Images of America: Missouri
Series · 75
books · 1999-2016
Books in series
#1
Andrew County
A Rural Way of Life
2012
Fertile land lured settlers to Andrew County in the 19th century, and the productive land exerted its hold on farm families for generations thereafter. As America shifted from farm to city life, Andrew County remained a collection of rural towns serving the needs of nearby farms. Country people came to town to get their mail or shop at the general store. On the courthouse square, they gossiped with friends and neighbors. Their rural way of life, however, never isolated them from economic or technological change, nor from the nation's vibrant popular culture. In the 20th century, farm families drove to town to enjoy The Wizard of Oz at a movie theater. Kitchens became outfitted with electric ranges and refrigerators, and a mastery of the "science of agriculture" proved necessary to manage large and mechanized farming operations. In short, county residents displayed a remarkable ability to adapt to change while retaining their traditional values.
#2
Around Butler
2013
Meet the Electric City! From cattle to coal mines, border ruffians to businessmen, and rockets to railroad schemes, the air around Butler, Missouri, has crackled with energy since the settlement's establishment in 1856. Ravaged by Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers and consumed in 1863 by the flames of General Order No. 11, the settlement rose from the ashes in the late 1860s and 1870s to become a hub of culture and commerce at the western edge of the "Show Me State." In 1881, the capital of Bates County went electric, becoming one of the first municipalities west of the Mississippi to generate its own power, outstripping Thomas Edison's Pearl Street Station in Manhattan by almost a year. A quiet little community with a loud and vibrant history, Butler is the quintessential example of the American small-town experience.
#3
Around Mansfield
2013
As the Memphis Line was pushing eastward through the virgin Ozark hills, railroad officials realized that watering stations were needed every 8 to 10 miles. One such station was built on the future site of the town of Mansfield. In 1882, F.M. Mansfield and George Nettleton officially established the town. Noted for its rolling hills and abundance of natural water sources, Mansfield became known as the "Gem of the Ozarks." Early settlers that were drawn to the area established local businesses, including orchards, canning factories, and mines. Farming became an essential way of life for most rural residents. Today, the town is famous as the place where author Laura Ingalls Wilder, who lived here from 1894 until her death in 1957, wrote her renowned Little House books. It was also the boyhood home of Major League Baseball player Carl Mays, who at one point was a teammate of Babe Ruth.
#4
Arrow Rock
2012
From its earliest appearance in recorded history, Arrow Rock has been a destination for travelers. Native Americans came for the flint at the "rock of arrows," Lewis and Clark noted "a cliff called the Arrow Rock," and pioneers stocked their wagons there before heading down the Santa Fe Trail. Established in 1829, Arrow Rock grew quickly and attracted powerful citizens, including the innovative Dr. John Sappington and artist George Caleb Bingham. By the mid-1800s, Arrow Rock was a center for commerce and politics, but its prominence was short-lived. It was devastated by fires, bypassed by railroads, and abandoned by the shifting Missouri River. Its story might have ended there, but another kind of pioneer arrived in the early 20th century, when the Daughters of the American Revolution restored the deteriorating J. Huston Tavern. Other preservationists followed, and because of their commitment, today's Arrow Rock is a National Historic Landmark with lovingly restored properties, a thriving professional theater, and citizens who believe the town's future lies in its extraordinary past.
#6
Ballwin
2005
At the tender age of 21, a settler named John Ball bought 400 acres on Grand Glaize Creek in 1800 and began sowing crops and tending livestock. He had moved with his parents to Missouri as part of a migration of Kentucky settlers led by Daniel Boone and wanted to establish himself as his own man. That purchase and Ball’s later platting of 17 city blocks along Manchester Road, the designated route to the state capitol, were the first steps in creating the town we know today as Ballwin. Using archival photographs from the Ballwin Historical Commission and other sources, Ballwin traces the history of the area from the first settlers through to the present, focusing on the period since the city was incorporated.
#7
Benton Park West
2005
By the mid-1860s, the St. Louis neighborhood of Benton Park West was already self-sufficient, boasting its own carpenters and dairymen, blacksmith and midwife. While it was a working-class community, many residents owned their own businesses and built beautiful homes that still stand today. Author Edna Campos Gravenhorst takes readers on four separate walking tours of the historic district, highlighting such buildings as the 1860s Eyermann home, the stately Herold mansion, the 1893 Gravois Planing Mill, and the Cherokee Brewery.
