Following are topical news items about the Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation's activities.
Celebrating 31 Years as a Museum |
| The Old Stagecoach Stop was condemned by the City of Waynesville as a derelict building in 1982. A group of citizens bought the building in 1983 and formed the Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation. The Foundation spent the next ten years raising funds to pay off the outstanding note and to begin restoration. In April of 1995, the house museum opened for its first full tour season. We are celebrating our 30th anniversary as a house museum this year. |
| On the Road Again |
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| Road fans of Route 66 are getting an early start this centennial year of the Main Street of America. They are traveling the pavement through Pulaski in single cars and groups. The Old Stagecoach Stop is a place of interest on their itinerary. It has stood alongside the famous highway during its entire existence. During the 1930s and 1940s, the OSS was called the Tourist Hotel, signifying its hospitality to tourists on the Mother Road. On Apri 1l, members of the Joplin Jeep Junkies (left) rolled up for a look at the old hotel. On April 26, a dozen or so cars of the Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri from St. Louis stopped on the square and members toured both of the museums. Cars included a 1929 Ford (above center) and a 1930 Cadillac (above right). |
| Board News |
At its March meeting, the Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation Board of Directors, with regret and appreciation, accepted the resignation of President Jeanie Porter. Jeanie and husband Gary are moving to Tennessee. Jeanie has been active in many nonprofit organizations in the county and has devoted untold hours furthering the mission of the Old Stagecoach Stop. Jeanie joined the Board of Directors in 2011 and also served as a tour guide. She used her sales skills selling ads for the Gazette and applied her leadership skills as President from 2016-2026 .
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| Robin Hammock was installed as the newest member of the Board of Directors. Robin is a retired school teacher from Dixon, Missouri. She has two children, Katrina is a Dental Assistant who lives and works in Springfield. Ian is a Police Officer, working for Miller County, Missouri. Robin enjoys meeting up with other retired school personnel at Waynesville and Dixon. She enjoys working on art: watercolor, collage, and various other projects. She is a member of Arts Rolla and often helps install and uninstall art shows at the Centre. She is also a member of the Ozark Spirit Cloggers in Rolla and performs at various local festivals, nursing homes, and at the State Fair. She also plays piano at her church, Sheppard Baptist, near Dixon. As for her volunteering at the OSS, “I enjoy giving tours at the Old Stagecoach Stop. I always wanted to be a tour guide, since I was young and my family would go to museums or old homes for tours. 'The Stop' is such a neat slice of history in our area and it is fun to share it with folks– they also seem to enjoy it." |
| Old Stagecoach Stop Annual Report Available |
| The Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation 2025 Annual Report is available online. The report summarizes the activities of the Foundation for the past year, including the Treasurer's Annual Report and visitorship statistics. For a look, click here. |
| Roof Project Receives Boon |
| As you read the next article on our roof replacement project, keep the following in mind. This was the most expensive improvement to the building the Foundation has made since its inception. Most of the cost was funded by a $25,000 donation from former Waynesville resident Louise Morgan, who now resides in California. Louise remarked that "...even though decades have passed since I was actively involved with the organization, and even though I have moved far away from the area, the OSS remains a meaningful endeavor that is worthy of continued support." |
| Up on the rooftop—click, click, click |
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| The click, click, click on the rooftop were not the hooves of eight tiny reindeer but the clicking of nail guns. This holiday season, the OSS got a gift of a new roof. For several years, we had been losing wooden cedar shakes from the front roof (left). An occasional leak was experienced with blowing rain. The back roof (right) was covered with asphalt shingles which were installed when the building was stabilized in 1983. Those shingles were intact but brittle. The lifespan expectancy of 3-tab asphalt shingles is 20 years so their replacement was long overdue. |
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Our mission statement states that we are "to preserve, restore, protect and maintain the historic structure." The Foundation has done pretty well with the first three charges and is constantly engaged with maintenance. Successful maintenance begins with a watertight roof. The Board of Directors began discussing the roof replacement last year. Various materials were considered and it was decided that composite shake shingles offer longevity (50 years), as well as fire retardant and excellent wind resistance properties, were the best choice. |
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After surveying the composite offerings, multi-width shakes in an aged cedar color manufactured by DaVinci Roofscapes of Lenexa, Kansas, was chosen. Dreste Contracting of Osage Beach, experienced with DaVinci roofing installation, was selected for the project. Work began on December 9 and was finished December 15, 2025. Some repairs to the structural roof were required to meet the specifications of the manufacturer. The were some humps in the roof due to the log rafters. The second story of the OSS was built in 1876. Eight sheets of plywood sheathing needed to be replaced on the rear roof and a four square foot section on the front plank decking was repaired. Front rafter ends had rotted and needed new pieces. The front soffit and fascia boards were also replaced. Board Member Mark Zubrick oversaw this project from initial bidding to final inspection. The next generation of caretakers will at least have an excellent roof. |
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| Dedicated Docent |
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Special recognition was given at the end of the 2025 season to a dedicated volunteer, a local student, Joseph Chaney. In the summer of 2022, Joseph began volunteering at the museum…at age 12. Over the next four years, Joseph greeted visitors and led tour groups on 29 regular Saturdays and 14 special events, including Old Settlers Day and Christmas on the Square, for a total of more than 300 hours of uncompensated time. Guests often commented on his professional, yet pleasant, demeanor when interacting with visitors. Plus, he has eagerly assisted in needed maintenance and repair efforts ranging from the mundane to difficult, all without complaint.
