June 16, 1989

Students from Lee’s Summit got the crinoid named Missouri’s official fossil. The little animal that looked like a plant lived in the ocean that once covered Missouri.

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.