Doolittle, Missouri
| Doolittle, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Doolittle, Missouri |
|
| Coordinates: 37°56′30″N 91°53′9″W / 37.94167°N 91.88583°WCoordinates: 37°56′30″N 91°53′9″W / 37.94167°N 91.88583°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Phelps |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.68 sq mi (6.94 km2) |
| • Land | 2.68 sq mi (6.94 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,004 ft (306 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 630 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 619 |
| • Density | 235.1/sq mi (90.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 65550 |
| Area code(s) | 573 |
| FIPS code | 29-19828 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0749680 |
Doolittle is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 630 at the 2010 census.
The town is named for Lt. General Jimmy Doolittle of World War II fame who bombed Tokyo in a daring raid, which helped to turn the tide of the war in the Pacific. The settlement was originally called Centertown because it was halfway between Rolla and Newburg. This name, coined by a local man named Monroe Ramsey, caught on over the years.
The town boomed in the spring of 1941 when construction of Fort Leonard Wood, 20 miles away, began in earnest due to the war effort. Thousands of workers poured in and slept anywhere they could. In some places, it was said beds never got cold because different shifts shared occupancy. So the two mile stretch which was unofficially called Centertown grew and boomed and a local businessman, Lou Hargis, felt it was time for an incorporated city. The idea of naming the new city after General Doolittle was well-received, along with the idea of having General Doolittle dedicate the town after the war effort.
The original trustees of the town when it was incorporated were Lou Hargis, Mr. Durham (principal of the Newburg High School), Bob Crain (an employee of the Missouri Bureau of Mines, resident of Rolla), and Ike Towell (operator of a local filling station and grocery store). They continued as interim trustees until April 1944 when a general election was held and a mayor and city officials elected. It was those five men who presented themselves at the courthouse "to announce the birth of a town and give it a hero's name."
In 1946, Lt. General Jimmy Doolittle spoke at the dedication ceremony in which the town was christened in his honor. Doolittle flew his own B-25 into the airport in Vichy, fulfilling a promise he'd made two years before.
Doolittle is located at 37°56′30″N 91°53′09″W / 37.941690°N 91.885830°W.
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Wikipedia