. The Confederates Move North: The command for this important raid into Missouri went to acting Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke, a native Missourian with a West Point education. Most of the men he would be taking with him hailed from Missouri as well. Marmaduke's raiding party was to advance into Missouri in two columns. The left column under Marmaduke moved out of Lewisburg, Ark., on Dec. 31, 1862. This column consisted of the crack brigade of hard fighting cavalry, commanded by Col. Joseph Shelby, and a regiment of Missouri cavalry under the capable Col. Emmett MacDonald, supported by a detachment of artillery, in all, 2,100-men strong. The other column of 825 horsemen was led by an experienced Missouri raider, Col. Joseph C. Porter. He pushed off late, not leaving Pocahontas, Ark., until Jan. 2, 1863. On Jan. 6, Marmaduke learned from scouts that Springfield was weakly garrisoned. He immediately sent word to Porter to march rapidly and link up with him for a surprise attack on the vulnerable outpost. Marmaduke's intelligence proved correct. Springfield, despite being the principal supply depot and headquarters of the Army of the Frontier, was defended by a garrison of only about 1,000 men. These men mostly were Missouri militia yet to be tested in battle. The Federal command had also waited until a dangerously late hour to fortify the city. Construction of four of five planned earthwork forts was not begun before the fall of 1862. By the time of the battle, only Fort No. 1 and Fort No. 4 were finished. Springfield Prepares for Attack: The commander of Springfield was Brig. Gen. Egbert Benson Brown, a New Yorker who had adopted Missouri as his home state before the war and went on to achieve success in business, railroading, and politics. Since May 1862, he was commander of the District of the Southwest, and held a commission as brigadier general of state militia. Although undermanned and dangerously exposed, the Federal garrison did have a full day to prepare for Marmaduke's advance, thanks to intelligence of the impending Confederate attack gleaned from captured soldiers. Extra time was also gained by the fact that Marmaduke was slowed by side marchers to Fort Lawrence and Ozark to capture Federal outposts. Brown set to work to assemble as many militia as could be called in from the surrounding countryside to join the local Seventy-second and Seventy-fourth regiments of Enrolled Missouri Militia (BSM 1). Three hundred convalescents capable of holding rifles or manning artillery turned out of the military hospital; they became known as the "Quinine Brigade." Even ordinary citizens stepped forward and were issued muskets (BSM 2). In addition to these improvised forces were several commands and detachments of commands: the Third and Fourth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, the Eighteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and the Second Battalion Fourteenth Missouri State Militia Regiment. In addition, Brown managed to locate three iron cannons, two 12-pounders and a six-pounder, for which carriages were hastily improvised; the homemade battery was wheeled into Fort No. 4 (BSM 3). Meanwhile, two brass six-pounder field pieces were installed in Fort No. 1. Altogether, Brown was able to pull together 2,099 men; this was force enough to match Marmaduke's raiders man for man. Gen. Brown had done all he could do on short notice; by dawn of the next day, he and his hastily assembled army awaited the arrival of the Confederate raiders. The Battle of Springfield: After an all-night march, Shelby's command arrived at the outskirts of Springfield at dawn on the Jan. 8; MacDonald's force did not appear till mid-morning and there was no sign at all of Porter. Finally, at 10am, Marmaduke's reunited column, less Porter, launched its assault against the Federal position (BSM 5). Brown formed his infantry in a line in front of Fort No. 4 (BSM 3) and sent two regiments of cavalry forward to engage the advancing Confederates. A mile south of Springfield, the Union cavalry encountered Marmaduke's line. The center of this line consisted of three of Shelby's regiments dismounted and acting as infantry, while on either flank were mounted Confederates (BSM 5). As the two lines met, the Confederates opened with small arms and artillery fire and compelled the Federal cavalry to gradually withdraw to within supporting distance of the Federal artillery. As the Confederate line came within range of the cannon stationed in Fort No. 4, the Federal gunners opened fire, and the Confederates responded by throwing shot and shell into the fort and surrounding houses that sheltered troops. As the Confederates advanced, the firing on both sides increased in intensity; by 1pm the battle was fully joined as the two sides became locked in a determined struggle. A Confederate cavalry charge on the Federal left was beaten back. MacDonald, reinforced by Lt. Col. C.A. Gilkey's Second Missouri Cavalry and Lt. Col. B.F. Gordon's First Missouri Cavalry from Shelby's Brigade, moved in mass against the Federal center and right. Parts of three Federal companies moved out of Fort No. 1 with a brass six-pounder cannon only to discover that they had left themselves dangerously exposed. The Confederates managed to capture the artillery piece in a bloody charge (BSM 7). By mid-afternoon, the