MoHistory

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 "Lucas and Garrison: John D. Perry"

The Gateway to Pride exhibit opening in June 2024 has involved a wide range of conservation and restoration efforts. Since the majority of the objects in the exhibit date from the 1970s onwards, preparing and preserving artifacts for it has presented unique challenges for Missouri Historical Society conservators who typically work with much older items. …

Continue reading "ACT UP Coffin"

As St. Louis’s population grew, city leaders in the mid-19th century established systems to care for the increasing number of people in need. For a variety of reasons, from funding issues to changes in popular opinion about welfare, these once-massive structures no longer exist as part of the St. Louis landscape. In part 1, we …

Continue reading "Public Institutions from the Past: The Poor House"

EDITOR’S NOTE: To honor the memory of St. Louis music legend Tina Turner, we’re sharing an excerpt from a piece by Missouri Historical Society Public Historian Andrew Wanko that was previously published in the St. Louis American. Jump back 40 years to New Year’s Eve 1982. If you were watching the Tonight Show Starring Johnny …

Continue reading "Remembering Tina Turner"

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 "St. Louis and the History of the Organization of Chinese Americans"

Over the past few years, the Library & Research Center has faced a series of closures due to large construction projects and the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2023, staff welcomed back researchers, students, teachers, and visitors of all types. The library’s collection continues to grow, and this post gives a look at some of these …

Continue reading "New to the Library: Menus from Asian and Asian American Restaurants"

Listen to an episode about plane hijacking on our Here’s History podcast with KDHX. Between 1968 and 1972, more than 130 flights in the US were hijacked. Aircraft hijacking occurred with such frequency that many came to view it as commonplace. However, the hijacking at Lambert Field in 1972 was anything but common. On the evening …

Continue reading "Lessons in Hijacking"

From 19th-century red brick homes to gleaming 21st-century skyscrapers, each St. Louis neighborhood boasts a unique array of architectural styles. Whether grand or humble, the region’s buildings (just like its landscapes) have inspired artists for more than 200 years. Take a quick tour across St. Louis and into the Missouri Historical Society’s fine art collection …

Continue reading "Paint the Town: Past and Present"

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 "Lucas and Garrison: Silas Bent"

To honor the service of St. Louis residents who lost their lives during World War I, the city set aside funds from its 1923 bond issue to construct a Memorial Plaza downtown. The plaza’s centerpiece was Soldiers Memorial, which opened to the public on Memorial Day 1938. Origins of the Court of Honor A little …

Continue reading "How the Court of Honor Came to Be"

Listen to an episode about Erastus Wells on our Here’s History podcast with KDHX. We take for granted many modern conveniences, transportation among them. As a newcomer to St. Louis, Erastus Wells saw the transportation needs of a growing city. The young Wells’s solution to the problem was the first in a string of business ventures …

Continue reading "Erastus Wells and His Omnibus Make Tracks in St. Louis"

As St. Louis grew in the 1800s and early 1900s, so did the number of its citizens who needed assistance. Government programs created large-scale public architecture designed to meet the needs of the disadvantaged. Maps from these times show the locations of these buildings and can give people today more insight into how the city …

Continue reading "Public Institutions from the Past: The US Marine Hospital"

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 Mysterious Murder of Jue Gong Lee Sr."

Every year the American Library Association encourages libraries of all kinds to celebrate National Library Week. The theme for 2023 is ‘There’s More to the Story,’ which focuses on the different types of materials libraries have in their collections as well as the different services, programs, and outreach provided by library staff. There are also …

Continue reading "National Library Week 2023: There’s More to the Story"

Before Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and other social media platforms existed, teens in St. Louis shared their social and school activities through Prom magazine. It claimed to be the only publication in the country published exclusively for the youth of the community. The monthly magazine was the brainchild of Julian Miller, Jr., a former advertising …

Continue reading "Those Happy Days: Prom Magazine"

What was black and steel and “rode” all over? The Observation Wheel at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis! The magnificent wheel, one of the most impressive structures of the fair, had a high point of 264-feet and a total weight (including both towers and the iron wheels) of over 4,000 tons. Originally …

Continue reading "Sitting on Top of the World(‘s) Fair"

Hi everyone! I’m Lydia, the Education and Tour Coordinator at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, and today I’ll be your virtual guide for a quick preview of the upcoming Vietnam in St. Louis See STL tour. I’m looking forward to taking visitors on this tour in person starting April 15! When Soldiers Memorial was preparing to …

Continue reading "Vietnam in St. Louis Virtual Tour"

One of the most iconic monuments in the US, St. Louis’s 630-foot-tall weighted catenary arch seems the obvious representation of the city as the Gateway to the West. However, it wasn’t the only proposed idea to symbolize the city’s heritage as a base of westward expansion. The Gateway Arch, Eero Saarinen’s entry into the 1947 …

Continue reading "The Gateways That Got Away"

Listen to an episode about Helene Britton on our Here’s History podcast with KDHX, then join us for the Cards’ Home Opener Watch Party at the Missouri History Museum on Thursday, March 30, from 2:30–8:00pm. There have been many trailblazers in the history of women’s struggle for respect and equality. One such pioneer was a young …

Continue reading "Professional Baseball’s First Female Owner"

Over the past few years, the Library & Research Center has faced a series of closures due to large construction projects and the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2023, staff welcomed back researchers, students, teachers, and visitors of all types. The library’s collection continues to grow, and this post gives a look at some of these …

Continue reading "New to the Library: 5 Items for Honoring Women’s History Month"