MoHistory

June Bosley jokes that when the doctor delivered her on April 13, 1935, they almost took her for deceased. The doctor slapped her three times but got no reaction. She laughs, “But he decided to hit me one more time, and my mother said, ‘You haven’t shut up since.’” Born to Preston T. and Alma …

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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 "Archer Alexander, American Hero"

Listen to an episode about Antoine Saugrain on our Here’s History podcast with KDHX. When St. Louis was established in 1764, it was a small trading outpost. Its founders had grand visions for what that trading outpost might become, but one thing that they probably never imagined is that St. Louis would become a home of …

Continue reading "The Doctor Who Shaped Early St. Louis"

The Lindbergh 100 project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-30-19-0454-19. Work on the Lindbergh 100 Project continues. We’ve reached the final stage of collections management work on the project, which entails rehousing the entire collection. Our collections specialists will work methodically throughout the summer to make sure that …

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Anna Maria von Phul was the earliest known woman artist working in what was then called the Missouri Territory. Born in Philadelphia and raised largely in Kentucky, she spent her last half-decade in and around St. Louis. Her artwork illustrates life in the Missouri Territory during the 1810s and 1820s, including the people, culture, architecture, …

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Black modistes displayed their skill and brilliance as they wove and stitched together pieces of fabric to create beautiful ensembles. One such woman was Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hobbs Keckly (also spelled Keckley), whose skillful hands and ingenuity brought her into prominence as a dressmaker as recounted in her memoir, Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a …

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Sophia von Leveling was giving up her homeland forever; there would be no return trips to Germany. In 1833, at the age of 27, she left home for a fresh start and freedom. I first encountered Sophia’s story after I began volunteering with the Library & Research Center as a German translator earlier this year. My first …

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Listen to an episode about St. Louis Hop on our Here’s History podcast with KDHX. In the 1950s, television reshaped the nation’s relationship with popular music. Shows like American Bandstand brought your favorite singers into your living room, and let you see the latest dances, clothing fashions, and attitudes that went along with their songs. Plenty …

Continue reading "St. Louis’s Own “American Bandstand”"

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 "How Times Beach Became a Ghost Town"

“You must carry your own baggage. Bear this in mind when packing,” proclaimed a document that also reminded new Marine Corps Women’s Reserve recruits that “umbrellas may not be carried when marching in ranks” and “civilian clothes must be sent home as soon as uniforms are issued.” These general instructions marked the transition of women from …

Continue reading "Pack Lightly: A Tale of Early Female Marines"

As a resident of St. Louis, imagine getting a ticket for driving at least 2.5 times the speed limit in Forest Park. You might think that successfully contesting that ticket would be a long shot. But Rose Pfeiffer of 4908 Berlin Avenue (now Pershing Avenue) found luck after she experienced that exact scenario in 1907. …

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Listen to an episode about Tom Turpin on our Here’s History podcast with KDHX. For music lovers who came through St. Louis in the early 20th century, there was only one place in town to go: Tom Turpin’s Rosebud Café. This sprawling bar and nightclub was located on Market Street in the heart of Chestnut Valley—a historic African American entertainment and gambling district. …

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In Part 1, I introduced the tale of James and Gretchen Hetzel, a St. Louis couple who decided to spend their honeymoon bicycling around the world on a tandem bicycle. They made it all the way to India before having to turn back. Newspaper accounts of their journey mostly agree on the timeline; however, there …

Continue reading "Jim and Gretchen’s Excellent Adventure—Part 2"

At the dawn of the 20th century, the International League of Wheelmen offered a prize for the first couple to circumnavigate the globe by tandem bicycle. St. Louis newlyweds James and Gretchen Hetzel, both avid cyclists, were eager to try. Newspaper accounts of the Hetzels’ journey read like popular adventure novels of the time, in …

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St. Louis’s history of residential segregation is similar to many other urban cities like Milwaukee, Detroit, and Memphis. The city’s hidden real estate gems combined with its legacy of racism meant that segregation became more fixed and evident as public policies and private practices sought to restrict Black people from purchasing or occupying homes in …

Continue reading "The Legacy of Shelley v. Kraemer"

When New York-born actor, producer, and theater owner Noah Miller Ludlow arrived in St. Louis in 1819 with the goal of establishing the area’s first permanent professional theater, he was disappointed by what he found. Ludlow had recently been introduced to St. Louis newspaper publisher Isaac N. Henry, who informed him that although the population …

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For more than 100 years, the statue of Thomas Jefferson has loomed large inside the Missouri History Museum. The statue has stood in a place of honor. The statue has stood as the first public monument to the country’s third president. The statue has stood as a symbol rather than as a historic artifact. We …

Continue reading "Interpreting a Monument: The Thomas Jefferson Statue at the Missouri History Museum"

Cold and dark: this must have been what it felt like to be underwater for extended periods of time in Alaska during the 1940s, weighed down by diving equipment and expected to repair the underside of ships. There were many ways to serve the US during World War II, but Ellwood Hampton Roberts’s service is …

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People are often surprised to learn that the Missouri Historical Society is home to the third largest collection of Thomas Jefferson Papers in the US. Only the Library of Congress and the University of Virginia have larger collections. Our position as a major repository for Jefferson materials can be attributed to renowned philanthropist and collector …

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Maya Angelou’s words “Still I rise” remain etched into the hearts and the minds of all who have read her poetry. The daughter of Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter Johnson, Marguerite Annie Johnson graced the world with her presence on April 4, 1928. Due to hardships within her parents’ marriage that led to their divorce, …

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