When locals in McDonald County felt they’d been slighted by the state of Missouri, they got pretty hot under the collar. Two things made them mad: First, Highway 71 was rerouted around Noel, which hurt local businesses.
Then the highway department released new maps with several McDonald County towns missing. This which impacted local tourism. So, on this day in 1961, McDonald County seceded from the state of Missouri.
County leaders not only declared independence from the state of Missouri, but also proposed being annexed into Arkansas or Oklahoma – or even becoming the 51st state!
Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.
Photo from Unsplash
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