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MoHistory

The Glatz Monocoupe Soars Again at St. Louis Lambert International Airport

16 hours 42 minutes ago
Suspended high above the ticketing hall of Terminal 2 at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, a striking red aircraft catches the eye of travelers below. This is the Monocoupe 110 Special—an aviation gem with a storied past, lovingly preserved by the Missouri Historical Society. Built in March 1931 by the Mono Aircraft Corporation in Moline, …
Lauren Mitchell

Tuskegee Airman Sgt. George H. Carper

2 days 16 hours ago
Although much of the public attention to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II has focused on the nation’s first 992 Black military pilots, more than 14,000 non-pilots share the title of Tuskegee Airmen. This group includes mechanics, nurses, drivers, armorers, cooks, riveters, meteorologists, clerks, machinists, parachute riggers, instructors, radio technicians, firefighters, and other support …
Lauren Mitchell

Designing Our Kids’ Clothes Exhibit

1 week 2 days ago
Through nostalgic nods, adorable motifs, and humorous moments, The Life of Kids’ Clothes invites visitors of all ages to explore the Missouri Historical Society’s collection of approximately 2,000 children’s garments from the 19th century to today. As an exhibit designer, I collaborated with Adam MacPhĂ rlain, former curator of clothing and textiles, to develop the exhibit’s …
Lauren Mitchell

Meet Lavinia Sappington Marmaduke

2 weeks 1 day ago
The exhibit Collected introduces visitors to the early work of American painter George Caleb Bingham. Although the artist is nationally renowned, the woman in the portrait on display is unfamiliar to most. Let’s meet Lavinia Sappington Marmaduke (1807–1885). Born in Tennessee, Lavinia attended a young ladies’ seminary in southern Kentucky before her family moved to …
Lauren Mitchell

Soldiers Memorial Military Museum Honors Tuskegee Airman from St. Louis

3 weeks 1 day ago
The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, known as the Red Tail Angels, were the first Black aviators in the US military. Among them was Captain Charles L. White from St. Louis. Born on June 5, 1921, White was the oldest child of Stanley, a dentist, and Eleanor White. He had two brothers, Stanley and …
Lauren Mitchell

What Visitors Want

4 weeks 1 day ago
The Museum Column Museums are in the headlines quite a bit lately. While that would usually make me happy, most of the recent headlines have focused on the Trump administration’s efforts to get into the museum business by reviewing the historic content found in national parks and at the Smithsonian. Museum organizations have responded, including …
Lauren Mitchell

The St. Louis Story, One Chapter at a Time

1 month ago
A play about the legendary comedy acts that passed through Gaslight Square. A discussion of Tennessee Williams’s St. Louis chapter along with performances previewing both the Tennessee Williams Festival and Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s 2026 season. A documentary produced by the Missouri Humanities Council about how Missouri shaped the nation and a discussion with …
Lauren Mitchell

Tennessee Williams in University City

1 month 3 weeks ago
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 …
Lauren Mitchell

John Berry Meachum and the Steamboat School That Defied the Law

1 month 3 weeks ago
At a time when learning was a crime for Black Missourians, John Berry Meachum found a way to teach freedom. His story exemplifies Black resilience, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of liberation through education. Born into slavery in Virginia in 1789, Meachum spent much of his early life in Kentucky before using the earnings he …
Lauren Mitchell

Chasing Camille Dry

2 months ago
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 …
Lauren Mitchell

Meeting Owney in St. Louis—and at the Fair

2 months 2 weeks ago
In 1888 a stray dog roamed into a post office in Albany, New York. Perhaps initially attracted to the scent or texture of the canvas mailbags, the free-spirited Owney—a nickname for Owen—started accompanying them onto mail wagons and Railway Mail Service train cars. As Owney traveled throughout the country, Railway Mail Service clerks proudly placed …
Lauren Mitchell

Bringing Home Gold: St. Louis’s Nobel Prize Winners

2 months 3 weeks ago
St. Louis is home to many amazing things: baseball, toasted ravioli, the Arch, just to name a few. But did you know it’s also been home to over a dozen Nobel Prize winners? The city’s long history as a center of scientific research and innovation is evident throughout the list of laureates. William S. Knowles—along …
Lauren Mitchell

Soldiers Memorial Salutes Tuskegee Airmen

3 months 1 week ago
On Juneteenth, June 19, Soldiers Memorial Military Museum will open a new traveling exhibit, Tuskegee Airmen: America’s Freedom Flyers. Marking the 160th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth is a fitting opening day for a display that honors the contributions of Black members of the US armed forces. While the …
Lauren Mitchell

A Gathering of Magicians at the Jefferson Hotel

3 months 2 weeks ago
The Society of American Magicians had been around for more than 60 years when it held its 35th annual convention in downtown St. Louis. Founded in New York City in 1902, the organization initially focused on professional magicians—Harry Houdini was one of its presidents. By the time St. Louis hosted the society in May 1963, the …
Brittany Krewson

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

3 months 3 weeks ago
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 …
Lauren Mitchell