slowly advancing Confederates had managed to seize a fortified college building, now serving as a prison, that had been left undefended. For the remainder of the battle it would serve as an important staging area for repeated assaults against the Federals (BSM 8). Brown kept as many of his men as possible outside the forts in order to prevent the Confederates from flanking him or gaining entrance into the center of the city between the forts (BSM 1). With the afternoon wearing on, the Confederates threw their main force at the Union right. The Seventy-second Enrolled Missouri Militia and the "Quinine Brigade" managed to hold them off (BSM 9). At this junction of the battle, Brown received a wound while riding the lines and was compelled to turn his command over to Col. Benjamin Crabb. As nightfall approached, the Confederates massed for a final charge against the Union right. Shelby's and MacDonald's brigades pressed the Federal militia, members of the "Quinine Brigade", and other forces and began to push them back. Briefly, when it seemed that the Federals might panic and be routed, the defenders were quickly rallied by Crabb while a battalion of militia and five companies of Iowa infantry arrived at the double quick and cheering. The timely arrival of these reinforcements provided enough to turn back the final Confederate assault (BSM 11). With nightfall, the firing on both sides gradually ceased. Aftermath: Brown had mounted a determined defense that held the Confederates at bay and protected the vital supply depot. Losses to the Union side consisted of 14 killed, 146 wounded, and five captured, while Marmaduke lost 70-80 men killed or mortally wounded, and 124 wounded (BSM 4). Another 200 were slightly wounded and 12 were captured. The next morning, Marmaduke's army declined to resume the conflict and pulled out in the direction of Hartville (BSM 12), where another hotly contested and costly battle with the Federals took place on Jan. 11, 1863. Marmaduke gained no signal victories in his first Missouri raid, but it was regarded as a success by the Confederate high command. The Army of the Frontier was obliged to withdraw from Arkansas back to Missouri to protect Springfield's vital stores. Brown lost the use of his arm as a result of his wound but remained in Federal service. Ten months later, Shelby led a celebrated raid into Missouri that resulted in another confrontation with Brown. On Oct. 13, 1863, the two generals met at the Battle of Marshall, and clashed in a battle which Shelby and his raiders were ultimately forced to retreat in the face of hot Union pursuit. BSM Markers: A series of 12 interpretive markers detailing aspects of the Battle of Springfield have been placed at locations identified on the map to the left. These markers were erected by the cooperative efforts of the Battle of the Springfield Commemorative Committee, Wilson's Creek Battlefield Foundation, and through generous donations. These markers are referenced in the narrative below. The markers are designated as Battle of Springfield Marker, or BSM, followed by the appropriate marker number, as in BSM 4.
9. SFIELD_080420_090.JPG: Battle of Springfield (1863): Marker 2: At this location stood the two-story brick Methodist Church converted by Federal authorities into the city's arsenal. In the frantic predawn hours of January 8, 1863, three hundred Union convalescent soldiers and civilian volunteers, organized into companies by Capt. C.B. McAfee, 3rd MSM Cavalry, and Brigade Surgeon Samuel H. Melcher, marched in the Methodist Church from the square. Here they received weapons and ammunition. These men were then sent to man Fort No. 4 and the city's defenses.
10. SFIELD_080420_233.JPG: Battle of Springfield (1863): Marker 12: (near the Hammons Tower) Across from this site stood Fort No. 5, the second largest of five forts built around Springfield. By January 8, 1863, the fort was only partially finished. It served only as a rallying point during the battle. From this point and long St. Louis Street, Union soldiers from the 3rd and 14th Missouri State Militia Cavalry engaged in several skirmishes with Maj. Ben Elliott's battalion of scouts. In one brief encounter, two companies of the 18th MSM, commanded by Lt. Col. Pound and Capt. Milton Burch, clashed with Lt. William H. Gregg and Quantrill's Confederate company, resulting in a number of casualties to the Union forces. From this position on the morning of January 9, the weary Union defenders watched as the Confederates disengaged their battle lines and withdrew east along St. Louis St., the road to St. Louis. The battle was over. Both sides suffered casualties in excess of 12%.
Wikipedia Description: Springfield, Missouri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Springfield is a city in Christian and Greene Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. On July 1, 2006, its estimated population was 150,797, of whom 150,790 lived in Greene County and 7 lived in Christian County, making it the third largest city statewide. It is the county seat of Greene County. The Metropolitan Statistical Area for Springfield includes the counties of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Lawerence, Polk, and Webster. According to Forbes Magazine's list of "America's Wildest Weather Cities," Springfield is the city with the most varied weather in the nation.

