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Neosho

Neosho ( /niːˈoʊʃoʊ/; originally [niˈoʒo] or [niˈoʒu]; officially City of Neosho) is the most populous city in and the county seat of Newton County, Missouri, United States. Neosho is an integral part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Located in southwestern Missouri on the southern edge of the Midwest, Neosho lies at the western edge of the Missouri Ozarks. The population was 11,835 at the time of the 2010 census.

The name "Neosho" is generally accepted to be of Native American (most likely Osage) derivation, meaning "clear, cold water", referring to local freshwater springs. The springs attracted varying cultures of Native American inhabitants for thousands of years. It was also ideal for the later white settlers, who founded the city in 1833. It was incorporated as a municipal government in 1878. Nicknamed "City of Springs", Neosho has long served as an agricultural center and more recently as a National Fish Hatchery. It is known locally as the "Gateway to the Ozarks", and since 1957 as "the Flower Box City".

Neosho natives including painter and Regionalist muralist Thomas Hart Benton, ragtime composer and pianist James Scott, and celebrated African-American inventor and botanist George Washington Carver have contributed to American life. Today, Neosho is enjoying a renaissance, particularly in the historic downtown area. Through a combination of private investment and public resources, numerous restoration and revitalization projects have been undertaken in the historic city center to restore its architectural quality, upgrade the infrastructure, and improve the quality of life of downtown. Due to 21st-century widespread economic problems in the region and state, however, the city is now struggling with its budget.

Neosho takes part in research to support America's transition to alternative energy. Neosho's Crowder College has been deeply involved in such research since the early 1980s; in 1984, it built the first solar-powered vehicle to successfully complete a coast-to-coast journey across the United States. In 2009, the college began construction on the MARET (Missouri Alternative & Renewable Energy Technology) Center, a facility to encourage the development of experimental programs and alternative energy systems.