#8
Branson
2014
In 1939, Branson was described as “the paradise of the Ozarks—the playground of America.” Originally home to the Osage, the harsh rocky terrain made homesteading difficult. The Ozarks’s wilderness became a hideout for bushwhackers following the Civil War. The masked “Bald Knobbers” developed as vigilantes to defend mountain families. Today, the “Baldknobbers” are known as Branson’s first musical show. In 1894, tours began in Marble Cave, one of 8,000 Ozarks caves. Now known as Marvel Cave, it boasts the largest cave entrance room in the United States and remains a main attraction at Silver Dollar City’s theme park. Many visitors are lured by the natural beauty, healthful atmosphere, and recreational activities offered in the Ozarks. Harold Bell Wright penned The Shepherd of the Hills while recuperating here at the beginning of the 20th century. A wave of tourism to the Branson area followed its 1907 publication. Today, the “Live Entertainment Capital of the World” welcomes more than eight million visitors yearly.
#9
Brentwood
2002
The mail coaches and prairie schooners traveling west in the late 1800s on the Manchester Trail would have stopped in what is today known as Brentwood. Maddenville, as the area was then called, was named after a prominent businessman who owned a grocery store, barbershop, rock quarry, and blacksmith shop. While some travelers took respite in Porta's Tavern and pressed westward, others never left the community that later grew, along with the railroad, into a bustling community just outside St. Louis. This collection of words and images by the Brentwood Historical Society brings to life the small-town values and humble history of "The City of Warmth."In this book, more than 200 historic photographs portray the days when the Brentwood Dinky streetcar ran from St. Louis, Link's Chicken Farm became infamous, and Louis J. "Pat" Bompart, grandson of Brentwood's founder, bought tavern patrons round after round of drinks. Pictured here are the schools, churches, businesses, and festivals that have endeared residents to Brentwood since its earliest days as a whistle stop.
#10
Carondelet
2008
Clement Delor de Treget, a Frenchman, founded Carondelet in 1767 and named the village in honor of Baron Francis Louis de Carondelet, the Spanish governor of the Louisiana Territory. Due to its prime location at the confluence of the River Des Peres and the Mississippi River, Carondelet attracted a wide array of industries and a diverse population where racial lines were often blurred and ethnic groups peacefully coexisted. The community has
contributed greatly to American history from the site of construction of the Civil War ironclad boats to the location of the American kindergarten movement. Today the community is striving to preserve its proud heritage and build on the strength of its diverse population. The historic images in this book illustrate the city's founding and development from the first French settlers to the coming of Germans, Irish, Italians, African Americans, and Spanish, its annexation to the city of St. Louis in 1870, its economic hardships, and its present revitalization.
#11
Carthage
2000
Translated as "New City," Carthage was founded in 1842 as the county seat of Jasper in southwest Missouri. The town prospered for two decades until military advances during the Civil War destroyed the entire town and dispersed its population. This volume, assembled by the Powers Museum, offers a pictorial glimpse into the rebuilding and growth of this historic city during its most influential years. The citizens of Carthage quickly rebuilt the city during the late 1860s and early 1870s, and eventually reclaimed its pre-war prominence as an agricultural and trade center located at the edge of the northern prairies and the Ozark foothills. When lead, zinc, and limestone were discovered and developed into prosperous industries, families began to arrive from all over to take advantage of the area's economic opportunities. Carthage's trademark Victorian architecture, still in place today, is a result of the economic affluence of the town during this late nineteenth and early twentieth century period.
#12
Carthage
1940-1990
2013
By the time residents of Carthage celebrated the city's centennial in 1942, the city had grown to a population of approximately 12,000 and sat at the intersection of two national highways nicknamed "Broadway of America" (US 71) and "Main Street of America" (US 66). As the governmental hub of Jasper County, Carthage was surrounded by bountiful agricultural prairies to the north and east, scenic Ozark hills to the south, and the world's lead and zinc center to the west. This geographic diversity contributed to the town's vibrant economy and growth even in difficult economic times. Images of America: Carthage: 1940-1990 begins after the hard times in the 1930s and focuses on the 1940s through the 1980s, when many schools, churches, and industries expanded or moved to new quarters. Stores and businesses around the courthouse square modernized and competed with new commercial centers developed in other sections of the expanding town.
#14
Chinese in St. Louis
1857-2007
2007
In 1857, Alla Lee, a 24yearold native of Ningbo, China, seeking a better life, came to St. Louis. A decade later, Lee was joined by several hundred of his countrymen from San Francisco and New York who were seeking jobs in mines and factories in and around St. Louis. Most of these Chinese workers lived in boardinghouses located near a street called Hop Alley. In time, Chinese hand laundries, merchandise stores, herb shops, restaurants, and clan association headquarters sprang up in and around that street, forming St. Louis Chinatown. Hop Alley survived with remarkable resilience and energy until 1966 when urban renewal bulldozers leveled the area to make a parking lot for Busch Stadium. A new suburban Chinese American community has been quietly, yet rapidly, emerging since the 1960s in the form of cultural community, where the Chinese churches, Chineselanguage schools, and community organizations serve as the infrastructure of the community.
