History

In 1821, Missouri attained statehood, and Mexico won its independence from Spain. Once restrictive Spanish control came to an end, the Mexican markets opened wide to the Americans. Those two colossal events set the stage for a dramatic unfolding era.

Archaeological findings shape our understanding of the past.

Missourians love their coff ee now as much as they did hundreds of years ago when the French first brought coff ee to the shores of the Mississippi River. Indie co ffee shops, boutique roasters, national brands, and regional roasters are pleasing customers all over the state.

At a time when the nations of Europe were competing for global control of trade and land, the New World offered the ideal opportunity to fill European coffers and expand their empires. The only problem was that someone already lived here.

Each year there’s something new to see, and yet some components of the Fair date back from before Missouri actually had a designated State Fair. Let’s take a walk through time and look at some of the State Fair’s most proud traditions.

It is a quote that was credited to Woodrow Wilson, who was president of the United States for the entire duration of World War I, but the phrase actually came from the title of a 1914 book of essays from H. G. Wells.