Phelps County Historical Society

05/21/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BUQGWRQXb/

05/16/2026

"W.W. Cole's New Colossal Shows" was started in the 1870s by William W. Cole. After his death later owners renamed the show the Cole Bros. Circus. This and other circuses were frequent visitors to Phelps County, mostly traveling along the railroad. The Russell Brother Circus wintered in Rolla for many years. The Cole Bros. Circus was known for its modern equipment and high caliber performances, making Cole into one of the first millionaire circus owners.

Pictured here is a balloon exhibition put on by the circus just outside of St. James, circa 1910.

The Rolla Weekly Herald, June 7, 1877. https://shsmo.org/collections/newspapers/mdnp

05/09/2026

Thanks to all who came out for last night's talk with David Croft! We hope to see everyone at future events.

If you haven't made it to the museum we are open every Saturday from 10am to 4pm!

05/02/2026

04/26/2026

‼ Raffle Announcement ‼

We are working on raising money to replace damaged windows at the Old Courthouse. Some generous volunteers have donated some amazing baskets for us to raffle off! The raffle will run until our Annual Meeting in October, you do not have to be present to win. First name drawn will get first pick of the baskets!

You can purchase tickets at the old courthouse on a Saturday or online here, https://www.phelpscountyhistoricalsociety.com/donations, just add a note in the comments that the donation is for raffle tickets. You can also email us at [email protected] and request an invoice be sent to you.

04/25/2026

We are so excited to have our new exhibit "Mother Road Memories: Phelps County & Route 66," "75 Years of Phelps Health: History of Medical Care," and "200 Years of Maramec Iron Works, 1826-2026" installed and open for the public! Today, we would like to thank our generous sponsor, the Rolla Chamber!

Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to share these incredible stories from Phelps County's history.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We truly appreciate your kindness and support.

Come check out this exhibit and more at the Old Courthouse and Dillon Log Cabin. We are open each Saturday from 10am to 4pm!

04/24/2026

In case you missed them, KY3 was in Rolla today on their Route 66: The 100-Year Ride tour! Check out one of their segments here, https://www.ky3.com/2026/04/24/route-66-100-year-ride-visits-rolla/.

On Saturday, May 2, Rolla is having a Centennial Block Party. Downtown Rolla will be closed for a huge celebration.

04/23/2026

We are so excited to have our new exhibit "75 Years of Phelps Health: History of Medical Care" installed and open for the public! Today, we would like to thank our generous sponsor, Phelps Health !

Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to share these incredible stories from Phelps County's history.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We truly appreciate your kindness and support.

Come check out this exhibit and more at the Old Courthouse and Dillon Log Cabin. We are open each Saturday from 10am to 4pm!

04/21/2026

We are so excited to have our new exhibit "Mother Road Memories: Phelps County & Route 66" installed and open for the public! Today, we would like to thank our generous sponsor, Phelps County Bank!

Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to share these incredible stories from Phelps County's history.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We truly appreciate your kindness and support.

Come check out this exhibit and more at the Old Courthouse and Dillon Log Cabin. We are open each Saturday from 10am to 4pm!