MoHistory

Okunsola Amadou is a folklorist and midwife who founded the state’s first Black-led midwifery clinic in the heart of Ferguson, Missouri. Pioneering Black midwife Mariah Watkins lived in the Ozark region of Missouri and became a successful business owner, midwife, healer, and mentor to one of America’s most brilliant minds. She exemplifies a life of resilience, tenacity, and unshakable strength. Mariah Watkins was born into slavery as Mariah Scales …

Continue reading "Mariah Watkins: The Midwife Who Built a Legacy in Missouri"

EDITOR’S NOTE: In order to bring a plurality of voices to our storytelling, the Missouri Historical Society frequently asks guest writers to contribute to History Happens Here. The views and opinions expressed by guest contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missouri Historical Society, its affiliates, or …

Continue reading "The Fabric of History: Quilts from the Collections"

St. Louis–born Josephine Baker was a world-renowned African American performer who blurred rigid gender categories with her clothing and appearance, spied for the French during World War II, and later in life became a civil rights activist in the US. Many now revere her as an iconic symbol of the Harlem Renaissance era. Born as …

Continue reading "Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer, Actor, Spy"

The Laclede-Chouteau Summer Institute was a short-lived summer program that provided advanced classes for low-income students on track to go to college. The St. Louis Board of Education received $60,000 from the Ford Foundation to fund the program over two years. Principals and counselors selected juniors and seniors in the top half of their classes. …

Continue reading "The Laclede-Chouteau Summer Institute"

EDITOR’S NOTE: In order to bring a plurality of voices to our storytelling, the Missouri Historical Society frequently asks guest writers to contribute to History Happens Here. The views and opinions expressed by guest contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missouri Historical Society, its affiliates, or …

Continue reading "A Cut Above the Rest: Robert Jerome Wilkinson"

On February 14, we announced our We Are St. Louis capital campaign. This $36 million campaign will make possible a series of projects designed to introduce people to a St. Louis they have never met and to foster the kind of civic pride and connection that is so important to the future of this place. …

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In case you haven’t heard—We Are St. Louis, and we’re committed to sharing more of our collections than ever before. That promise means you’re going to discover more of our collections through educational programming, tours, and exhibits, including Collected. Opening in March 2025, the Collected exhibit will exist solely to get special items from our collections …

Continue reading "Starting off with a Boom: Introducing Curated Collections"

With just six months until the scheduled opening of the 1904 World’s Fair, a St. Louis hero emerged whose work not only assured the Fair’s success but also positively impacted city residents every day since. Yet few even know his name. Sit back and take a sip of water! It’s time to recognize John Wixford’s …

Continue reading "St. Louis’s Unsung Water Purification Wizard, John Wixford"

This is the fourth part of a four-part series looking at the Ghost Army of World War II. Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II is a special exhibit open at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum until May 26, 2025. After its initial operation, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, better known as the Ghost …

Continue reading "A Theatrical Production: The Ghost Army’s Special Effects"

As a sports fan, the NFL jersey and Sports Illustrated Magazine cover featuring Michael Sam grab my attention as I go through the Gateway to Pride exhibit at the Missouri History Museum. But the St Louis Rams uniform and the magazine cover don’t tell the story of the college team that supported him and helped him …

Continue reading "Team Effort: Michael Sam and the Missouri Tigers"

The African American History Initiative (AAHI) strives to promote stories that explore various aspects of the African American experience throughout this region. Among other efforts, this initiative supports the collection of unique artifacts and materials concerning historically underrepresented communities. Here are five artifacts—from a fez to a boating burgee—that offer a glimpse into the collection. …

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While many are familiar with the story of iced tea’s popularization at the 1904 World’s Fair, there was also plenty of coffee to go around at the exposition. Countries like Brazil and Guatemala brought enormous amounts of coffee for their displays, and one local coffee company headed by a World’s Fair director quickly became inescapable. …

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In the 1930s, things were tough for the Black women working at the Funsten Nut Company. Their job of carefully opening pecan shells and extracting the fragile nutmeats inside was grueling. Working with pecans was difficult because the shells stained hands and clothing and created a dust that caused respiratory problems when inhaled. Black workers …

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Written by TMH Apprentices Finn Kanak, Ayla Lutzeler, and CJ Turner Everyone in St. Louis knows the tragic story of the Titanic, but have you heard about an equally devastating maritime disaster on the Mississippi River? About 160 years ago, the SS Sultana violently exploded and sank on its trip from New Orleans to St. …

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Written by TMH Apprentices Lucinda Thorn, Mikey Wells, and Marian Williams Al Capone is widely known as the most notorious gangster in American history, but few people today know of the St. Louisan who played a crucial role in his downfall: E. J. O’Hare. Before working with Capone in Chicago, O’Hare was a successful businessman, …

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EDITOR’S NOTE: In order to bring a plurality of voices to our storytelling, the Missouri Historical Society frequently asks guest writers to contribute to History Happens Here. The views and opinions expressed by guest contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missouri Historical Society, its affiliates, or …

Continue reading "Saying Goodbye to Lucky Inn"

On January 11, 1865, the delegates of the Missouri State Constitutional Convention passed the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people in the state. This ordinance was passed just three weeks before Congress proposed the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution to abolish slavery, but several years after the earliest attempt during the Civil War. When …

Continue reading "Why Does Missouri Have Its Own Emancipation Day?"

Forest Park is home to so many traditions that are considered quintessential to living in St. Louis—like watching a show at The Muny or riding the train at the Saint Louis Zoo. But, to me, the best one of all is sledding on Art Hill. It’s happy chaos: no rules, no order, and open to …

Continue reading "Sledding on Art Hill: An STL Tradition"

2024 was a transformational year at the Missouri Historical Society. The premiere of MHS’s first new 1904 World’s Fair exhibit in two decades, the debut of Gateway to Pride, and the opening of Ghost Army at Soldiers Memorial made last year one of the most exciting in our 158-year history. But as we’ve said, we’re …

Continue reading "The Year Ahead: 2025 Exhibits at MHS"

We often think of winter holiday traditions as fixed—a collection of rituals that repeat year after year to mark the passing of time. But in reality, holidays are always evolving, shaped by shifting cultural practices and changing societal values. The ways we celebrate, and even the holidays we choose to celebrate, are constantly in flux. …

Continue reading "Winter Holiday Traditions: A Reflection of Changing Times"