#15
The Cole Camp Area
2011
Cole Camp was named by Ezekiel Williams, who established a post office in 1830 on Williams Creek, south of the present town. Settlers from the south followed Williams, and in the 1840s an influx of German immigrants arrived to leave their mark on the area. Cole Camp maintains a cultural connection with the original settlers through year-round festivals and celebrations. In 1861, an early Civil War battle was fought nearby by the militia; the skirmish is reenacted every two years by descendants of those men. The area's rich history is evident in many 19th-century structures preserved in Cole Camp and neighboring communities. Tourists and day-trippers en route to the Lake of the Ozarks find a delightful mirror of an earlier era in Cole Camp, along with fine restaurants, art galleries, a winery, and antique shops.
#16
Columbia
2014
Columbia has distinguished itself as a leader in educational excellence since its 1826 incorporation. Early residents so valued education that three institutions of higher learning were established there by the mid-19th Stephens College, Columbia College (formerly Christian College), and the University of Missouri. Located in the state’s center, this Midwestern city with a small-town feel has witnessed a nonstop influx of people since its first years. The Boone’s Lick Trail passed through Columbia, connecting the early National Road with the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. The flow of settlers migrating west led to Columbia’s rapid growth, as stores and businesses were established to provide needed supplies. Numerous battles were fought in Missouri during the Civil War, but none in or near Columbia. The group that protected Columbia against possible encroachers was called the Columbia Tigers Company. The Tigers was the name later adopted by the university’s athletic teams.
#17
DeSoto
2006
DeSoto was settled in the early 1800s by pioneers who were interested in mining and farming. It became famous for the many artesian wells in the area and was named Fountain City. For many years, it remained a small country community, with a population of about 200 people in 1850. The railroad came to DeSoto in 1857, when the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad established car shops here. This business, which employs about 500 people, has continued to this day under several railroad companies, the present one being the Union Pacific Railroad. DeSoto received All American City awards in 1953 and 1959 and was recognized as the Center of Population in the United States for the decade of 1980-1990.
#18
Downtown St. Louis
2001
St. Louis, a vibrant and bustling community, has long been dependent on the Mississippi River for trade and commerce, travel, and migration. Within the past century the city's downtown neighborhood has experienced the growth and change that has shaped this Midwestern city into one of the most notable cities in America. Downtown St. Louis is illustrated with over 200 vintage images that present a history as diverse as the residents of the area. Authors Albert Montesi and Richard Deposki survey St. Louis' downtown area, from a pioneer settlement as a fur trading post, to a major American city. Prosperity, decline, and finally renewal are many of the faces worn during the evolution of this unique city.
#19
Early Kansas City
2013
In 1821, Fran ois Chouteau set up a fur-trading outpost along the Missouri River, bringing the first settlement of Europeans to what would become Kansas City, named after the Kansa tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the area. At the center of a growing nation, the "City on the Bluff" would build and thrive as a river town, a gateway to the West, and a railroad hub, absorbing the influences of pioneers and immigrants traveling through or making it their home. Striving to become "A City Beautiful," its parks and boulevards drew attention from around the world. These are the beginnings of a town carved out of a hillside in the wilderness, transformed into an exciting metropolis that would eventually be called home by Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway, Jesse James, and many others who left a lasting mark on history.
#20
The Early Ozarks
A Family's Journey
1999
Domino Danzero's journey, which began in Italy in 1890, led him penniless to New York. The young immigrant came to the Midwest and found work in the coal mines of Illinois and the restaurants of Chicago. Through his travels and his work he gained employment with the Frisco railroad, where he became the overseer of Harvey Houses and Frisco dining cars throughout the central United States. Photography was his hobby and he was commissioned to take photographs for the Frisco railroad. The turn-of-the-century photographs featured in The Early Ozarks: A Family's Journey portray the humanness of people living in the Ozarks. They provide a glimpse of the better things in life—food, family, and friends—reflecting fundamental human compassion and the way of living at the early part of the twentieth century.
#21
Florissant
2004
The first civil government in Florissant was established in 1786, three years before the United States adopted its constitution and George Washington was elected the country's first president. French farmers and fur trappers looked upon the land and called it the "Valle Fleurissant"-which is to say, "the flowering or fertile valley." The community remained small until after World War II. Between 1950 and 1980, the population grew from 3,737 to 76,754. Today the community strives to preserve its proud heritage and build on the strength of its diverse population. The historic images in this book illustrate the city's founding and development, from the first French settlers to the post World War II building boom to the exciting new city of today.
