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How a Missourian Became America’s Largest Landowner: Inside His 2.7 Million-Acre Empire
For the Second Time in History, A Missourian is the Largest Landowner in the U.S. In 2026, Stan Kroenke officially became the largest private landowner in the United States. That’s pretty amazing a…
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Tuscan Mansion Hidden in the Heart of St. Albans
The Masterpiece at 1042 Wings Road In the rolling hills of Saint Albans, Missouri, there exists an anomaly of architecture that feels less like a Midwestern build and more like a recovered fragment…
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The Bloodiest 47 Acres: Visiting the “Haunted” Missouri State Penitentiary
For 168 years, the Missouri State Penitentiary was a place you’d do anything to avoid. Today, however, “The Walls” stand as one of the most compelling historical sites in the Midwest. Opened in…
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First Town in Missouri With Electricity
The Night Missouri Switched on the Lights: The Story of the “Electric City” When we think of the late 19th-century “Electric Revolution,” our minds usually go straight to the bustling streets of New…
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Missouri’s Famous NASCAR Drivers
4 Legendary Drivers and 3 Iconic Tracks Missouri has produced some of the most legendary names in NASCAR history, ranging from technical masters to “big event” specialists. Here is a breakdown of the…
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The Biggest Cities in Missouri 125 Years Ago
In 1900, Missouri was the 5th Most Populous State In 1900, Missouri was a powerhouse of the American Midwest. This era marked the height of the “Gilded Age” influence on the state, with…
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Best Places to Live in Missouri
The Top Towns To Call Home in the Show Me State NOTE: After getting hundreds of messages about this story, I think it’s important to point out that I have lived in over…
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The History of Soulard Mardi Gras
From a House Party to a Phenomenon While New Orleans may hold the crown, St. Louis officially stakes its claim as the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. But before the…
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Brief History of Soulard
On February 10, 1841: Julia Soulard begins giving land to the City of St. Louis for use as a public market. The story of the oldest public market west of the Mississippi isn’t…
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Vehicles Made in Missouri: Past & Present
From Corvette to El Camino to F-150: The History of Auto Manufacturing in Missouri Missouri has a deep-rooted history in automotive manufacturing. At one point, the Show Me State ranked second only to…
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Division Street: The Petty Reason Behind Springfield’s Most Famous Boundary
April 4th, 1887: Springfield and North Springfield become one city. Ever wonder why Springfield’s Division Street sounds so… literal? It’s not just a random name; it’s a scar from a decades-old rivalry. Back…
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Coldest Days in Missouri History
The Lowest Temperatures Ever Recorded in the Show Me State Missouri’s past is peppered with deep freezes that would make even Truman the Tiger reach for a wool scarf. In a strange twist…
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St. Louis City vs. County: The Nasty History of the 1876 Divorce
The Nasty Split — That Has Gotten Nastier Over The Years The idea of separating the city of St. Louis from St. Louis County was officially decided on August 22, 1876. Ironically, the…
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Imperial Estate on the Missouri Bluffs
Missouri’s Hidden European Estate: The Historic Imperial Mansion on the Mississippi 110 Overlook Court in Imperial, Missouri, is a historic estate designed by the famous architectural firm Maritz & Young in 1928. The…
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11 Oldest Settlements in Missouri Every History Buff Needs to See
Step Back in Time: The Oldest Towns in Missouri to Visit Today Rank City Founding Date 1. Sainte Genevieve 1735 2. St. Louis 1764 3. St. Charles 1769 4. New Madrid 1778 5.…
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The Missouri Mystery: Where Did The Phrase “The Show Me State” Come From?
The Secrets Behind Our Motto There are two things you need to know about The Show Me State motto: “The Show Me State” is a long-standing nickname for Missouri. It has come to…
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First Missouri Million Dollar Masterpiece
The Very First “Million Dollar Masterpiece” I Profiled is Back on the Market… and Much More Expensive 1318 South Jones Mill Lane, Springfield I started doing Million Dollar Masterpieces back in 2000 on…
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Missouri’s Borrowed City Names
Athens, Amsterdam, Monterey, Paris, and Versailles. I know exactly what you are thinking. Yes, those are some of the most picturesque places in Missouri. Let’s face it, the world has been around a…
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Missourians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Yes, there are a lot of Missourians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors in Cleveland in 1986, the first class…
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Why Missouri Has a Bootheel
The Political Deal That Shaped the State’s Southern Border Missouri wasn’t supposed to have a bootheel. It wasn’t planned to be this way and it wasn’t included in the original maps. But a…
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The Mormon Extermination Order in Missouri: A Tragic History
The history of Mormons in Missouri The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Missouri is more tragic than most people realize. The Mormon Church has a large presence…
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Born in Missouri: The Origins of Osteopathic Medicine
In 1874, Osteopathic Medicine was invented in the Show Me State Osteopathic Medicine is one of the fastest growing medical specialties in the world. It used to be viewed as a fringe type…
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Historic Missouri Church For Sale
This landmark dates back a century and was the home of a future pope for a time If you are in the market for a large home — then how about a massive…
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Missouri’s President for a Day: David Rice Atchison
Senator David Rice Atchison may have been the United States President for 24-hours. The official US records beg to differ. (Atchison) “…was on Sunday, by virtue of his office, President of the United…
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Things That Happened First in Missouri
Landmark Moments By Missourians Missouri may not be one of the “first” states, but we certainly have our fair share of “Firsts.” Many things were done here first because we are located west…
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Missouri’s Riverside Mansions
Missouri Mansions Series The state of Missouri and our rivers have a history that are inseparable. The waterways have been a valuable resource, but also a destructive neighbor. And the views from the…
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Former Pro Teams from Missouri
Missouri has had some of the most successful professional teams of all time. But the Show Me State has also lost numerous teams over the years.
