13. Langston Hughes birthplace
(1602 Missouri; Joplin Public Library, 300 Main)

Hughes was born in Joplin at 1602 Missouri in 1902. His father was a stenographer for the Lincoln Mining Company, where he earned $25 a month. The Hughes family only stayed in Joplin a brief time, moving to Lawrence, Kansas in 1903. One of America1s most prolific and influential writers, Langston Hughes was honored locally in 1976, when the Joplin City Council renamed Broadway Street to Langston Hughes/Broadway Avenue. Missouri Southern State University hosts an annual Langston Hughes Celebration each February featuring lectures, music, and reading of Hughes poetry. A portrait bust of Hughes, sculpted by Dewane and Nicole Hughes (no relation), is displayed at the Joplin Public Library.