#22
Forest Park Highlands
2007
Forest Park Highlands was once St. Louis' largest and best-known amusement park. In its earliest years, the Highlands boasted a fine theater and one of the largest public swimming pools in the United States. After the 1904 world's fair closed, several attractions found a new home at the Highlands; the large pagoda—a re-creation of the temple of Nekko, Japan—served as the park's bandstand for several years. Roller coasters are the lifeline of every good amusement park, and the Highlands always had two. The end came for the Highlands in a spectacular fire that decimated almost the entire park on July 19, 1963. Only the Comet roller coaster, the Ferris wheel, the Dodgems, the carousel, and the Aero Jets survived. Forest Park Highlands covers other historic amusement parks in St. Louis as well, starting with the earliest, West End Heights, and ending with Holiday Hill, the last remaining park.
#24
The Grand Hotels of St. Louis
2005
The Roaring Twenties was a period of lavish living in St. Louis. In 1917, when Ellsworth Statler decided to build a hotel in St. Louis, he ignited a hotel-building boom that was only quenched by the Great Depression of 1929. Architectural masterpieces arose, and local citizens and out-of-towners marveled at their grandeur. These hotels were hubs of activity and gathering places for high society. They survived the Great Depression and two world wars, but urban demise forced elegant hotels to crumble in disrepair. This book tells the intriguing stories of the Statler, the Chase, the Mayfair, the Lennox and the Coronado Hotels. Today, these hotels are restored and renewed—as glamorous now as they were in their earliest days. They welcome visitors to admire their beauty and savor the history they hold.
#25
Hannibal
Bluff City Memories
2002
Hannibal, Missouri, founded in 1819 on the Mississippi River, has come a long way from its humble beginnings when it was home to only 30 residents. During the late 1800s, millions of feet of lumber were processed in its mills. By 1905, Hannibal had become a major rail hub, with over 50 passenger trains arriving daily. Today, Hannibal honors the memory of its most famous citizen, Mark Twain, and thrives on the legacy of the everyday people who built this idyllic river town. With over 200 historic photographs, Bluff City Memories explores the town that Twain made famous. These images recall festivals, floods, fires, and buildings that are now long gone. They also document events such as President Theodore Roosevelt's speech to a crowd at Union Station in 1903, and the aftermath of a shootout involving 1930s desperado John Dillinger.
#29
Independence
2008
Founded in 1827 as the county seat of Jackson County, Independence, Queen City of the Trails, prospered through outfitting pioneers as they began the journey west on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails. The city persisted through various travails: a bloody war over slavery, fought between the Kansas Jayhawkers and the Missouri Bushwhackers; the rise of William Quantrill; the enforcement of the infamous Order No. 11; and Civil War action on the town square. By 1900, Independence was a prosperous community, the location of the headquarters of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (renamed the Community of Christ), and the hometown of a young man who became the 33rd president of the United States Harry S. Truman. This book illustrates the history of Independence in more than 200 vintage images, detailing the people, businesses, churches, schools, organizations, and events that played important roles in the city's past.
#30
Monett
2006
When the Frisco Railway decided to move its Missouri hub from Pierce City in 1887, Monett began its growth from a sleepy town into one bustling with stores, churches, and hotels, all around the depot. By the early 20th century, Monett was home to a minor-league baseball team, hosted the Monett Chautauqua, and saw presidents campaigning via the rails. A crowd of 10,000 watched local pharmacist and photographer Logan McKee fly a plane during the 1911 Fourth of July celebration. Citizens moved from horse-drawn buggies to cars, and LeRoy Jeffries, member of a prominent pioneer family, gave up his grocery store for a gas station in 1923. The city was ready for the imprint M. E. Gillioz was to place through his construction company and civic contributions. While the Gillioz Theater is gone, Monett citizens still use the old National Guard armory (now a recreation center) and a bank building, among others. By the time the Frisco left in the mid-1950s, Monett had survived regular flooding of Kelly Creek and several fires that burned important buildings and had embraced its more diverse agricultural and manufacturing economy.
#30
Irish St. Louis
2004
It's quite unlikely that Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau could have comprehended the scope of their undertaking in 1764 when they laid out the settlement on the western banks of the Mississippi that was to become the metropolis of St. Louis. Founded by the French, governed by the Spanish, and heavily populated by the English and Germans, the role that the Irish had in making St. Louis what it is today is often overlooked. The Irish are steeped in tradition, and that trait did not leave the Irish immigrants when they arrived in St. Louis and called this place home. Like many other cities in America, the heritage of Ireland is alive and well in St. Louis. This book visually captures their Irish spirit, and portrays a few of the Irish "movers and shakers" alongside the "Irish commoner" in their new and challenging lives here in St. Louis.
