MoHistory

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"

Okunsola Amadou is a folklorist and midwife who founded the state’s first Black-led midwifery clinic in the heart of Ferguson, Missouri. Read part 1 to learn how Mariah Watkins got her start. Mariah Watkins wasn’t just a midwife. She was a mainstay of the community, a woman who left no one behind. Her legacy transcends midwifery—she was also …

Continue reading "Mariah Watkins: The Midwife Who Inspired George Washington Carver"

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"