DescriptionAs early as 1902, Joplin was a station house on the Great Northern Railway. When homesteaders began arriving in the spring of 1910, E. C. Tolley, a North Dakota land developer, assisted many settlers with their claims and laid out a townsite. Joplin residents, however, recognize Syrian immigrant Joseph E. Rehal as Joplin’s founder; he built the town’s first 4 buildings. As more homesteaders arrived in the area, the town’s population exploded, and in 1915 the Joplin Commercial Club coined the phrase the “Biggest Little Town on Earth.” Personal NamesTolley, E. C.Rehal, Joseph E.Contributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation3323 ft.CountyLiberty County
