Picture Courtesy of Jim Kuntz

Picture Courtesy of Jim Kuntz

John Webber established the first homestead in what is now the city of Rolla, on this site about 1845. the one and one-half story, single-room log cabin he constructed stood just north of the plaque. The concrete marker that covers the Webber's water well in the only remaining feature of Rolla's first residence.

The commissioners who located the Phelps County seat at Rolla in 1857 used Webber's cabin as a meeting place, Webber's homestead was included within Rolla when the city was created in 1861. Webber lived here until 1880 when he moved to southern Phelps County, where he died in 1889.

Comments (1)

Jim Kuntz: ... The brick building in the backgroud was at one time the State Trachoma Hospital building. When the hospital closed in 1957, th building was sold to the State Highway Patrol for use as a training center. It is now part of the University of Missouri-Rolla; Rocks Mechanics Facility, research center for explosives. 1 June 28, 2007

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