#32
Jefferson City
2000
Created as the seat of government for the State of Missouri, Jefferson City was named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. Because of its location both on the Missouri River and north of the Mason Dixon Line, the city was a source of political controversy as it struggled for an economic base. Showcased here in over 200 vintage photographs and detailed captions is the history of the City of Jefferson, and how it came to be the capital of the state known as "The Gateway to the West." There were only 30 people residing in the area when Jefferson City became the capital of Missouri in October 1826. Many of the first legislators to drive were housed in tents behind a shack, labeled a "hotel." From these humble beginnings, the city labored to establish a secure economy. Pictured here are the vintage images of the first and second capitol buildings being constructed and ultimately destroyed, the founding fathers of the Commercial Club, and the main commercial strip of High Street.
#33
Jefferson City at War
1916-1975
2014
Jefferson City has a unique and enduring legacy of brave individuals banding together to answer the nation's call to arms. The Missouri National Guard's Company L, 2nd Infantry mobilized in support of the Mexican Border War in 1916 and later federalized for deployment during the Great War. Local youth scrambled to recruiting stations for a chance to join in the fray against Germany and Japan during World War II. Later, brave residents found themselves in the Korea peninsula or the jungles of Vietnam. It is clear that the Jefferson City community has a history of embracing the groundswell of patriotic pride that emerges in support of those who chose to fight—and sometimes lay down their lives—for a cause they view as greater than themselves.
#34
Jewish Community of St. Louis
1890-1929
2016
The St. Louis Jewish community began in the early 19th century and increased rapidly in the decades surrounding the turn of the century. Jewish immigrants brought skills and determination that helped the community evolve and prosper, but they faced challenges to survive, acculturate, and flourish. Not everyone had easy lives or great wealth, yet most worked to succeed and help others. Jewish endeavors covered all spheres, from small businesses to the Freund Bakery and Stix, Baer and Fuller Department Store to the Lesser-Goldman Cotton Company. Many garment district businesses were owned and run by Jews. Philanthropy and social betterment created the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the Jewish Sanatorium, the Home for Aged & Infirm Israelites, the Jewish Hospital, and many other entities. Members of the Jewish community proudly served in World War I and participated in clubs and organizations, as well as in political, civic, and cultural affairs.
#36
Joplin
2013
When lead was first discovered in southwestern Missouri around 1830, it had little value, and zinc, called "black jack," was discarded as waste. After the Civil War, mining camps sprang up along the Joplin Creek Valley, which was named for Methodist circuit rider Rev. Harris G. Joplin. As the mining camps merged into neighborhoods and zinc increased in value, Joplin was quickly coined "the city that jack built." Known for being a rowdy boomtown, it was said that Joplin had a bar on every corner and a church across the street. Many early settlers came to Joplin seeking their fortunes in the mines, while others came to make their fortunes off of the miners.
#37
KMOX
The Voice of St. Louis
2012
Since it signed on the air on December 24, 1925, KMOX has literally been the "Voice of St. Louis," a pace setter for the radio industry. That positioning statement perfectly described the station and its mission. Through the years, KMOX listeners have heard hillbilly music, local drama, award-winning news, soap operas, bedtime voices in the night, sports play-by-play, call-in talk shows, local editorials, world leaders, local events, and announcers who were perceived as friends of the family. In radio's heyday, hundreds of CBS network programs heard around the nation originated from the Mart Building studios of KMOX. The station has won every major broadcast award imaginable, directly reflecting its influence and local dominance. For many years, St. Louis' KMOX was tops in the nation in radio market share, and the studios were regularly visited by international radio executives to study the station's success.
#38
Kansas City's Historic Hyde Park
2012
A fast-growing frontier community transformed itself into a beautiful urban model of parks and boulevards. In 1893, East Coast newspapers were calling Kansas City "the filthiest in the United States." The drainage of many houses emptied into gullies and cesspools. There was no garbage collection service, and herding livestock through the city was only recently prohibited. Through the diligent efforts of a handful of recently arrived citizens, political, financial, and botanical skills were successfully applied to a nascent parks system. "Squirrel pastures," cliffs and bluffs, ugly ravines, and shanties and slums were turned into a gridiron of green, with chains of parks and boulevards extending in all directions. Wherever the system penetrated well-settled localities, the policy was to provide playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, pools, and field houses. By the time the city fathers were finished, Kansas City could boast of 90 miles of boulevards and 2,500 acres of urban parks.
