The marker is located on the grounds of the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center. It was erected by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the State Highway Commission in 1958. It lists milestone dates in the early history of West Plains including its part in the Civil War, although that information is now known to be incomplete and perhaps even misleading. A separate marker, with more accurate information outlining The Battle of West Plains is on the Courthouse lawn in the West Plains Courthouse Square Historic District.
Overall, while the marker offers perspectives on West Plains and Howell County as portrayed in the 1950s, if installed today it would have updated information to address inaccuracies. Wrong details include the claim that there are more than 1,000 “prehistoric mounds” in the area. While evidence of the presence of Native Americans exists throughout the region, there are no known burial grounds in Howell County. A local historian has noted that this notion was a fiction created by one individual who was given undeserved credibility.
Perhaps the greatest significance of this marker is as a monument for how history was being presented in 1958.