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US Fidelis Mansion: The Third Largest Home in Missouri
The US Fidelis Mansion is a 40,000 square foot European-inspired home outside of St. Louis. It sits on nearly 7 acres of lakefront property in Lake St. Louis. When you see it from…
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Kansas City Chiefs History
The Chiefs weren’t always in Missouri, but their legacy certainly is The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the National Football League’s most storied franchises. Their roots predate the NFL–AFL merger and a…
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History of Ozark Air Lines
Jet service history is made in 1945 as Ozark Air Lines begins service. The first scheduled flights for Ozarks Air Lines shuttled passengers between Springfield and St. Louis with the goal of connecting…
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Missouri’s Railroad Museums
Missouri has a rich railroading history. In fact, there are several railroad museums across the state that showcase that history.
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The Missouri Governor Who Committed Suicide
A mental health breakdown led to the death of the young Missouri Governor Missouri Governor Thomas Reynolds was a rising star in the world of politics in the mid-1800s. He already had a…
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How Missouri Became More Than a Square
The Platte Purchase was so much bigger than it appears Missouri was supposed to be pretty much a square. But the bootheel and the Platte Purchase gave us the unusual shape we know…
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Why is “Uncle Sam” Buried in Missouri?
He came to Missouri several times and died here in 1932 “Probably no globe trotter in history has ever achieved such celebrity as Frank S. Colburn.” -T.F. Matthews, Dayton Sunday Journal, 1917 Frank…
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Missouri’s Famous Inventions
Thousands of patents have come from Missourians, but these are some of the most famous It’s amazing how many things have been invented in Missouri. We are a relatively small state in the…
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Top 10 Biggest Cities in Missouri
Biggest Cities in Missouri by population (2024 census estimate vs 2000 census): Here are the top 10 Biggest Cities in Missouri from the most recent census numbers in 2024. As you can see,…
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Missouri License Plate history
Missouri has a long and storied history with motor vehicles. From Route 66 cutting through the Show Me State to the old Corvette plant in north St. Louis to the massive auto plants…
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The Missourian Who Was The Largest Landowner in America in 1900
Missourian John Sliker Bilby was the Land King John Sliker Bilby, Missouri’s Land Baron John Sliker Bilby was the real-life version of the John Dutton from the show Yellowstone – only bigger. Bilby…
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Missouri’s Tower Rock Emerges
A “Once In A Lifetime” Experience, Four Years In A Row Tower Rock is one of Missouri’s most intriguing natural landmarks — steeped in history, legend, and dramatic scenery. And it is attracting…
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Missouri’s Most Famous Doctors
The Intriguing Reasons Why Missouri Is A Leader in Medicine In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the state became an unlikely cradle of medical innovation. The state produced pioneers whose ideas, practices,…
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The 100 Year History of Country Club Plaza Christmas Lights
Back in 1925, a string of lights at Country Club Plaza in Kansas City was lit. That small event paved the way for a tradition that continues today. The Country Club Plaza Christmas…
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Primatara Mansion
Missouri Mansions Series The “Primatara Mansion” is a massive home north of Springfield surrounded by a 188 acre horse farm. The Federal-style home is owned by Prime Trucking founder Robert Low and has…
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Gascondy: The Missouri Resort That Disappeared
The village known as Gascondy used to attract wealthy Missourians to a bluff near Belle. The historic town is now extinct.
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Driving the “Genius Highway”
The Amazing History of Highway 36 in Northern Missouri It’s called the “Genius Highway” — and for good reason. Highway 36 across the northern part of Missouri is one of many great road…
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Missouri’s Most Unusual Homes
Missouri Mansions Series There are some homes in Missouri that you truly have to see to believe. Yes, it’s just another reason we call it the Show Me State. And it’s the reason…
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Best Places For High School Football in Missouri
Friday Night Lights in Show Me State are special. These are the best places for High School Football in Missouri
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Vouziers Estate: A Glimpse into Missouri’s Gilded Age
Missouri Mansions Series Slideshow images are courtesy of The Charles Trefts Collection at The State Historical Society of Missouri. The Desloge Dynasty The story of the Desloge family is one of extraordinary wealth,…
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Carter Mansion in Carthage
Missouri Mansions Series The Carter Mansion in Carthage is a striking Victorian‑style estate built between 1893 and 1896 by Dr. John Addison Carter. Dr. Carter was a Civil War veteran and influential local…
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Historic Mansions in Missouri
People are often surprised at the number of historic mansions in Missouri. These massive estates rival mansions anywhere in America. Why So Many Mansions in Missouri There are several reasons for the significant…
