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 Early settlers in southwest Missouri were primarily of Scot, Irish, English, and Welsh descent. Settlers in the Willard area were no exception. The first families to settle in the area now known as Willard were George and Elizabeth Sloan, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Kime, and Oscar Farmer.George Sloan arrived from Tennessee in 1857 and built the first Willard home in 1860; this home is still in use. The Dennis Kime family migrated from North Carolina in 1854. Oscar Farmer also moved from Tennessee to Cass County with his parents in 1836. He later traded his grist mill in Cass County to Sam Appleby for a farm at the edge of Willard. The Willard North Elementary and Junior High schools are located on a portion of this land once owned by Oscar Farmer. In 1870, the US Congress gave large land grants to railroad companies, hoping to encourage the westward expansion of the rail system. The town of Willard began to grow and flourish in 1884 when the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad laid the first track of line running from Springfield through Willard and Bolivar and eventually to Kansas City. This line, which later came to be referred to as the "High Line", was used by three passenger trains and two freight trains per day at the height of its operation. The railroad brought people, goods, and mail to Willard and was a means to ship agricultural produce from Willard to outside markets. The construction of a rail depot in Willard led to the naming of the community in 1884. The community was named "Willard", after William Willard of Lebanon, Missouri. According to his mother," He was a surveyor working for the railroad determining where the rail beds should be. He was working in the area of what is now Willard, when the Frisco was wanting to put in a station. When the question of a name for the station and community came up and it was learned that the residents of the area wanted to name it Robberson for Dr. E.T. Robberson who had platted the town. But there was already a town named Robberson in the state and for want of anything else, Bill Willard gave the town his name" (Farmer, 1976). The early economy of Willard was based on grain farming, the raising of hogs and beef cattle, and animal husbandry. Dairy farming also played an important role in Willard's growth. As noted, the location of the railroad in Willard provided the means for shipping the area's goods and produce to outside markets. Although the importance of agriculture as the community's economic mainstay has declined substantially from its historical beginnings, agriculture still remains an important part of community character. Early businesses in Willard were located along the rail line, in what is now the old downtown. By 1908 the downtown was beginning to take on an aura of permanency. The first brick buildings and important businesses included a bank, hotel, general store, stock yards, and a lumber yard. Many of these early businesses, which catered to the local farm economy and railroad travelers, are no longer in operation. A decreasing demand for the area's farm produce, along with the growing dominance of Springfield as an employment center, have changed the community's economic base. Today, most Willard residents are employed in Springfield and the local economy is focused primarily on retail trade and service industries. The focus of Community life in early Willard were the area's schools and churches. The first school house was constructed in 1835 at the Murray family farm, located two miles to the southwest of Willard.  In 1890 the school was moved closer to Willard, and in 1896 a new three-room school was built. The school, which burned in 1897, was rebuilt on the same location. One room of this school is now part of a house on South Street. In 1922, the Willard Consolidated School District was formed and the Willard High School was built. Constructed of red brick, it was the first of its kind in the area besides Central High School in Springfield. Several churches have also played an integral part in Willard's history. John Murray started Methodist services in his home in 1837; the Methodist Church was dedicated in 1895. Other early churches in Willard include the First Presbyterian Church (1887) and the First Baptist Church (1891). There are several sites in Willard of historic note. Most of these sites are located around the old business district, including the George Sloan home, c 1860; the Dennis Kime home, c 1860; the old Willard Bank, c 1908; the Willard Hotel, c 1915; the Blacksmith's shop, c 1922; the Presbyterian Church and the First Baptist Church, c 1891. There are also three cemeteries in the Willard area which date back to the mid to late 1800's. The Murray Cemetery is the oldest, with the first burial in 1845. Rose Hill Cemetery and Wesley Chapel Cemetery were both opened in the 1880's. Willard has grown from a rural agricultural settlement in the mid-1800's into a community with over 3100 residents in the early 2000's. Since 1990, new commercial businesses have developed along Highway 160 and the City has seen healthy residential growth. Several new community facilities have been developed to serve the citizens of Willard. City Hall, the Community Center, a park, and the swimming pool are located on Jackson Street west of downtown. The City has a branch library and a post office. The Willard Sports and Recreation Center is located at 133 N. on Highway Z. Another new addition to the City is the Frisco-Highline Trail, being developed on the old rail bed, which was abandoned by the Burlington Northern Railroad. The same railway line that influenced Willard's growth in the 1800's is now a community amenity for residents and visitors alike.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 March 2008 ) |