CHECK IT OUT - Callie Whitwood checks out the new website of the City Historical Preservation Commission. (Photo by Paul Davis courtesy the Daily American Republic)

Poplar Bluff History Takes Its Place on the Internet

Poplar Bluff history took its place on the Internet this week.

The City Historical Preservation Commission opened its website at poplarbluff.org/history.

The website includes articles, pictures, games, puzzles, coloring books, a trivia quiz and an interactive message board for Poplar Bluffians to contribute their own recollections. A self-guided virtual tour offers pop-up descriptions of historic places and city landmarks, including the 16 local sites that are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The historic website, printed brochures, coloring books and library books were paid for by a grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Historic Preservation program and the National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior. Matching funds were provided in kind by the work of the commissioners. The grant was for educational purposes.

Eight brochures are available to the public by Internet or in print. These are "A Self Guided Tour of Historic Places and City Landmarks," "Homes of the 19th Century", "A River and A Bridge" (Black River and Hargrove Bridge), "Tall Timber", "Bricks and Martyrs", (the brick streets) "The Rodgers Theatre", "Names and Places" and "They Traveled by Train", a history of railroads in and through Poplar Bluff.

Volume One of the coloring books was delivered to all third and fourth grades in the city in November. The second volume will be delivered within a week or two. Drawings in these books are of historic buildings in the city, both still standing and those that have been razed. Three courthouses appear with numerous schools, business places, the library, the old post office, the art museum and others. The coloring books are available online in three formats: as printable images, downloadable PDF files (in a "portable document format") and online as a self-launching paint program.

The Poplar Bluff Historical Preservation Commission is a municipal board made up of seven members appointed by the mayor. The commission represents the city's Certified City Governments status, and works with the state Historic Preservation Office. It serves under the Planning Department of city government. City Planner Joe Knodell and City Council liaison Mark Sanders attend the meetings which are held at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month in the City Council Chambers. Minutes are recorded by the Planning Department secretary, Nevada Young.

The commission was introduced by city ordinance in 1988. Its purpose is to help to identify historic, archaeological and architectural characteristics of Poplar Bluff, which represent elements of the city's cultural, social, economic and architectural history; to designate landmarks, historic places and districts and to educate the public on matters of preservation. Commissioners are appointed for three year terms and may serve three terms.

Julie Wolpers of Webcurrent Communications designed the website along with one launched last year for the public library and a soon-to-be-announced city government site. All are located at poplarbluff.org (note there is no "www" in front of their Internet address due to requirements from the Internet provider).

Wolpers has been producing websites since 1995 and maintains more than 50 sites serving clients both locally and nationally.

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Posted 3-3-01