May 9, 1895

The little critters in the St. Louis drinking water were identified as a type of miniature crab. The Health Commissioner said that seeing them was actually a good thing. The water used to be so muddy that people couldn’t see critters.

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.