Birthday of Robert McClure Snyder, a grocer from St. Louis who made millions in Kansas City with gas and other enterprises. Snyder brought Scottish stone masons to Missouri to build the castle at Ha Ha Tonka. Read more about Ha Ha Tonka in Tales From Missouri and the Heartland.

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.