The Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting on Oct. 22 to welcome the St. Robert Historical Preservation Committee and congratulate them on their membership within the Chamber.
Representing the St. Robert Historical Preservation Committee and holding the scissors is the President Julius Nutter, also representing the committee is Frank Herbet, vice president, Jerry Bussey, Tommi Hollins, Walter Reese, Larry Nelson and Donnita Brown. Representing the Chamber of Commerce are Ambassadors Dr. Charles Slider, Luge Hardman, Jason Jorgensen-Horn, Russ Dixon, Theresa Stafford and Chantel Higdon.
In March 1941 a campaign to establish a U.S.O. in the Fort Leonard Wood area began due to the segregation of the military when separate clubs were built for white and Black soldiers.
On March 8, 1942, the U.S.O.’s club for Black soldiers was dedicated just outside the main gate of Fort Leonard Wood on Route 17.
It came under the direction of the Salvation Army in 1943 and remained active until the military was desegregated in the late 1940s.
Over the years after desegregation, the building that once housed the club for Black soldiers changed hands and purpose — from Chimney Trailer Park to Chimney Pawn and Gun until the structure was ultimately torn down.
The materials from this building were recycled and used in the construction of the Manor Inn in Rolla.
Although the building itself was gone, the U.S.O. Chimney stood tall as a silent witness to the history of this area until 2010, when the heir of Earl Livingston, who purchased the land in 1951 where the Black soldier club once stood, generously donated the chimney to the City of St. Robert.
Today, it stands proudly on the west side of VFW Memorial Drive, across from St. Robert Glass Company. The chimney was officially dedicated in October 2018.
 The St. Robert Historical Preservation Committee invites both residents and those visiting this area to explore our community and to visit a unique piece of our local history: the U.S.O. Chimney. The U.S.O. Chimney landmark is a unique reminder of Fort Leonard Wood’s early days and of the military’s heritage in our region.
