MoHistory

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally ran in Gateway (Spring 2020), the MHS member magazine. It has been edited for length. The views and opinions expressed by the submitters are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missouri Historical Society, its affiliates, or its employees. Like no other natural disaster …

Continue reading "After the Storm: The Black Community’s Response to the 1927 Tornado"

The May 16, 2025, tornado has left St. Louis in shock, its destruction overwhelming and hard to fully grasp. Yet, this is not the first time the city has faced such devastation. Throughout its 261-year history, St. Louis has endured powerful storms, mourned their impact, and come together to rebuild—again and again. According to the …

Continue reading "St. Louis Tornadoes: A History of Resilience"

For the past eight months, Soldiers Memorial Military Museum has hosted Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II. The final day to visit this traveling exhibit and learn its fascinating story is Memorial Day, May 26. As the first American military unit solely dedicated to deception of the enemy, the Ghost Army—formally …

Continue reading "Reflecting on the Ghost Army"

If you have ever found yourself looking at an object in a museum and wondering where it came from, then you are thinking like a curator. Before the Missouri Historical Society adds a piece to its collection, curators first consider the object’s history, including its origin, creators, owners, and significance. Here are four collections with …

Continue reading "Where Did That Come From? Interesting Ways Things Came to MHS"

On May 7, 2025, a towering legend of St. Louis blues music will have the honor of being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s hard to overstate just how important Henry Townsend is to St. Louis’s musical heritage. Local musicians from across a wide spectrum of styles and backgrounds counted …

Continue reading "Celebrating Henry Townsend, the Patriarch of St. Louis Blues"

The Met Gala embraces brilliance of style each year as celebrities make cultural statements with fashion. This year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” has a deep connection to St. Louis’s rich history and incredible local talent. Master tailor Raymond Dennis dressed many St. Louisans with ingenuity and craftsmanship as the operator of Belle & Beau …

Continue reading "Raymond Dennis: Connecting St. Louis Black Fashion to the Met Gala"

  “Learn the lessons here taught and gather from it inspiration for still greater accomplishments.”  These were the words David R. Francis used to open the 1904 World’s Fair on this day 121 years ago. In 1904, these words were meant to welcome the nearly 20 million visitors who would eventually see the Fair during …

Continue reading "Lessons Learned from the World’s Fair"

Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II is a special exhibit open at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum until May 26, 2025. Ghost Army explores the unique history of the US Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a top-secret unit that waged war with inflatable tanks and vehicles, fake radio traffic, sound effects, and …

Continue reading "The Ghosts of St. Louis"

In 1924, St. Louis piano player Harry Snodgrass won first place in a national contest of radio performers conducted by New York’s Radio Digest. Not long after, the young pianist signed with an agent and started a national tour with a vaudeville group. While St. Louis has produced many acclaimed musicians, Snodgrass’s path to success …

Continue reading "From Prison to Popularity: The Unbelievable Story of Piano Man Harry Snodgrass"

Do you ever wonder what it takes for a painting to be ready for exhibit at the Missouri History Museum? Well, it’s a multi-step process managed by the conservation department that sometimes takes years. For our new core gallery titled Collected, we have 11 paintings initially on display. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at their journey …

Continue reading "From Conservation to “Collected”: 11 Paintings’ Journey to the Gallery"

When Linda Nance and Dr. Arthelda Busch Williams first met, they had no idea how deeply their work and passions would intertwine. Their introduction came through a project at the Missouri History Museum in partnership with the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center, which also brought in the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs …

Continue reading "The NACWC: A Legacy of Impact"

Today I would like to introduce to you the story of a local celebrity who you can meet in our brand-new Collected exhibit. This icon has had her photo projected onto the Empire State Building, shared moments with Betty White, and even been featured on Vans shoes. Any guesses? That’s right, I’m talking about a Mexican …

Continue reading "Mother of the Year: Anna the Wolf"

Today’s St. Louis dog and cat owners register their pets; registration is tied to proof of rabies vaccination. In early St. Louis, dogs were taxed as personal property—$2 apiece. The 1824 dog tax ordinance was accompanied by a long list of regulations for dog owners. Although it was called a tax, the accompanying regulations indicate …

Continue reading "Obsolete Missouri Taxes: Dogs"

Just days after the world shut down because of a global pandemic, the Missouri Historical Society released this video: The message was clear: St. Louis has always found ways to stay strong in tough times. St. Louis’s history—from fires and floods, to cholera and flu epidemics, to the time we literally blacked out the sun …

Continue reading "Here During Turbulent Times"

Just got done filling out your personal property tax forms this year? Today’s process likely has you thinking about motor vehicles, boats, and business equipment. Some now-obsolete Missouri personal property taxes may surprise you. Watches were among the earliest items subject to personal property tax in Missouri. Gottfried Duden, a German who lived in Missouri …

Continue reading "Obsolete Missouri Taxes: Watches"

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 "From Small Beginnings to Global Reach: 160 Years of UHSP"

History loves to recall those who defy the status quo, who stand up against injustice, and who refuse to be silenced. Frankie Muse Freeman was one of them—a woman whose name should be spoken with respect, not just during Black History Month or Women’s History Month, but in year-round conversations about justice, perseverance, and change. My name is Okunsola M. Amadou, and I’m a midwife, cultural preservationist, and Museum Studies …

Continue reading "Walking in Frankie Freeman’s Footsteps: A Trailblazer’s Reflection"

If my house ever catches fire, I know the first thing I am rescuing (after the family and the cat). Before I search out photos or look for money, I will find Big Bunny. Big Bunny is a stuffed animal that my grandmother-in-law gave my wife when she was a kid. She slept with Big …

Continue reading "The Power of Objects"

The Spector–Smith Family Collection was recently processed into MHS’s photographs and prints collection. The collection contains photographs, negatives, and printed matter featuring images and information regarding Spector and Smith family members, vacations, weddings, and gatherings, from the 1890s to the 1970s. The collection primarily focuses on the lives and relatives of Jerome and Marian Spector. …

Continue reading "Surviving, Not Succumbing: Marian and J. J. Spector"

Over the years, St. Louis has been known for many things—including its booming prostitution industry in the 1800s. Prostitution was common, and police often turned a blind eye to the activities, with many of them enjoying the brothels scattered in the city’s red-light district themselves. Still, selective enforcement was standard for criminalizing prostitution and area …

Continue reading "The Social Evils of Madam Kate Clark"