Town file
Willard, Missouri
Willard, Missouri (Green County, Missouri) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 449, "Deadly Golden Girls" (14 December 2023). Wilma Plaster was born in Ozark County, Missouri, in 1923.
- Town
- Willard
- County
- Green County
- State
- Missouri
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 449
- Approximate location
- 37.293, -93.417
Episode 449 / 14 December 2023 / 166 min / full
Deadly Golden Girls
"This is Willard, Missouri, in southwestern Missouri, about 20 minutes to Springfield, Missouri; it's in Green County." about 0:04:43
The case: Murder of Wilma Plaster (October 1989); Murder of Lela Jackson (May 1989). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2023
- Population
- 5,736
- Median age
- lower than the national average
- Median household income
- $45,512 a year
- Median home value
- $200,400
- Two-bedroom rent
- $760 a month
- Cost of living
- a little bit lower
- Religious
- 53.1%
- Property crime
- ▼ about one third below
- Violent crime
- ▼ about half
History, in brief
- The early settlers were mainly Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English. about 0:06:11
- The first family to settle in Willard was Oscar Farmer, a farmer. about 0:06:17
- The town began to flourish in 1884 when the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad laid the first track from Springfield through Willard to Kansas City. about 0:06:29
- The railroad became known as the High Line and is today Missouri's premier rail trail for walking. about 0:06:47
- The town was first named Roberson after Dr. Roberson, who had platted it, but the name was changed because another town about fifty miles away already used it. about 0:07:23
- It was renamed Willard after William Willard of Lebanon, Missouri, a surveyor who worked for the railroad. about 0:08:09
- U.S. 160 through town is known as Olympian Boulevard; Willard High School graduates Lori Endicott, an indoor volleyball player, and Jason Pyra, a track athlete, took part in the Olympics. about 0:08:32
- Professional boxer BJ Flores, 34 and 5, is from Willard and later became Jake Paul's trainer. about 0:09:03
- The town website lists its motto as community, education, family, growth and service. about 0:05:10
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A homely small community on the outskirts of Springfield with a calming atmosphere, small family restaurants and antique stores, small town charm and the benefits of a large school district."about 0:10:34
5 stars
"A nice small place with plenty of restaurants, a grocery store and a few gas stations, really good schools and good natured people."about 0:11:07
5 stars
"Born and raised in Smalltown, USA; Willard is a small, tight-knit community that supports each other and has one of the top school districts in the state."about 0:11:35
4 stars
"The Ozarks have great traditional things for tourists to visit."about 0:12:08
3 stars
"If you live in Missouri you have to know the weather is never consistent; in spring one day is seventy-five and sunny and two days later it is snowing."about 0:13:08
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Elkland, Missouri24 miles
- Reeds Spring, Missouri38 miles
- Climax Springs, Missouri59 miles
- St. Robert, Missouri78 miles
- Cincinnati, Arkansas106 miles
- Pleasant Grove, Arkansas132 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.