MoHistory

One of the most iconic American landmarks is the Gateway Arch, which stands on the site of the original French town of St. Louis. It would be hard to imagine a St. Louis without the Gateway Arch. But the Arch we see today was just one of many designs entered into the 1947 architectural competition …

Continue reading "What Could Have Been: A Different Vision for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial"

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 "Notable Chinese Alumni of Missouri Institutions, Part 2"

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 "Expanding the St. Louis Science Center"

This post is part of a series about the materials that built St. Louis. Lead is by far the most valuable material that has been mined in Missouri throughout the state’s history, and southeast Missouri is home to one of the largest lead deposits in the world. Lead has been mined there since at least the 1720s, …

Continue reading "Built St. Louis: Lead"

The Missouri Historical Society’s African American History Initiative (AAHI) strives to promote stories that explore various aspects of the African American experience throughout this region. In addition to the core values of MHS, this initiative supports the collection of unique artifacts and materials concerning historically underrepresented communities, the development of future museum professionals, and the preservation of African …

Continue reading "Dr. John H. Gladney Collection"

You made your resolutions, the clock struck midnight, and now it’s time to kick off the new year. These 11 moments—spanning everything from foosball tournaments to the history of underwear—are sure to tempt you out of winter hibernation. 1. MLK Community Celebration | January 12–15, 2024 Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther …

Continue reading "11 Can’t-Miss Moments at the Missouri Historical Society This Winter"

In 1909, the people of Warrensburg, Missouri, were promised 10 entertaining days in the form of a Chautauqua series featuring Maguire the Magician, Mascot the Educated Horse, Carrie Nation “of Hatchet Notoriety,” and the “great weatherman” Reverend Irl R. Hicks. St. Louis’s Hicks was a popular speaker at Chautauqua events that sought to provide education …

Continue reading "Reverend Irl Hicks, the St. Louis Weather Prophet"

This past July I had the opportunity to attend the Association of Midwest Museums conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. As an educator, I was particularly excited for a behind-the-scenes tour at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, one of the best in the country. In addition to incredibly engaging exhibits, they’re also home to a significant collection, …

Continue reading "Military-Inspired Toys"

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 Austrian Boy Who Became Chinese"

Thinking Historically is a series of short talks and conversations presented at the Missouri History Museum’s monthly family event History Exploration Days. The series is designed to help learners and visitors of all ages explore how historians think about and make sense of the past and the present. In this blog post, readers can study …

Continue reading "Thinking Historically about Christmas Traditions"

Photographs by Alyssa Vanderweg. As part of the Missouri Historical Society’s ongoing Collections Access project, the collections management department recently cataloged 38 charcoal portraits by St. Louis artist Mildred Bailey Carpenter. Mildred was born in St. Louis in 1894 and attended art school at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1914, she married her art …

Continue reading "“Queen of the Head-Hunters”: Mildred Bailey Carpenter’s World War II–Era Portraits"

This post is part of a series about the materials that built St. Louis. Granite is by far the oldest of St. Louis’s building materials. Southeast Missouri’s St. Francois Mountains formed more than a billion years ago and have been weathered down over time. They were the result of volcanic activity underneath the earth and magma pushing its …

Continue reading "Built St. Louis: Granite"

One hundred years ago, arguably the most transformative event in the history of St. Louis occurred with the passage of an $87,372,500 bond issue—about $1.55 billion in 2023 dollars. As of this writing, it remains the third largest municipal bond ever passed in the US. The 20 projects undertaken by its passage facilitated urban renewal, …

Continue reading "The Bond Issue That Transformed St. Louis"

Born in 1883 to Bettie Baxley and Henry Johnson in Clarksville, Tennessee, Jesse J. Johnson became an essential part of Mill Creek Valley’s social culture and the St. Louis blues scene through his personal and business enterprises. Known as the “King of Market Street,” he was a restaurant owner, music promoter, booking agent, businessman, and …

Continue reading "The King of Market Street"

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 "Notable Chinese Alumni of Missouri Institutions"

As we enter the height of fall and approach the holiday season, the time comes for many of us to harvest, preserve, bake, and cook seemingly endless amounts of food to share with family and friends. Instead of sticking to the basics this year, look for the unexpected. Now is the time to try out …

Continue reading "Tasting History: Fall Recipes"

This blog post contains content that may be sensitive in nature. Shortly after noon on November 22, 1963, 35th US President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed while traveling in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. As part of a campaign tour, the presidential procession had been winding through the crowd-lined suburban streets of Dallas’s …

Continue reading "60 Years Later: The JFK Assassination Unfolds in the St. Louis Newsroom"

In Part 2, Tom Dooley found a sense of purpose helping Vietnamese refugees and also found himself tied to nation-building efforts led by CIA agent Edward Lansdale. As a result, his celebrity grew along with his humanitarian work. However, the CIA loomed over Dooley until his death in 1961, complicating his legacy as a humanitarian. …

Continue reading "A Closer Look at Dr. Tom Dooley: Creating an Iconic American"

This post is part of a series about the materials that built St. Louis. Southeastern Missouri’s Iron Range stretches roughly from the St. James area down toward Bonne Terre. Iron had been mined in this area since 1826, when the Merrimac Iron Works opened up, but it wasn’t until the 1850s that the material really started taking …

Continue reading "Built St. Louis: Iron"

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 "Come Hell or High Water: The Great Flood of 1993"