WEBSTER COUNTY ESTABLISHED IN 1855 and nestled in the southern portion of Missouri is Webster County. Webster was named by Pioneer Legislator John F. McMahan, supposedly after then Senator and Secretary of State, Daniel Webster. McMahan is also credited for granting the county’s judicial seat of Marshfield its name, in honor of his hometown of Marshfield, Massachusetts. When 66 was routed through the county in the late 1920s, it gave birth to a number of mom-and-pop stores and motels, whose traces can still be felt today.
In Webster, the Mother Road glides through the quaint little towns of Sampson, Niangua, and Marshfield, promising motorists a tranquil journey. Known for its county fair, which claims the spot as the longest continuous county fair in the state of Missouri, Webster County offers plenty of ways to get your kicks on the route: Webster County History Museum, the Baker Observatory in Marshfield, and the replica of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Webster County History Museum, Marshfield
Hubble Telescope Replica Route 66 Murals, Marshfield
Hubble Space Telescope Replica, Marshfield 28 | Guide to Missouri’s Route 66
Jimmy Emmerson
Edwin Powell Hubble is a prominent American astronomer after whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named. He’s been regarded as one of the most impactful astronomers in history. In honor of this prominent son, a 1,200-pound replica of the Hubble Space Telescope was made, and today it stands in the Marshfield courthouse yard.