#39
Kansas City's Historic Midtown Neighborhoods
2015
The unique character of Midtown—from Thirty-first to Fifty-fifth Streets, State Line to the Paseo—grew out of its development as the streetcar suburbs of an expanding Kansas City. As residents both rich and poor moved out of the crowded downtown area after 1880, Midtown neighborhoods were built. The first wave brought mansions to major streets such as Armour Boulevard, Troost Avenue, and Broadway Boulevard, and later a housing shortage spurred the development of Midtown's unique apartment buildings. Well-known architects and local developers created bungalows, shirtwaists, and tree-lined residential streets. Churches and schools, business districts, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues quickly followed residents in their migration to the "south side." By the 1940s, Midtown's growing residential districts had developed into today's popular neighborhoods, including Center City, Coleman Highlands, Countryside, Crestwood, Heart of Westport, Hyde Park, Manheim Park, Old Hyde Park, Plaza-Westport, Rockhill, Volker, Roanoke, South Plaza, Southmoreland, Squier Park, Sunset Hill, Troostwood, Valentine, West Plaza, and Westwood Park.
#40
Kansas City's Parks and Boulevards
2014
A fast-growing frontier community transformed itself into a beautiful urban model of parks and boulevards. In 1893, East Coast newspapers were calling Kansas City “the filthiest in the United States.” The drainage of many houses emptied into gullies and cesspools. There was no garbage collection service, and herding livestock through the city was only recently prohibited. Through the diligent efforts of a handful of recently arrived citizens, political, financial, and botanical skills were successfully applied to a nascent parks system. “Squirrel pastures,” cliffs and bluffs, ugly ravines, and shanties and slums were turned into a gridiron of green, with chains of parks and boulevards extending in all directions. Wherever the system penetrated well-settled localities, the policy was to provide playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, pools, and field houses. By the time the city fathers were finished, Kansas City could boast of 90 miles of boulevards and 2,500 acres of urban parks.
#41
Kearney
2010
Kearney, Missouri, is just 25 miles northeast of Kansas City, and though it's a quiet farming and ranching community, its close proximity to the downtown area makes it the perfect place for commuters who want a small town to come home to. Officially incorporated in 1869 and most likely named for Charles E. Kearney, president of the Kansas City and Cameron Railroad, Kearney is best known as the birthplace of outlaw Jesse James and his brother Frank. The James brothers joined with the Younger brothers to form a gang that terrorized the Midwest in the chaotic years following the Civil War. Although the James brothers worked only to enrich their own fortunes, a Robin Hood mythology has developed around them. Kearney encourages the celebration of the era, if not the actual man. Jesse James Festival in September is a time for watching rodeos, eating kettle corn, playing mud volleyball, and enjoying world-class concerts at the town's amphitheater. Kearney is the fastest-growing city in Missouri and a point of access to other parts of the state. Its schools are among the best in the country, and the village takes pride in its "business friendly" attitude.
#42
Kirksville
2014
Kirksville has made a name for itself with its two major institutions of higher education—Truman State University and A.T. Still University—that attract bright students from all over the world. Incorporated in 1857, it has grown to become the most populous city in northeast Missouri. As the seat of government for Adair County, the courthouse stands proudly in the center of the business square downtown. Entrepreneurs have benefited from railroad lines that entered the town in the 1870s, and many businesses have flourished in Kirksville as a result. Residents braved the tumultuous Civil War and rebuilt the town after major tornadoes and ice storms. Kirksville is a beautiful place to live, as exemplified by nearby Thousand Hills State Park. It is indeed the town "where people make the difference."
#43
Kirkwood
2013
In St. Louis in the 1850s, citizens were tiring of the crowded and unhealthy conditions of urban living, but there were few convenient alternatives for those who worked in the city. When the Pacific Railroad decided to build a line through an outlying area then known as Collins Station, Hiram Leffingwell and Richard Elliott seized an opportunity and bought the surrounding land. Using Leffingwell's experience in planning additions to the city, he and Elliott developed the first planned suburban community west of the Mississippi River. The area was named Kirkwood after the chief engineer for the Pacific Railroad, James Kirkwood, who chose the railroad's route. Kirkwood officially incorporated in 1865. Today, it is still referred to as the "Queen of the Suburbs" for its housing stock, convenient transportation, shopping, and excellent schools.
#44
Lafayette Square, St. Louis
1999
Lafayette Square has always been a reflection of the life and times of St. Louis, Missouri. Originally a common land where cattle grazed and people hunted game, the area was set aside as a public park just before the Civil War. Following that era, Lafayette Square was developed into a showplace for the Victorian era, featuring fantastic gardens, gazebos, a bandstand, an aquarium, and a boathouse. On May 27, 1896, a tornado plowed through the area and destroyed most of its foliage and buildings. Following this tragedy, many homeowners fled to the Central West End, and the once elegant Lafayette Square fell into a state of decline. During the years of the Depression and World War II, the neighborhood and its surroundings became known as "Slum D." In 1945, architect and historian John Albury Bryan purchased a residence at Benton Place and began a fierce and lonely battle to renovate the Square. His dream of restoration became a reality in the 1960s and 1970s when a group of concerned citizens, determined to recapture the area's former glory, banded together to form the Lafayette Restoration Committee.
