History of Lamar, Missouri

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Back in 1852 in the site of what is now Lamar, Missouri George E. Ward built a saw mill and also sold goods. Three years after this the town of Barton was created and named in the honor of a man named David Barton. He is one the first two United States Senators from Missouri. Since its beginning this area has remained a major agricultural area. Lamar, Missouri is also the birth place of the thirty third presidents, Harry S. Truman. The house in which he lived still stands in Lamar and is recognized as a landmark. This house is open to the public seven days a week. This area is a four time grand prize winner in the Missouri Community Betterment competition.

This town was nearly wiped completely out around 1862 by Quantrill and his fellow raiders and again nearly burned to the ground in 1864 as well. Lamar and Barton County slowly recovered and Lamar was incorporated in 1867. This town was given its name by Mrs. George E. Ward in honor of the President Mirabeau Lamar of the Republic of Texas. Lamar may seem like a small town but it is in fact home of two motels, five banks, two grocery stores, a drive in theater as well as an inside theater. This area also has a six thousand square foot aquatic park which includes a two thousand square foot swimming pool. There are three libraries in Barton County. These libraries are located in Lamar, Liberal and Golden City. They offer a lot of free services to use and will soon be linked to over five thousand E books.

Wyatt Earp was a local lawman in Lamar in the 1870′s. He had his first job was as the city’s local constable. Wyatt Earp’s first wife is buried just six miles north of Lamar, in the Howell Cemetery. The U.S. Census taken in the 1990′s said there were six thousand people living in Lamar so by now, ten years later, there should be well over nine thousand people living here.

The city square remains to be one of the focal points in Lamar and is the second largest in Missouri. There is very old Civil war cannon in the courtyard here to see. There is also a memorial for President Harry S. Truman here built in 1975 in the spot where he delivered his vice presidential acceptance speech on August 31, 1944.