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Missouri: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · The River And The Rock —
Missouri.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Missouri stretches across the heart of the United States, bordered by eight other states. This geographic fact makes it a unique connector in the American landscape. The state contains two massive rivers that define its shape and history. The Mississippi River forms the entire eastern boundary, while the Missouri River flows from west to east through the center. These waterways connect the major cities of Kansas City and St. Louis. Southern Missouri rises into the Ozark Mountains, a dissected plateau surrounding ancient igneous rock formations known as the St. Francois Mountains. This region hosts karst topography characterized by high limestone content. The limestone creates sinkholes and caves throughout the southern part of the state. More than 7,300 recorded caves exist within these borders, second only to Tennessee. Perry County holds the single longest cave in the nation. The southeastern corner features the Missouri Bootheel, the flattest and wettest part of the state. This area sits on the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and was the epicenter of four New Madrid Earthquakes between 1811 and 1812.
Mounds And French Settlements
Humans have inhabited present-day Missouri for at least 12,000 years. Archaeological excavations along river valleys show continuous habitation since about 9000 BCE. Beginning before 1000 CE, the Mississippian culture created regional political centers at present-day St. Louis. They built massive earthwork mounds for religious, political, and social reasons. Cahokia served as the center of a regional trading network that reached from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The civilization declined by 1400 CE, and most descendants left the area long before European arrival. In the early 1700s, French traders and missionaries explored the whole of the Mississippi Valley. They named the region Louisiana. Around the same time, French Canadians established five villages on the east bank of the Mississippi River. Settlers of French Canadian descent began crossing the Mississippi River to establish settlements such as Ste. Genevieve. They migrated in about 1750 from the Illinois Country. Sainte-Geneviève became a thriving agricultural center producing surplus wheat, corn, and tobacco. St. Louis was founded on the 14th of February 1764, by French fur traders Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent, Pierre Laclède, and Auguste Chouteau. From 1764 to 1803, European control of the area west of the Mississippi was assumed by the Spanish.
The Border State Conflict
Missouri was admitted as a slave state as part of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. As a border state, its role in the American Civil War was complex. Pro-Southern Governor Claiborne F. Jackson ordered the mobilization of several hundred members of the state militia who had gathered in a camp in St. Louis for training. General Nathaniel Lyon struck first, encircling the camp and forcing the state troops to surrender. This event led to violence known as the Camp Jackson Affair. Governor Jackson appointed Sterling Price as head of the new Missouri State Guard. In Neosho, Missouri, Jackson called the state legislature into session to call for secession. The Confederacy recognized Missouri secession on the 30th of October 1861. Fighting ensued between Union forces and a combined army of General Price's Missouri State Guard and Confederate troops from Arkansas and Texas under General Ben McCulloch. After winning victories at the battle of Wilson's Creek and the siege of Lexington, the Confederate forces retreated to Arkansas. Though regular Confederate troops staged some large-scale raids into Missouri, the fighting for the next three years consisted chiefly of guerrilla warfare. Citizen soldiers or insurgents such as Captain William Quantrill, Frank and Jesse James, the Younger brothers, and William T. Anderson made use of quick, small-unit tactics.
Rails And Brewing Halls
After the war, both Greater St. Louis and the Kansas City metropolitan area became large centers of industrialization and business. The expansion of railroads to the West transformed Kansas City into a major transportation hub within the nation. The growth of the Texas cattle industry along with this increased rail infrastructure and the invention of the refrigerated boxcar also made Kansas City a major meatpacking center. Large cattle drives from Texas brought herds of cattle to Dodge City and other Kansas towns. There, the cattle were loaded onto trains destined for Kansas City, where they were butchered and distributed to eastern markets. The first half of the 20th century was the height of Kansas City's prominence. Its downtown became a showcase for stylish Art Deco skyscrapers as construction boomed. In 1930, there was a diphtheria epidemic in the area around Springfield which killed approximately 100 people. Serum was rushed to the area, and medical personnel stopped the epidemic. Missouri is home to Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest beer producer. German immigrants created the wine industry along the Missouri River and the beer industry in St. Louis during the late 1800s.
Ragtime And Rock Roots
Missouri is the birthplace of the musical genres ragtime, Kansas City jazz, and St. Louis blues. Many well-known musicians were born or have lived in Missouri. Ragtime composer Scott Joplin lived in St. Louis and Sedalia. Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker lived in Kansas City. Guitarist and rock pioneer Chuck Berry grew up in St. Louis. Singer and actress Josephine Baker also called this state home. Queen of Rock Tina Turner spent her early years here. Pop singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow hails from the region. Rapper Eminem was born in St. Joseph and also lived in Savannah and Kansas City. The Kansas City Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra are the state's major orchestras. Branson is well known for its music theaters, most of which bear the name of a star performer or musical group. The historic Gem Theatre stands in Kansas City's renowned 18th and Vine Jazz District. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra achieved prominence in recent years under conductor Leonard Slatkin.
The Show Me Shift
Prior to 2008, Missouri had been widely regarded as a bellwether in American politics. The state had voted for the winning candidate in every election from 1904 to 2004 with a single exception: 1956 when Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson lost despite carrying Missouri. However, since 2000, Missouri has always voted for the Republican presidential candidate. Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win the state in 1996. Missouri voted for John McCain and Mitt Romney over Democrat Barack Obama of neighboring Illinois. The state voted for Donald Trump by over 18% in 2016 and 2024. On the 24th of October 2012, there were 4,190,936 registered voters. By the 3rd of November 2020, there were 4,318,758 registered voters. As of 2022, the population reached 6,137,428 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. More than half of Missourians live within the state's two largest metropolitan areas, St. Louis and Kansas City. The top countries of origin for Missouri's immigrants in 2018 included Mexico, China, India, Vietnam, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What are the two massive rivers that define Missouri's shape and history?
The Mississippi River forms the entire eastern boundary, while the Missouri River flows from west to east through the center. These waterways connect the major cities of Kansas City and St. Louis.
How many recorded caves exist within the borders of Missouri?
More than 7,300 recorded caves exist within these borders, second only to Tennessee. Perry County holds the single longest cave in the nation.
When was St. Louis founded by French fur traders?
St. Louis was founded on the 14th of February 1764, by French fur traders Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent, Pierre Laclède, and Auguste Chouteau.
Which musical genres originated as birthplaces in Missouri?
Missouri is the birthplace of the musical genres ragtime, Kansas City jazz, and St. Louis blues. Many well-known musicians were born or have lived in Missouri including Scott Joplin, Charlie Parker, and Chuck Berry.
Did Missouri vote for the winning presidential candidate before 2008?
Prior to 2008, Missouri had been widely regarded as a bellwether in American politics because it voted for the winning candidate in every election from 1904 to 2004 with a single exception: 1956 when Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson lost despite carrying Missouri.