Name:

The origin of the name Springfield remains unclear. Writing in 1883 the historian R. I. Holcombe states, "The town took its name from the circumstance of there being a spring under the hill, on the creek, while on top of the hill, where the principal portion of the town lay, there was a field." He goes on to note, "This version of the origin of the name is disputed by the editor of the Springfield Express, Mr. J. G. Newbill, who, in the issue of his paper, November 11, 1881, says: 'It has been stated that this city got its name from the fact of a spring and field being near by just west of town. But such is not a correct version. When the authorized persons met and adopted the title of the "Future Great" of the Southwest, several of the earliest settlers had handed in their favorite names, among whom was Kindred Rose, who presented the winning name, "Springfield," in honor of his former home town, Springfield, Robertson county, Tennessee.'" The most common view is that the city was named for Springfield, Massachusetts. One story is that a man named James Wilson, who lived in the then unnamed city, offered free whiskey to everyone who would vote for naming it after his home town of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Springfield's nickname is the "The Queen City." It is also known as "The Cultural Center of the Ozarks." The area formerly known as North Springfield was once known as Moon City. Springfield is also known as "The Birthplace of Route 66," due to its early connection with the designation of U.S. Route 66. A placard in Park Central Square was dedicated to the city by the Route 66 Association of Missouri for its prominent role in the birth of Route 66.

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Battle of Springfield I
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The First Battle of Springfield or Zagonyi's Charge was a battle of the American Civil War that occurred on October 25, 1861, in Greene County, Missouri. It was the only Union victory in southwestern Missouri in 1861.

Having accomplished little since taking command of the Western Department with headquarters in St. Louis, Maj. Gen. John C. Fr�mont formulated a plan to clear Maj. Gen. Sterling Price's Confederates from the state and then, if possible, carry the war into Arkansas and Louisiana. Leaving St. Louis on October 7, 1861, Fr�mont's combined force eventually numbered more than 20,000. His accompanying cavalry force, numbering 5,000 men and other mounted troops, included Maj. Frank J. White's Prairie Scouts and Fr�mont's Body Guards under Maj. Charles Zagonyi. Maj. White became ill and turned his command over to Zagonyi. These two units operated in front of Fr�mont’s army to gather intelligence.

As Fr�mont neared Springfield, the local state guard commander, Col. Julian Frazier, sent out requests to nearby localities for additional troops. Fr�mont camped on the Pomme de Terre River, about 50 miles from Springfield. Zagonyi's column, though, continued on to Springfield, and Frazier's force of 1,000 to 1,500 prepared to meet it. Frazier set up an ambush along the road that Zagonyi traveled, but the Union force charged the Confederates, sending them fleeing. Zagonyi's men continued into town, hailed Federal sympathizers and released Union prisoners. Leery of a Confederate counterattack, Zagonyi departed Springfield before night, but Fr�mont's army returned, in force, a few days later and set up camp in the town.

In mid-November, after Fr�mont was sacked and replaced by Maj. Gen. David Hunter, the Federals evacuated Springfield and withdrew to Sedalia and Rolla. Federal troops reoccupied Springfield in early 1862 and it was a Union stronghold from then on.

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Battle of Springfield II
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Second Battle of Springfield was a battle in the American Civil War fought January 8, 1863, in Springfield, Missouri. It is sometimes known as The Battle of Springfield. (The First Battle of Springfield was fought on October 25, 1861, and there was also the better-known Battle of Wilson's Creek, fought nearby on August 10, 1861.) Fighting was urban and house-to-house, which was rare in the war.

Prelude:

On December 31, 1862, three columns of cavalry under the command of Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke left Lewisburg, Arkansas and trotted north on separate roads toward Missouri and the Union supply line. Confederate Brigadier General John Sappington Marmaduke’s immediate objective was the destruction of the Union Army of the Frontier’s major winter supply depot, housed in and around Springfield, Missouri’s Public Square. If successful, Marmaduke would cause severe hardship for the Army of the Frontier and almost certainly would force the Union army’s withdrawal from Arkansas.