#46
Lake of the Ozarks
Vintage Vacation Paradise
2002
When the Union Electric Company finished constructing Bagnell Dam in 1931, they had done more than build a source of electrical power-they had created a vacation paradise. Bordered by lush hills and ancient bedrock, the Lake of the Ozarks covers more than 50,000 acres. Since the opening of the lake's first boat docks, three generations of visitors have spent countless days relaxing by its waters. H. Dwight Weaver reconstructs these lazy days, offering readers a vintage tour of one of America's favorite destinations. Each generation witnessed the area's growth, from rustic rock masonry buildings to gravity-defying mystery houses. While travelers in the 1930s and 40s came seeking respite from the Great Depression and World War II, their children and grandchildren returned in happier times, drawn back by the natural beauty and man-made wonders, as illustrated in these historic images.
#49
Marshfield
2011
When Webster County surveyor Richard H. Pitts drew up the plans for Marshfield in 1856, the land was a wild frontier in the Missouri backwoods. Named after Daniel Webster's hometown of Marshfield, Massachusetts, the rural community was the birthplace of world-renowned astronomer Edwin P. Hubble. Today, the town is hailed as a favored stop on Route 66 and celebrates the longest-running Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi River. Over 150 years after it was established, Marshfield is still going strong and creating history that will live for years to come. T he Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.
#50
Maryville
2013
In 1845, the Missouri State Legislature created Nodaway County out of the rolling Platte Purchase lands added to the far northwestern corner of the state. Within a decade, small communities emerged; the largest of them was the county seat of Maryville, which was platted in 1845 and started out as a frontier settlement. The intersection of two railroad lines in Maryville in the early 1870s brought traffic and commerce and later made it a center of education with the addition of the Fifth District Normal School in 1905. Superior regional agriculture, diverse local manufacturing, and progressive education helped build a vibrant and durable community that, while similar to hundreds of others throughout the Midwest, fills lives with the rich experiences of communities in constant transition.
#53
Missouri State Fair
2012
The Missouri State Fair has represented the best of Missouris agriculture and industry since its commencement in 1901. Developed during the Progressive Era, a time of social reform, its early exhibits reflected an interest in scientific agriculture as a means of improving rural life. School exhibits highlighted new attitudes about teaching. In 1921, Missouri celebrated its centennial at the state fair. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the fair encouraged good nutrition and medical care through its healthy baby contests. During World Wars I and II, it promoted patriotism with parades of military recruits. The grounds, originally 160 acres with 19 buildings, are now 396 acres with 124 buildings reflecting changing architectural styles.
#54
Missouri State Penitentiary
2012
The Missouri State Penitentiary was established in 1833 via a bill passed by the state legislature, and the first prisoner was incarcerated in 1835. Inmates constructed the main prison building from rock quarried at the site in 1836. The penitentiary closed on September 15, 2004, and plans are in place to redevelop the site into offices for state agencies and private enterprises. The Missouri State Penitentiary was once considered one of the largest maximum-security penal institutions in the United States. After 550 serious assaults occurred inside the prison in the early 1960s, Time magazine called it �the bloodiest 47 acres in America� (although the walls of the penitentiary only contained 37 acres). The penitentiary had the distinction of housing some very famous boxing champion Sonny Liston learned to box there under the direction of the prison chaplain, infamous gangster Charles Arthur �Pretty Boy� Floyd spent time there, and James Earl Ray was an escapee when he shot and killed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
#55
Missouri Wine Country
St. Charles to Hermann
2010
Before prohibition, Missouri was the second largest wine-producing state in the union, and for a short time during the Civil War, it was number one. Today the state's lush green area overlooking the Missouri River is officially recognized as America's first wine district. Parts of this district have produced wine since the 1830s, when German immigrants from the Rhine River Valley settled in Missouri. The historic towns of Augusta and Defiancé, home of pioneer Daniel Boone, are part of this district. Other towns along the river include Dutzow, the first permanent German settlement in Missouri; Washington, which holds the state record for the most buildings on the National Register of Historic Places; and Hermann, recognized by its settlers as a German utopia.
