February 20, 1891 is the birthday of John Wesley Donaldson
February 20, 1891, is the birthday of one of the greatest baseball players of all time, John Wesley Donaldson, who was born in Glasgow, Missouri.
J.J Restaurant Explosion
On February 19, 2013, $10,000 per bottle of wine and other items went up in flames when a worker broke a gas line at J.J.’s up-scale restaurant in Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. Somehow, only one person died in the explosion.
Royal Smoke House BBQ
On February 18, 1927, The Weston Chronicle reported that the Royal Smoke House had a new brick oven out back and would be preparing barbequed meats – especially pork ribs, which had become very popular in the last few years.
Iron County was Established
On February 17, 1857, Iron County was established. A special act by the Missouri Legislature led to the formation of Iron County, carved out of parts of Dent, Madison, Reynolds, St. Francois, Washington, and Wayne Counties.
February 16, 1766, is the birthday of Louis Valentin DuBourg
February 16, 1766, is the birthday of Louis Valentin DuBourg, the first Bishop of St. Louis.
High School Basketball Superstar
On February 15, 1977, Kevin Williams of Nevada blocked 20 of Mt. Vernon’s shots in a high school basketball game.
Patent of Chalk Eraser
On February 13, 1890, Professor James T. Dougherty of De Soto patented a chalk eraser on blackboards.
Cold Temperatures Across Missouri
On February 12, 1899, Missouri was in the middle of a terrible cold snap. It was -16˚ in St. Louis. Columbia recorded its coldest day ever, with 26˚ below zero. There it was -20˚ or colder for eight straight days! On the 12th, Springfield dropped to 29˚ below zero – it's the coldest night ever!
Missouri State Capitol was Destroyed Again
On February 5, 1911, the second Missouri State Capitol was destroyed by fire. A bolt of lightning hit the dome of the Missouri State Capitol, sparking a fire that tore through the building. Firefighters across mid-Missouri rushed to Jefferson City to try and save the building.