A visceral encounter with Civil War stories that still echo on blood-stained ground. The spark for my interest in early American history was ignited long before I traveled Interstate 70 to visit Civil War battle sites in Lexington and Lone Jack. Oddly enough, it began while watching the movie The Patriot. Though this film depicts …
Missouri History Today December 29, 2013: New Book Rides Ozark History Resurgence
South of Downtown Columbia is a small cemetery where Missouri’s twenty-second governor is buried, as is the founder of William Jewell College. The site is bordered by a low stone wall with an iron gate. The cemetery was once part of the estate of George Jewell, who founded one of Missouri’s early dynasties. In 1841, …
Running for a limited time November 16–17 is Lone Jack Historical Society’s annual escape room adventure, “Hiding in Plain Sight-The Pinkerton Detectives & the Crookfield Case.” “We started the Escape Room almost 10 years ago as a fund raiser for the Lone Jack Museum,” says Alinda Miller, president of the Lone Jack Historical Society. “While …
“Daily Disney: Walt Disney in the Funny Pages,” a new exhibition at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia, gives visitors a look at the role comic strips played in the origins and evolution of the Walt Disney company.
At Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site in New Madrid, visitors can explore a grand Southern mansion while learning about the families who shaped the development of Missouri’s southeastern lowlands for a century and a half.
On this date in history, Missouri’s first secretary of state, Joshua Barton, was killed in a duel.
The Corps of Discovery sighted bison for the first time during their journey on this date.
Gov. Daniel Dunklin’s Grave State Historic Site is a one-acre cemetery plot. Here visitors can reflect on Dunklin’s achievements, which include the establishment of tax-supported public school systems, and take in the view of the Mississippi.
The road is an endless source of wonder. Follow the path of this early highway for an adventure that will take you through historic homes, a depot museum, a Main Street district, and an unusual museum dedicated to small electrical appliances.
Say oui to a weekend in Historic Downtown Ste. Genevieve, where the 27th French Heritage Festival will whisk visitors away to another time by recreating French Colonial-style celebrations and showcasing skills and arts representative of the period.
On this date in history, the Lewis and Clark Expedition—also known as the Voyage of Discovery—sets out across Missouri to explore the lands west of the Mississippi.
Shortly after the Civil War ended, the riverboat Sultana—overloaded with Union soldiers released from Confederate prison camps—began its journey up the Mississippi River. What happened next would become one of America’s worst maritime disasters.
Calamity Jane: Calamity Jane, was born at Princeton, MO.
Sometimes it’s fun to wonder “what if?” An exhibit at the Special Collections Gallery at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Miller Nichols Library imagines how a number of proposed projects might have reshaped the Kansas City experience.
Joe Buck, who grew up in St. Louis and spent many years calling Cardinals games, was born on this date.
On this date in Missouri history, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is established. The battle, the first in Missouri’s long Civil War history, took place on August 10, 1861, west of Springfield.
Once referred to as the Thermopylae of the West, the Battle of Pilot Knob was one of the bloodiest in the Civil War in Missouri, and it marked the beginning of the end for the Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price.
Missouri magazine, a precursor to Missouri Life, caught up with legendary baseball manager Whitey Herzog in 1995. Herzog, who died April 15, 2024, developed an audacious playing style called Whiteyball, which propelled the St. Louis Cardinals through three pennants and a World Series championship.
For nearly ninety years, the Stephens College fashion program has been a standout. As the program prepares for its eightieth fashion show, faculty, students, and alumnae reflect on its influence on the industry as well as the individual.
Shortly after aviation took off, so did a new form of entertainment. Entertainers—many of them women—ventured onto the wings of flying planes to dazzle audiences with daring acrobatic feats. Daredevils continue to keep the tradition alive today.
Take in all of the Civil War history that fills the Anderson House and the nearby 100-acre battlefield. Find out all about the Battle of Hemp Bales and relive what a field hospital was really like.
Seeing the history play out in the ancient bones and other artifacts at Mastodon State Historic Site is an eye-opening experience. Stop by the visitor’s center to see a life-sized replica of a mastodon, then follow the self-guided trail to the excavations site.
Ella Ewing, the “Missouri Giantess,” was born. She grew to be the world’s tallest woman of her time, reaching 8-feet, 4-inches.
Winston Churchill gives his “Iron Curtain” speech at Westminster College in Fulton. Churchill used the phrase “Iron Curtain” to define the division between Western nations and Soviet powers.
Masten Gregory, “The Kansas City Flash,” was born in Kansas City on February 29, 1932. As a driver on Europe’s top racing circuits during the sport’s deadliest years, Masten became known for high-speed bailouts when faced with a major crash.
More than 1,100 Civil War battles were fought in Missouri. Our state parks system focuses on six sites. The Battle of Carthage State Historic Site is one not to be missed. There are interpretive displays and a Civil War museum near the square in Carthage, as well as the fields where the battles took place.
Visit the Pommer-Gentner house and the Strehly house at this State Historic Site. See a printing press similar to what was used to print one of the first German language newspapers west of the Mississippi. To round out your visit take a stroll through historic Hermann.
Osage Village State Historic Site has a unique part to play in helping Missourians understand their state and the Native people that lived at this site. Visit the Brown Site where a wealth of recovered artifacts now documents the village.
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