Horray Missouri! 51 Intriguing Facts about the Show-Me State

Step into the heart of America’s heartland with our captivating exploration of over 50 intriguing facts about Missouri. From its iconic Gateway Arch to the rich melodies of its jazz and blues heritage, Missouri is a state that embraces both history and innovation. In this comprehensive collection, we unearth a tapestry of unique stories that span from the banks of the Mississippi to the scenic Ozark Mountains. Join us as we continue our journey throughout the 50 states — from Alaska to Arizona to California to Florida to Delaware to Hawaii to Maine and Indiana and Minnesota and Michigan — as we explore Missouri and the hidden gems and well-known treasures that make the Show-Me State a true testament to the diverse spirit of the American experience.

What is Missouri known for?

1. The Gateway Arch! Missouri is home to the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis located in St. Louis, Missouri, is an iconic architectural marvel and a symbol of the city’s history and significance in westward expansion. Designed by architect Eero Saarinen, this stainless steel monument stands at an impressive height of 630 feet (192 meters) and spans gracefully across the western bank of the Mississippi River. Completed in 1965, the Gateway Arch commemorates the role of St. Louis as the “Gateway to the West” during the 19th-century expansion of the United States. Its unique shape and sleek design have made it not only a historic landmark but also an emblem of modern architectural innovation. Bonus fun fact: Eero Saarinen also created those beautiful Tulip chairs and tables that were revolutionary in modern furniture design.

2. St. Louis! This is a vibrant city rich in history and cultural significance. Nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River, St. Louis has played a pivotal role in the nation’s development, from its early days as a vital trading post to its prominence in the westward expansion of the United States. The city is renowned for its diverse architecture, including the iconic Gateway Arch, which stands as a symbol of its historic legacy. St. Louis boasts a thriving arts and music scene, with institutions like the St. Louis Art Museum and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra contributing to its cultural tapestry. Home to the famous St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and renowned for its culinary scene — including the invention of the ice cream cone during the 1904 World’s Fair — the city continues to blend its storied past with a vibrant present, offering residents and visitors a unique blend of history, culture, and modernity.

3. Kansas City! Situated in the heart of the United States at the border of Kansas and Missouri, is a dynamic urban center known for its unique blend of cultural heritage and modern development. With a history steeped in the pioneering spirit of the American West, Kansas City has evolved into a thriving metropolis with a rich culinary scene, celebrated jazz heritage, and a growing arts community. The city’s iconic architecture, such as the Country Club Plaza’s Spanish-inspired design, adds to its distinct character. Renowned for its vibrant music culture, Kansas City played a significant role in the development of jazz during the early 20th century, nurturing legendary musicians like Charlie Parker and Count Basie. Additionally, the city’s barbecue tradition is legendary, offering a mouthwatering array of smoked meats and delectable flavors. With a fusion of tradition and innovation, Kansas City remains a city that embraces its roots while embracing progress, making it an enticing destination for residents and visitors alike.

Early history of Missouri facts

4. The first white people to encounter Missouri was probably the French Jesuit priest Jacques Marquette and French trader Louis Jolliet embarked on a canoe journey down the Mississippi River through the region in May 1673.

5. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claimed the entire Mississippi River valley for France — including the land that would eventually become Missouri.

6. France ceded the territory to Spain as part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1762 after losing the French and Indian War in 1754.

7. The settlement of St. Louis was established in February 1764 by merchant Pierre Laclède and his stepson Auguste Chouteau.

8. Napoleon sold 828,000 square miles of North American land — which included the entirety of Missouri and other states — in 1803. This transaction is known as the Louisiana Purchase.

9. The Louisiana Territory was renamed the Missouri Territory in 1812, granting legislative rights to its residents for the first time.

10. The Missouri Compromise was a legislative agreement in 1820 that aimed to maintain a balance between slave and free states in the United States. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while admitting Maine as a free state, ensuring a proportional equilibrium between regions with and without slavery.

11. On August 10, 1821, Missouri was the 24th state to be admitted to the Union.

What famous people are from Missouri?

