4 MISSOURI There are more than 100,000 farms in Missouri Only Texas has more Kansas City calls itself the Heart of America because it is not far from the geographic center of the 48 states Missouri was the 24th state to enter the Union on Aug 10 1821 The state flower is the white hawthorn blossom Early settlers made jelly using hawthorn berries INTRODUCTION Missouri takes its name from the river that flows through it The river is named for a nation of Native Americans and may mean people having canoes Today Missouri is known as the Show Me State The nickname probably came from Congressman Willard Vandiver who said in 1899 I am from Missouri you have got to show me In other words the people of his state are not impressed by fancy speechmaking for them actions speak louder than words Missouri has characteristics of several regions Its cornfields are reminders of the Midwest while its cotton fields reflect the South Missouri’s cattle ranches are a fond reminder of the West and the state’s factories recall those found in the East In politics Missouri is often referred to as a swing state and it almost always votes with the winner in national elections The Gateway Arch provides St Louis with a unique skyline
INTRODUCTION 5 No state shares more borders with other states than Missouri Arkansas is to the south Oklahoma Kansas and Nebraska are to the west and Iowa is to the north To the east across the Mississippi River are Illinois Kentucky and Tennessee The confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers near St Louis has been a crossroads of North America since Native Americans ruled the land Rivers brought European explorers settlers and traders into the region Today Missouri also has nearly 125,000 miles of public roads binding the state together Missouri also has many airports to serve air travelers St Louis and Kansas City have the state’s main public airports Missouri is also a rail center crisscrossed by many miles of tracks Passenger trains run between St Louis and Kansas City Missouri Location Map Capital Jefferson City Interstate highways 0 0 40 64 80 128 Mi Km Scale Population 5,595,211 Size 69,709 square miles Highest peak Taum Sauk Mountain 1,772 feet The Lambert St Louis International Airport serves about 20 million passengers per year The state bird the bluebird is a symbol of happiness The Missouri mule is the state animal The mule’s toughness made it popular with early farmers St Louis is one of the largest inland river ports in the country The fiddle is the official state instrument The fiddle was the main source of musical entertainment for early settlers
Missouri was the starting point for many important journeys westward In 1804 the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their great voyage of discovery from near St Louis The Lewis and Clark Expedition led the way for American trade and settlement in the West Until 1845 Missouri was the nation’s westernmost state and was known as the Gateway to the West Many pioneers traveled through Missouri on their way to California and Oregon In 1860 the eastern starting point of the Pony Express was established in St Joseph The Pony Express delivered mail from Missouri to California using a series of horses and riders Both the Santa Fe and the Oregon trails also began in Missouri These trails provided routes for the movement of people and goods to and from western regions 6 MISSOURI Located under the Gateway Arch in St Louis the Museum of Westward Expansion celebrates Missouri’s historic role in the settlement of the West Missouri Day is held every year on the third Wednesday in October The state fish is the channel catfish The state insect is the honeybee The official state song is the Missouri Waltz The Santa Fe and the Oregon trails both started at Independence Westward-bound settlers and traders followed these trails before railroads were built
INTRODUCTION 7 In the 20th century Missouri was a place of cultural innovation In the 1920s large cities like St Louis and Kansas City made important contributions to both jazz and blues music Kansas City is often referred to as the mother of swing and bebop These two styles of jazz music emerged from Kansas City’s nightclubs and influenced jazz culture for generations The St Louis Blues is one of the best-known blues songs of all time In the later half of the 20th century Missouri’s schools and communities struggled with racial segregation while severe air and water pollution forced the state to spend millions of dollars on environmental cleanups Today changes to the educational system tough environmental controls and a healthy economy are helping Missourians look to a bright future The writer Mark Twain who was born and raised in Missouri created the memorable characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn The square dance is the official state dance Missouri’s state motto is The Welfare of the People Shall Be the Supreme Law The deadliest tornado in U S history struck Missouri Illinois and Indiana on March 18 1925 killing 695 people Ninety percent of the town of Annapolis Mo was destroyed The official state flag was declared on March 22 1913 Kansas City jazz clubs are known around the world for creating new jazz sounds
