LIVEJOMO #BringBackTheHall Campaign
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The mission of LIVEJOMO's #BringBackTheHall Campaign is to bring back the tradition of Memorial Hall and it's role in our community.
Memorial Hall has been an integeral part in Joplin since it's opening in 1925 as a community entertainment venue which has also served as a memorial to honor our veterans. It has featured legendary entertainment such as Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, Garth Brooks, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Reba McIntire and many more. In a time of crisis it has even served as a makeshift hospital. The Memorial Hall impact to our city is inmessasureable.
Due to resources being deverted to disaster recovery, Memorial Hall has not recieved the attention it deserves. The present conditions are not optimal. In order to be fully function some maintance issues must be addressed. A collapsed sewer line on the northwest corner of the building has left the hall without some restroom facilities. To use the hall in the mean time, we are bringing in restroom trailers to solved the issues created by the colapsed sewer line. This it the main issue limiting the use of the facilities.
It is up to us as a community to come together and bring back the Hall. Joplin is hungry for positive experiences. We know what we can do in times of disaters, now it is time to show what we can do to increase the economic prosperity of our city. To increase our quality of life while supporting the businesses that make our city great. Memorial Hall can breathe life back into our town. As we have focused mainly on disater recovery, other cities have offered an experience we did not have the compacity to serve but we are back and ready.
With your help Joplin can become the entertainment destination it once was.
Funds raised from this GoFundMe Campaign will be directly used to finance the repair of the sewer line to make the Hall fully functional. Any additional funds will go into an account to support the Hall with continued updating.
We appreciate your support in making Joplin reach it's full potential.
History and Background Information:
On March 9, 1920, sixteen members of the Robert S. Thurman American Legion Post began work developing the concept of Memorial Hall. On September 25, 1924, the cornerstone for Memorial Hall was set with Civil War, Spanish American War and World War One veterans in attendance. On October 18, 1925, Memorial Hall was dedicated and had its opening ceremonies with two thousand citizens in attendance. Memorial Hall was built as a tribute to those who served in the armed forces and as a community civic center. On August 23, 1945, a fire that started in a pro wrestling show ring caused over $10,000 in damage to the facility.
For decades Memorial Hall was home to Golden Gloves Boxing and Professional Wrestling. Golden Gloves Boxing was so popular that three and four events a week took place. In 1946 a drive began to raise $90,000 to renovate the Roberts Cafeteria at 6th and Joplin as the veteran’s organization had out grown their basement meeting room in Memorial Hall. Once the post moved out of Memorial Hall a majority of their annual events moved to the new building and Memorial Hall began to be used less frequently. Smaller events were held at the new facility and large events seemed to move to Junge Stadium. From research through the history annuals for the Robert S. Thurman Legion Post, it appears that by 1959 Memorial Hall was no longer big enough to host regional events and that Joplin began to lose bigger conventions to other venues in surrounding communities that could hold more people than Memorial Hall.
Circuses, Golden Gloves Boxing, Pro-Wrestling, Beautician Trade Shows and other activities still took place however the prominence that once was associated with Memorial Hall seems to have begun to fade by this period. The facility still saw lots of use however and in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Memorial Hall was the only place in the area to see concerts by rising stars such as Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, Chicago, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Reba McIntire and Garth Brooks.
Just wanted to answer these questions:
What is the seating capacity? 2950
Does the city own the property? Yes
Historically, were the events there profit-making or non-profit? Both
Was the venue supported by tax money? The venue was/is supported by tax money but short falls in the allocated budget has left it short on funds. This is where I formed LIVEJOMO to help raise private funds to fund the budget shortfall for the hall for profit and non profits to utilizes the hall again.
Memorial Hall has been an integeral part in Joplin since it's opening in 1925 as a community entertainment venue which has also served as a memorial to honor our veterans. It has featured legendary entertainment such as Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, Garth Brooks, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Reba McIntire and many more. In a time of crisis it has even served as a makeshift hospital. The Memorial Hall impact to our city is inmessasureable.
Due to resources being deverted to disaster recovery, Memorial Hall has not recieved the attention it deserves. The present conditions are not optimal. In order to be fully function some maintance issues must be addressed. A collapsed sewer line on the northwest corner of the building has left the hall without some restroom facilities. To use the hall in the mean time, we are bringing in restroom trailers to solved the issues created by the colapsed sewer line. This it the main issue limiting the use of the facilities.
It is up to us as a community to come together and bring back the Hall. Joplin is hungry for positive experiences. We know what we can do in times of disaters, now it is time to show what we can do to increase the economic prosperity of our city. To increase our quality of life while supporting the businesses that make our city great. Memorial Hall can breathe life back into our town. As we have focused mainly on disater recovery, other cities have offered an experience we did not have the compacity to serve but we are back and ready.
With your help Joplin can become the entertainment destination it once was.
Funds raised from this GoFundMe Campaign will be directly used to finance the repair of the sewer line to make the Hall fully functional. Any additional funds will go into an account to support the Hall with continued updating.
We appreciate your support in making Joplin reach it's full potential.
History and Background Information:
On March 9, 1920, sixteen members of the Robert S. Thurman American Legion Post began work developing the concept of Memorial Hall. On September 25, 1924, the cornerstone for Memorial Hall was set with Civil War, Spanish American War and World War One veterans in attendance. On October 18, 1925, Memorial Hall was dedicated and had its opening ceremonies with two thousand citizens in attendance. Memorial Hall was built as a tribute to those who served in the armed forces and as a community civic center. On August 23, 1945, a fire that started in a pro wrestling show ring caused over $10,000 in damage to the facility.
For decades Memorial Hall was home to Golden Gloves Boxing and Professional Wrestling. Golden Gloves Boxing was so popular that three and four events a week took place. In 1946 a drive began to raise $90,000 to renovate the Roberts Cafeteria at 6th and Joplin as the veteran’s organization had out grown their basement meeting room in Memorial Hall. Once the post moved out of Memorial Hall a majority of their annual events moved to the new building and Memorial Hall began to be used less frequently. Smaller events were held at the new facility and large events seemed to move to Junge Stadium. From research through the history annuals for the Robert S. Thurman Legion Post, it appears that by 1959 Memorial Hall was no longer big enough to host regional events and that Joplin began to lose bigger conventions to other venues in surrounding communities that could hold more people than Memorial Hall.
Circuses, Golden Gloves Boxing, Pro-Wrestling, Beautician Trade Shows and other activities still took place however the prominence that once was associated with Memorial Hall seems to have begun to fade by this period. The facility still saw lots of use however and in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Memorial Hall was the only place in the area to see concerts by rising stars such as Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, Chicago, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Reba McIntire and Garth Brooks.
Just wanted to answer these questions:
What is the seating capacity? 2950
Does the city own the property? Yes
Historically, were the events there profit-making or non-profit? Both
Was the venue supported by tax money? The venue was/is supported by tax money but short falls in the allocated budget has left it short on funds. This is where I formed LIVEJOMO to help raise private funds to fund the budget shortfall for the hall for profit and non profits to utilizes the hall again.
Organizer
Jon Buck
Organizer
Joplin, MO