12. Mark Twain is perhaps the most well-known American writer in the history of English literature. He was born Samuel Clemens in Florida, Missouri, in 1935 and is the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

13. In addition to Mark Twain, other great figures of literature that were born in Missouri include T.S. Eliot (St. Louis), Langston Hughes (Joplin), Maya Angelou (St. Louis), William Burroughs (St. Louis), and Gillian Flynn (Kansas City).

14. Few musicians and performers have influenced rock-n-roll as much as the legendary Chuck Berry, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1926.

15. Charlie Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1920, but he was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. Often referred to as “Bird,” was a legendary American jazz saxophonist and composer who played a pivotal role in shaping the bebop movement. His virtuosic saxophone improvisations, innovative harmonic ideas, and rhythmic complexities revolutionized jazz, elevating it to new levels of artistic expression and influencing generations of musicians. Charlie Parker is not just an icon among jazz musicians — but an icon of American culture at large.

16. Yogi Berra was an 18x All Star catcher for the New York Yankees and a Hall of Famer who is known in pop culture for famous sayings like “It ain’t over till it’s over” and “It’s deja vu all over again” and “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded” and “The future ain’t what it used to be” and “Always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” Yogi was born in St. Louis, MIssouri in 1925.

17. Movie and television stars born in Missouri include Ocean’s Eleven member Don Cheadle (Kansas City), John Sayles collaborator Chris Cooper, handsome bastard Jon Hamm (St. Louis), and the should-be iconic dancer and singer Josephine Baker (St. Louis).

18. The great American composer Burt Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1928.

19. George Washington Carver was a brilliant agricultural scientist and botanist who was born in slavery in Diamond, Missouri around 1864 and was the first Black student at Iowa State in 1891. He made significant contributions to agricultural research and innovation, particularly in promoting crop rotation and the cultivation of alternative crops like peanuts and sweet potatoes to improve soil health and nutrition. Carver’s work helped uplift Southern farmers by providing them with sustainable and diversified agricultural practices, and he also developed numerous products from these crops, such as peanut butter, creating a lasting impact on agriculture, nutrition, and industry.

Topography & geography of Missouri

20. The Missouri River flows for 2,341 miles and is the longest river in the United States. It starts by Bozeman, Montana and goes through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri before it empties into the Mississippi River.

21: Eight states share a border with Missouri: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

22. The capital of Missouri is Jefferson City and its largest city is Kansas City.

23. Missouri ranks 21st among all 50 states in total area at 69,715 feet.

24. The state of Missouri has an astonishing 93 state parks and has been considered among the best state park systems in the country.

25. Want to drive across Missouri? From north to south, it is exactly 300 miles. From east to west is 241 miles.

26. St. Francis River at the Arkansas border is the lowest point in Missouri at 230 feet above sea level.

27. The highest elevation point in Missouri is Taum Sauk Mountain at 1,772 feet above sea level.

28. The Ozark Mountains cover a significant portion of southern Missouri — as well as Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas —and its 47,000 square miles of natural beauty provide a picturesque backdrop for outdoor enthusiasts.

29. The Kimmswick Bone Bed is a 10,000+ year old archaeological site in Missouri where the first recorded report of mastodon bones was discovered.

Where should I visit in Missouri?

30. The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis was founded in 1859 and is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States. In addition to an extensive collection of plants from around the world, there is a butterfly house and educational resources on green ecological practices and conservation efforts.

31. At 42 feet and some inches tall, the big-ass rocking chair in Cuba, Missouri is no longer the world’s largest — you can find that in Casey, Illinois — but it is still plenty big.

32. The Saint Louis Art Museum — SLAM for short — was built in 1904 and features work by Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, and plenty of other big names people who don’t know much about art still know.

33. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri celebrates the author of The Little House on the Prairie series and offers insights into pioneer life and of the house her family took 17 years to build. Though Wilder was born in Wisconsin, she remains an influential voice of American southern literature.

