Missouri History

Those of a certain age are familiar with the Western Heritage Award-winning TV series Rawhide. Every Friday night for six years, a crew of seasoned cowboys drove herds of Texas cattle toward the railhead at Sedalia, Missouri.

Our July/August 2023 article, “In The Fight,” showed that the divisive nature of the Civil War extended to American Indian Tribes. Read about Opotheyahola, who refused to join the Confederacy, then explore our reading list to learn more.

America’s most trusted man, Scooby’s Mystery Machine, and antique veterinary tools that would send Scooby howling to the hills—you’ll find them at these three Missouri museums. Head here to learn about wonderful and wonderfully weird exhibits.

The world had never seen a luxury liner like the Titanic. She was packed to capacity with travelers of all types, including Missourians like St. Louis’ wealthy John Jacob Astor. None suspected the fateful turn their trip would take on April 15, 1912.

When our editor toured the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence, she came away with a heightened appreciation for the only Missourian to serve as president of the United States. Here’s why you should visit, too.

A single throw destroyed the legacy of Mansfield, Missouri native Carl Mays. He is the only major league pitcher who ever killed a batter with a pitch. Nearly a century later, two Mansfield women set out to win him some overdue recognition.

Where do you find the county with the most caves, the Tower Rock that Lewis and Clark mapped, a living history Lutheran heritage and genealogy site, and a full-size replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC—plus a great brew pub?

With great trepidation, our writer faced the uncomfortable emotional and physical challenge of sleeping in a slave cabin in Missouri’s Little Dixie, with a pounding rain on a tin roof, no less. Find out what she experienced and learned.

Lawman Wyatt Earp is immortalized in books and movies, but he first wore a badge in the Missouri town of Lamar. When he left town a couple of years later, there was a warrant out for his arrest. Why did Wyatt want to forget his life in Lamar?