Birthday of William B. Waddell whose freight company (Russell, Majors, and Waddell) did much to open trade with the west. He was also a founder of the Pony Express. Read more about him 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.