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| 2025 Christmas on the Square |
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| The Old Stageccoach Stop hosted nearly 900 visitors for the 28th Christmas on the Square on December 4. The evening started slowly at 6:00 pm in the 20 degree temperature but the streets filled within an hour as the bundled up citizens visited the 97 vendors spread around the town square. OSS volunteers provided and served free food and beverage in the 1915 kitchen. The warmth from the flaming fireplaces were much appreciated by the revelers. The Watson School of Music and the Arts of Rolla provided seasonal melodies in the Civil War Room. The Rolla Outdoor Collaborative School (ROCS) provided materials and assistance in front of the building for children to make a Santa log. The OSS also had tables outside in front offering inexpensive 19th century toys and local history books for sale. It was another successful edition of this well organized community event. |
| It's Looking a Lot Like Christmas |
| The Old Stagecoach Stop has been decorated inside and out for the holiday season. We are looking forward to Christmas on the Square on December 4, starting at 6:00 p.m. The OSS will be a hub of activity with area students making ornaments with young visitors and singers filling the air with holiday melodies. We will also have a table offering period toys for sale along with books about local history. As usual, our kitchen table will be loaded with goodies. Cider and hot chocolate will be available to sip to ward off the chill while sitting around our fireplaces. |
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On Sunday, November 23, OSS Board Members and Volunteers spent the afternoon decorating the building for its 172nd Christmas. Present were Lucy and Stephanie Nutt, Pam Barnabee, Jeanie Porter, Robin Hammock, Roy Clevenger, Mark Zurbrick, Dave Edie, Randy Yocum, and Jan and Terry Primas. |
| KY3 TV at OSS |
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| Emily Pritchard is the new news anchor at KY3 TV in Springfield, MO. Emily and her producer/videographer visited the OSS in July to shoot promos heralding her new position. Emily is the daughter of Keith and Barb Pritchard of Waynesville. Emily had been a student in the Waynesville R-6 Schools' Learning Enrichment and Acceleration Program (LEAP). LEAP had been very involved with the Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation from 1989 to 2002 doing an archaeological excavation, document research, and giving interpretive tours of the OSS to other area students. As an elementary and middle school student, Emily was very involved with the OSS. In the pictures above, Emily reminisces with OSS Foundation Board Members /Tour Guides Jan and Terry Primas, who were also her teachers in LEAP. |
Special Visitors |
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| Pictured, left to right: Jan Primas, Julie Morgan, Terry Primas, and Bill Morgan. |
Julie Morgan and husband David Osborn, now California residents, made a weekday visit to the Old Stagecoach Stop on June 23. Julie is the daughter of former residents Louise and Bill Morgan. Louise and Bill were original supporters of the Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation. Bill was the attorney for the Foundation at its inception in 1983, overseeing by-laws adoption and the securing of non-profit corporation status. Louise spearheaded a number of fundraisers, including the production of The Old Stagecoach Stop Cookbook. Julie was in the very first LEAP (described above) class in 1979. Julie, David, and Bill were given a tour of the building by Jan and Terry Primas, retired LEAP teachers, and OSS volunteers. Unfortunately, David is not pictured as he was taking the photograph. We are very grateful to Julie and David for their very generous donation to the Foundation. |
| 2025 Old Settlers Day |
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| Old Settlers Day at the Old Stagecoach Stop did not feature the usual tours of the building. Instead, David and Teresa Chuber (left) shared their knowledge of Civil War era medical practices. It is an appropriate topic since the OSS was a hospital during that conflict for Post Waynesville, which was located on the hill south of the town square. David (center), a historian with a specialty in Civil War medicine, demonstrated medical instruments and practices. Teresa (right) explained the use of medicinal plants. Visitors packed the Tavern room to hear each of the five presentations during the day. Their popular presentation continues to draw visitors to the Old Stagecoach Stop on Old Settlers Day. The Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation also made available its 2025 edition of the Old Settlers Gazette. You can view this year's edition by clicking here or click here to view past issues of the Gazette. |
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| To celebrate the Old Stagecoach Stop's 30th year as a museum, cake (left) and ice cream were served to the visitors on Old Settlers Day. Visitors stopped by a table of games and souvenirs (center) on their way to the McNeese building where the cake and ice cream were served. OSS volunteers took turns manning the souvenirs (right, Jan and Roy) and serving the treats. The heat index was in excess of 100 degrees but was a successful Old Settlers Day at the Old Stagecoach Stop. |
New Tour Feature |
| The Old Stagecoach Stop offers guided tours of the house museum. A docent-led tour of the ten rooms is typically 75 minutes in duration. If you are short on time or simply want to look on your own, each room now has a QR code on a door facing. Scan the QR code and a description of that room will appear on your phone for you to read. Also available is a Self-guided Tour sheet with abbreviated room descriptions. |