Marmaduke's main column proceeded north through Forsyth, Missouri to Ozark, Missouri. A Union garrison stationed at Ozark withdrew and the Confederates burned its abandoned fort. A second column, commanded by Colonel Emmett McDonald, destroyed the Union fort at Lawrence Mill on Beaver Creek, north of Forsyth. The third column, under Colonel Joseph C. Porter passed north through Hartville. All three commands were to converge on Springfield in an attempt to capture the city's lightly defended warehouses of military supplies.

Preparation:

On the afternoon of January 7, 1863, Federals from the Ozark garrison reached Springfield and informed the local commander, Brigadier General Egbert Brown, that a Confederate cavalry force, with an estimated strength somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 men, was headed for Springfield. Having only 1343 veteran soldiers, Brown mulled over two options. He could destroy all of the Union Army of the Frontier's winter supplies at Springfield and retreat, or he could defend the town. General Grant on December 23, 1862 had published a major censure of the Union commander and forces which had participated in the disgraceful surrender of Grant's Holly Springs supply depot. No doubt, Brown recalling this censure, had a strong reason to favor the defense of Springfield.

Brown's subordinates favored the defense of the city also. The general immediately sent dispatches to the surrounding communities, calling forth the Enrolled Missouri Militia with orders to hurry to Springfield. Brown also ordered the removal of 50,000 rations from Springfield into Fort Number 1 and prepared for the burning of the armory in the event of defeat. Meanwhile, at Dr. Samuel Melcher's suggestion, Captain Byron Carr mounted three cannon onto wagon wheels.

During the following morning, the Federals issued arms and ammunition to soldiers and civilians alike. Although Springfield was lightly garrisoned, it had one distinct advantage. It was surrounded by a network of four completed earthen forts which commanded the high ground.

Battle:

As the morning of January 8, 1863 dawned, two of the Confederate columns under Marmaduke approached Springfield from the south. Since Porter's and McDonald's columns had yet to arrive, Marmaduke occupied the early morning with foraging and capturing some of the Enrolled Missouri Militia about five miles from Springfield. With McDonald finally present by 10:30 a.m., the Confederates dismounted three regiments about three miles from Springfield and advanced to feel out the Union lines and develop their strength. After the Confederates had pushed two Union Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiments two miles north, the smoking ruins of burning homes on the outskirts of Springfield came into view. To provide an unobstructed view for his artillery in Fort No. 4 (located on the east side of South Avenue between Elm and Cherry Streets), Brown at the last minute ordered a number of homes burned along South Avenue.

Colonel Joseph Orville Shelby took command of the tactical operations, launching piecemeal assaults upon the Union center and west flank. The Confederates advanced over open ground against Fort Number 4, seeking such shelter as they could get from tree stumps, piles of rock, and the charred remains of the homes burned by the Union forces. Despite repeated efforts, the assault on the fort failed.

Shelby then resolved to take Springfield by an oblique attack from the west. The Confederates were drawn by the cover offered by a ravine that led uphill toward town from what is now the intersection of Grand Avenue and Grant Street. At the head of this draw stood a two-story brick academy surrounded by a stockade. Used by the Federals as a prison, it stood just west of what is now the intersection of Campbell Avenue and State Street. The Union forces failed to garrison the college stockade, so the Confederates were able to seize the building easily and use it as their own fortress to return the fire from Fort No. 4. However, heavy fighting soon erupted around the stockade as the Union forces attempted to retake the college and stockade. The Confederates found a local advantage in numbers and pressed their own attack. This phase of the assault saw the most severe casualties, hand-to-hand fighting, and the capture of a cannon by the Confederates. Union troops on the west flank also were pushed back to College Street from their original position along the Old Wire Road. But Union reinforcements halted the Confederate drive and even pushed back the Confederates to the vicinity of State Street.

With the sun sinking, Marmaduke launched a final assault against Fort No. 4. The Union forces again repelled the attack. As night fell, the Confederates withdrew to the Phelps farm (now Phelps Grove Park). The Battle of Springfield had ended, and the Union supply depot was safe.

