St. Louis

These savants of the smoker are dishing up barbecue heaven all summer long.

Anti-Irish rioting was sweeping through St. Louis. For three days local toughs roamed through Irish neighborhoods to keep the Irish-Americans from voting. Ten people died in those three days.

On this day the people who had been presenting outdoor musicals and operas in St. Louis voted to make the productions permanent and the St. Louis Municipal Opera (the MUNY) was born.

Hannah Rainey, songwriter and guitarist in Shady Bug, helps the indie band create its sound.

The St. Louis police department became the first in the nation to use fingerprints for identification.

On this day the St. Louis County Council  raised the drinking age from 16 to 18. 

The International Association of Ice Cream Makers credit Syrian immigrant, Ernest Hamwi, with using his wafer-like pastries to hold a scoop of ice cream on this day.  Thus, the ice cream cone was born at World's Fair in St. Louis.  He called it a World's Fair Cornucopia.  

Governor Crittenden offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who could help in the arrest and conviction of the James Gang. 

The first mayor in the U.S. to have an automobile got his new car on this date. St. Louis Mayor Rolla Wells was challenged to a race with the police departments new scorcher wagon.

The two sides of the new Stan Musial Memorial Bridge across the Mississippi were joined in the middle on this day in St. Louis.