34. Branson, Missouri is a popular tourist destination known for its brand of live entertainment theaters, offering a range of live shows from country music to magic performances. As Bart Simpson once said, it’s like Las Vegas if it were run by Ned Flanders.

35. The Lake of the Ozarks is a 54,000 acre reservoir in central Missouri and a major recreational area, offering boating, fishing, and other water activities. It’s especially happening in the spring and summer with all the young people who like to drink and do drugs and party and stuff.

Fun, cool, interesting & weird Missouri facts

36. Prior to breaking the color line with the Brooklyn Dodgers in Major League Baseball in 1947, Jackie Robinson played with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues.

37. Kansas City BBQ was originated by Henry Perry in Kansas City, Missouri around 1908 and its slowly-smoked meat barbecue is characterized by its emphasis on rich, flavorful sauces. Although you can find some pretty good examples of the cuisine in other parts of the country, you’re not going to do much better than what you’ll find in Missouri.

38. Three (3) big-deal earthquakes occurred in New Madrid, Missouri from December 1811 to February 1812, ranging in magnitude from 7.0 to 7.8, with several aftershocks scored a bit below. The shakes were so substantial they created the Reelfoot Lake next door in Tennessee.

39. Missouri is often called the “Show-Me State,” and while it is not an official nickname, you can find it on state license plates. The origin of the nickname is attributed to Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, who supposedly once said, “I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.” 

40. The third Wednesday of each October is Missouri Day! Created in 1915, the idea for a whole day to celebrate the significance of Missouri came from schoolteacher Anna Lee Brosius Korn after she wrote the state song.

41. Something called the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology has traced the word Missouri back to a tribe of Sioux Native Americans and it supposedly means “town of the large canoes.”

42. You are probably familiar with the term “the best thing since sliced bread” or some variation thereof. Machine-sliced bread was first made available in Chillicothe, Missouri in 1928. The town is indeed proud of this fact and Missouri even declared July 7th to be Sliced Bread Day in 2018.

43. Kansas City jazz is known for its energetic and swinging sound, characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythm and blues influences. Kansas City was a significant hub for jazz during the 1920s through the 1940s, making its mark on the history of the genre.

What are the state symbols of Missouri?

44. In 2021, Maryfrances Wagner was named the sixth Poet Laureate of Missouri, after Karen Craigo, Aliki Barnstone, William Trowbridge, David Clewell, and Walter Bargen. Wagner’s poetry is characterized by its evocative language, vivid imagery, and exploration of themes such as identity, memory, and human connection and her books Red Silk, and Salvatore’s Daughter are worth buying.

45. Missouri has an official dance and it’s the square dance. It also happens to be the official dance of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, and Georgia, as well as Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Mississippi. And Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Oregon, as well as Tennessee and Texas. And Utah. And Virginia. And also Washington state. It’s also the official folk dance of California, New Jersey, and South Carolina. Clearly, America needs to diversify its dance card.

46. Speaking of square dancing, the sound of the fiddle often accompanies the community gatherings where square dances are held and as such, the instrument has become a symbol of early pioneer life in Missouri. That’s why the state elected the fiddle as its official musical instrument in 1987.

47. It was 1927 when the state of Missouri elected the eastern bluebird as their state bird. It was 1970 when the state of New York did the same thing.

48. Designed by one Marie Elizabeth Oliver, the Missouri state flag was officialized in 1913.

49. The bullfrog is the largest frog that is native to North America and after a bunch of Kansas City schoolkids campaigned to make the bullfrog the official state amphibian, the bass-ribbeting bullfrog was named so in 2005.

50. Hadrosaur was a duck-billed dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period like 75 million years ago around Missouri and their bones were discovered in Glen Allen, Missouri in 1942. It was elected the official state dinosaur of Missouri in 2004.

51. The channel catfish can be found in rivers and lakes and ponds all over North America and when prepared correctly, they are delicious. It’s the state fish of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Tennessee, with the Show-Me State designating it as such in 1997.

Cover Image Credit: Image by Alexander Schettino from Pixabay

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