MoHistory

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 …

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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 …

Continue reading "Soldiers Memorial Military Museum Honors Tuskegee Airman from St. Louis"

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 …

Continue reading "What Visitors Want"

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 …

Continue reading "The St. Louis Story, One Chapter at a Time"

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 "Tennessee Williams in University City"

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 …

Continue reading "John Berry Meachum and the Steamboat School That Defied the Law"

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 "Chasing Camille Dry"

The Tuskegee Airmen who fought in World War II were the first African American aviators in the United States military. Of these men, Lieutenant James L. McCullin Jr. was the first Tuskegee pilot from St. Louis. He was born on November 25, 1918, to James and Bessie McCullin. He had two brothers, Elbert and Ernest, …

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The Museum Column I recently had the pleasure of helping welcome 48 people from 28 countries to their new home. The naturalization ceremony that is held at the Missouri History Museum every year is one of my favorite events. The day is filled with so much joy and inspiration. I always stress to the new …

Continue reading "Welcoming New Americans and New St. Louisans"

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 …

Continue reading "Meeting Owney in St. Louis—and at the Fair"

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 …

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

St. Louis has long been home to multiple clubs and organizations for the LGBTQIA+ community. Organizations such as Doorways and St. Louis Effort for AIDS were created to help community members affected by the AIDS pandemic, while others, like Wired Women and Bisexual Alliance of St. Louis, were based on sexual identity. Still other organizations, …

Continue reading "Leather-Levi Clubs in the Gateway City"

The new 1904 World’s Fair exhibit at the Missouri History Museum recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. In its first year, that gallery has earned St. Louis national and international headlines. The good kinds of headlines. The headlines that St. Louis is so in need of. And, unfortunately, the types of headlines St. Louisans talk too …

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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 …

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June is recognized in St. Louis and around the world as Pride Month. This observance commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of June 1969—a riot following a police raid on a gay bar in New York City that is remembered as a key catalyst of the movement for LGBTQIA+ rights. Pride has been a crucial component of …

Continue reading "Pride in St. Louis Year by Year"

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 …

Continue reading "A Gathering of Magicians at the Jefferson Hotel"

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"