Missouri’s second capitol building in Jefferson City (fourth overall) was burned to the ground due to a lightning strike. Read more about this in Tales From Missouri and the Heartland. Fifteen men from the state pen’s fire brigade earned hero status that day for fighting the fire and for retrieving documents from the capitol. The city of Springfield immediately stepped up their campaign to have the Capital moved to that city.
This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.