Aftermath:

What were the Casualties? Of the approximately 2,099 Union troops engaged, 19 were killed or missing and 146 were wounded for a total loss of 165 men (7.9 Percent). Of the approximately 1,870 Confederate troops present, 45 were killed or missing and 105 were wounded for a total loss of 150 men (8.0 percent). The absence of Porter's column, had greatly impeded Marmaduke's chances of success at Springfield. Within four days, the Confederate raiders retreated to Arkansas. Springfield continued to remain an important supply and medical center for the Union army in the West.

A series of twelve interpretive markers have recently been placed throughout downtown Springfield at the important sites of the battle. They are intended to be visited in sequence on a walking tour. The first marker is located near Park Central Square on Jefferson Avenue between Olive Street and Water Street.

Among the Confederate dead was Spencer McCoy, son of Kansas City, Missouri founder John C. McCoy. The elder McCoy who was exiled from Kansas City in General Order No. 11 (1863) was allowed to come to Springfield to claim his son who is buried with him in Union Cemetery in Kansas City.

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John Q. Hammons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Q. Hammons (born James Quentin Hammons on February 24, 1919) is an American businessman and one of the nation's premier developers of upscale luxury hotels and resorts. With over 50 years of experience in the hotel industry, John Q. Hammons has built and developed nearly two hundred (200) hotels. While many of the early hotels were Holiday Inns, today's portfolio of hotels include Marriott brands (Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott, and Residence Inn by Marriott), Hilton brands (Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, and Homewood Suites), and several independent properties including those named University Plazas and the award-winning Chateau on the Lake Resort and Conference Center in Branson, Missouri.

Education:

John Q. Hammons grew up in Fairview, Missouri, attended Fairview Elementary School and graduated in 1937 from Fairview High School. He was one of 12 graduating students that year. Immediately following high school, Hammons attended the Monett Junior College and the Southwest Missouri Teacher's College (now known as Missouri State University) where he received his teaching certificate in 1939.

Early career:

Upon graduating in 1939 with a teacher's certificate from Southwest Missouri Teacher's College, Mr. Hammons began teaching science, history, and physical education to junior high school students in Cassville, Missouri. His teacher's salary for the first year was $40 per month and was raised to $45 per month in the second year. During this time, he served as a Cub Scout Cubmaster and the junior high school basketball coach.

The entry of the United States in World War Two, following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, forever changed history and Mr. Hammons's life. In early 1942, John Q. Hammons left the academic world and joined the Lytle Green Construction Company of Des Moines, Iowa to work as a cost accountant on the Alaskan-Canadian Highway project which was also known as the Alcan Highway and nicknamed the Road to Tokyo. This was to be Mr. Hammons's first experience in the construction industry and one which would shape his future. During his time in Alaska, Hammons saved every penny he earned and invested in the stock market. Upon completion of the highway and his return from Alaska, Hammons had managed to amass nearly $60,000 in savings.

From 1943 to the end of the war, John Q. Hammons served in the Merchant Marines on a supply ship supporting troops in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war. When the war ended, John Q. Hammons had achieved the rank of Lieutenant JG (junior grade).

Sports Enthusiast:

Mr. Hammons's interest and fondness for sports began during his childhood years. He played basketball, which was to become one his life's passions, during all four years of high school. At approximately 5'9" in height, John Q. Hammons was not particularly tall, but he could shoot the ball extremely well and was usually the high scorer.

He continued his interest in basketball during his teaching years as a junior high school basketball coach. In two year of coaching, his team lost only one game in the first year and went on to be undefeated in the second year.

He also played several years on the baseball team during high school and developed a passion for another sport in which he would play a key role in later years. His passion for baseball culminated in the construction of one of the nation's premier baseball parks in Springfield, Missouri. At a cost of $32M, Hammons Field opened in April 2004 and is a first-class, state of the art stadium, and serves as home for the Springfield Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals are a Double A affiliate team of the St. Louis Cardinals and play in the Texas League.

Personal life:

Born on February 24, 1919 to James O. and Hortense Bass Hammons. His sister, Wrenna Quentilla, was born on December 20, 1921. Grew up in Fairview, Missouri. Married Juanita K. Baxter on September 2, 1949 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Missouri.

Originally used the name "John Q." when he would introduce himself to city leaders or organizations as a way to convey the message that he was there representing the general public and progress. After a while, the name stuck and he has forever become John Q. Hammons.
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