(Minimally restored) West Plains (and possibly Joplin), Missouri (circa early 1940s)

Update 10/27/2026: After reviewing West Plains newspapers from 1939-1941, I believe the football game was the West Plains Zizzers vs Willow Springs at the American Legion Field in November 1940 and the particular Christmas parade also was from 1940. The sledding scenes and earlier material, I'm still not sure of in terms of date and location. The splicing of the film material may not have followed chronological order. Original Description: The first scene in this particular film is pretty rough due to deterioration, but it gets better in terms of visibility and viewability. Possibly filmed by my grandfather in West Plains, Missouri (some content may be from Joplin), likely during the early 1940s, this film features community events, winter activities, and school athletics. Please comment if you recognize locations. I am also interested in finding out whether the West Plains merchants Association resumed the annual Christmas festival that included a band competition after the hiatus during World War II.  This footage was digitized from deteriorating 16mm family film to preserve its content for future generations. This upload reflects minimal restoration to correct for speed, saturation, and values. Copyright © 2026 Jonathan Sutter. All rights reserved. Please contact the copyright holder before reproducing, redistributing, or using this footage in other projects.