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.

Hubble Telescope Replica

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.

Webster County History Museum, Marshfield

Route 66 Murals, Marshfield

Hubble Space Telescope Replica, Marshfield

GOOD TO KNOW:

Wild Animal Safari has a Strafford address but is in this county. The drivethrough animal park has more than 70 different species and 750 exotic animals.

ROUTE 66 KICKS

MY WEBSTER COUNTY CHECKLIST

• Webster County

History Museum • Hubble Space

Telescope Replica • Forty-foot Route 66

Mural in Marshfield • Conway Welcome

Center • Hidden Waters

Nature Park • One-Mile Winding

Climb • Wild Animal Safari • Abbylee Courts • Oak Vale Park • Rockhaven

A new mural was completed in June 2020. The mural commemorates the high geographic point Marshfield occupies, as well as Route 66, the Trail of Tears, U.S. Bicycle Route 76, the downtown area and the Cherry Blossom Festival, all of which draw a large number of visitors to Marshfield. It was painted by Samantha Cox and Andrea Ehrhardt.