Half the Town Burned: The Great Wooldridge Fire of 2022
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A presentation on Half the Town Burned: The Great Wooldridge Fire of 2022 presented by Tim Scherrer at 6:00 p.m. at the Garnett Library on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. This event is sponsored by the Ozarks Heritage Research Center and the West Plains Council on the Arts, and is underwritten by Missouri Humanities. Refreshments provided.
The presentation gives the background of Wooldridge, Missouri and it’s historic decline. The fire burned half the town in ninety minutes. I present audio recordings of the participants and some of the illustrative videos that show the intensity of the fire. This was the largest fire that some of the most seasoned first responders in the state ever saw. They navigated these challenges of unprecedented situations never seen before in the Midwest.
It also tells the stories of the dozen residents, some of which escaped minutes before fire took their homes. It tracks their lives after the fire up to the one year anniversary. The village has rebuilt some structures in the community, but most struggle after losing everything. It highlights the issue of micro-disasters in the state.
A native of Quincy, Illinois, Tim Scherrer received his B.A. and M.A. in History from Truman State University where he was also a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC program. He also studied at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has worked at Truman State University and taught Military Science and Military History at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also served as Director of College Placement/Counseling and Instructor of American and Military History at Missouri Military Academy. He is the Dean of Academics at Fr. Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia, MO. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel 28 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Military Intelligence Officer. He received the Knowlton Award from the Military Intelligence Corps Association in 2015 and was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame at Truman State. He lives in Columbia, MO.
The presentation gives the background of Wooldridge, Missouri and it’s historic decline. The fire burned half the town in ninety minutes. I present audio recordings of the participants and some of the illustrative videos that show the intensity of the fire. This was the largest fire that some of the most seasoned first responders in the state ever saw. They navigated these challenges of unprecedented situations never seen before in the Midwest.
It also tells the stories of the dozen residents, some of which escaped minutes before fire took their homes. It tracks their lives after the fire up to the one year anniversary. The village has rebuilt some structures in the community, but most struggle after losing everything. It highlights the issue of micro-disasters in the state.
A native of Quincy, Illinois, Tim Scherrer received his B.A. and M.A. in History from Truman State University where he was also a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC program. He also studied at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has worked at Truman State University and taught Military Science and Military History at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also served as Director of College Placement/Counseling and Instructor of American and Military History at Missouri Military Academy. He is the Dean of Academics at Fr. Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia, MO. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel 28 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Military Intelligence Officer. He received the Knowlton Award from the Military Intelligence Corps Association in 2015 and was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame at Truman State. He lives in Columbia, MO.
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Where is it happening?
304 W. Trish Knight, West Plains, MO, United States, Missouri 65775
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherOzarks Heritage Research Center