#58
Nodaway County
2008
One of six counties carved out of the Platte Purchase, added to Missouri in 1836, Nodaway County appeared to its first white explorers to be a rolling prairie, marginal for agriculture but full of opportunity for those willing to bring hard work and ingenuity to the land. Within a generation of building cabins and experimenting with a wide variety of agricultural enterprises, the county boasted at least 17 towns, four railroad lines, 16 newspapers, and all the economic and cultural institutions necessary for boosters to lay claim to progress and civility. While residents of towns and the countryside often drew distinctions between one another, their lives were intertwined by mills, horse farms, livestock shows, new technology, churches, schools, public entertainment of every sort, and occasional times of hardship. By the 1920s, the communities of Nodaway County, supported by a vibrant and diverse rural economy, reached a zenith of locally generated economic growth and community activity, captured artfully by photographers during the decades that bracketed the turn of the 20th century.
#59
Osage Beach
2012
In 1886, the railroad-tie industry spawned the village of Zebra at the confluence of the Osage and Grand Glaize Rivers in the Ozark region of south central Missouri. Forty-five years later, when the Lake of the Ozarks was created by the construction of Bagnell Dam, the water inundated Zebra, and the village was reborn as Osage Beach. At its core, the bridge linked land, water, and people to create a recreational jewel in the heart of the Midwest, and the people, roadside businesses, and lakeside resorts featured in this book were among the pioneers who made it all possible. The story begins with the construction of the Grand Glaize Bridge, which became known as the Upside Down Bridge. US Highway 54 passes through Osage Beach, and this book follows the growth of the town as it spread east and west along the shoulders of the highway and out onto the peninsulas and shorelines of the lake.
#60
Ozark
2003
The name Ozark comes from the French Aux Arcs. The town of Ozark may have gotten its name because it is at the bend of the creek. Today the term Ozark refers to the large upland region that covers parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Ozark, Missouri is nestled in the hills of this region and serves as the county seat of Christian County. This book looks at Ozark's 150 year history, using vintage photographs from the Pegram Collection to capture the spirit of the town and surrounding areas. Ozark has long prided itself on its hospitality, and that is evident here in the images of people, events, schools, railroads, and more that have made Ozark the warm and friendly town it is today.
#62
Richmond Heights
1868-1940
2006
The city of Richmond Heights, located in St. Louis County, is a community rich in history. Incorporated in 1913, Richmond Heights was established as a residential suburb of St Louis. Early residents included the McCutcheon, Barron, Niesen, Grove, Brennan, Gay, Buehning, and DeBolt families. The introduction of modern highways and commerce altered the city's physical character, which prompted this publication. The authors hope this book encourages the citizens of Richmond Heights—and others—to embrace the city's history and promote preservation of its historic resources.
#63
Route 66 in the Missouri Ozarks
2009
Route 66 in the Missouri Ozarks picks up the journey west where its companion book, Route 66 in St. Louis, leaves off. As Bobby Troup's song says, Route 66 travels "more than 2,000 miles all the way." But one would be hard-pressed to "Show Me" a more scenic and historic segment than the Missouri Ozarks. The highway is lined with buildings covered with distinctive Ozark rock. It winds through a region of deep forests, sparkling streams, hidden caves, and spectacular bluffs. This book will take the traveler from Crawford County to the Kansas line. Along the way, there are small towns and urban centers, hotels and motels, caf s and souvenir stands. Take the time to explore Missouri's Route 66—it is waiting at the next exit.
#64
Route 66 in St. Louis
2008
Route 66 in the Missouri Ozarks picks up the journey west where its companion book, Route 66 in St. Louis, leaves off. As Bobby Troup’s song says, Route 66 travels “more than 2,000 miles all the way.” But one would be hard-pressed to “Show Me” a more scenic and historic segment than the Missouri Ozarks. The highway is lined with buildings covered with distinctive Ozark rock. It winds through a region of deep forests, sparkling streams, hidden caves, and spectacular bluffs. This book will take the traveler from Crawford County to the Kansas line. Along the way, there are small towns and urban centers, hotels and motels, cafés and souvenir stands. Take the time to explore Missouri’s Route 66—it is waiting at the next exit.
#65
Sedalia
2007
Sedalia, now a bustling hub of central Missouri, began as a mere interruption to a vast expanse of prairie grass. George R. Smith purchased 337 acres of treeless prairie in 1856, leading his neighbors to question his sanity. When he persuaded the Pacific Railroad to locate a depot on his land, his image—and that of his Sedville—began to change. Sedville, later Sedalia, soon became the county seat of Pettis County and earned a reputation as the "Queen of the Prairies." Sedalia chronicles the transformation of a rugged prairie town to the home of the Missouri State Fair and host to the international Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival. Sedalia's history is illustrated through more than 200 vintage images, showing the people, places, and events that shaped the town.
#66
Soulard, St. Louis
2000
From its earliest days as Old Frenchtown, Soulard, St. Louis, has embodied a bold and colorful tapestry of immigrant life in America. With remarkable depth, authors Montesi and Deposki have detailed the birth, destruction, and final restoration of this historic area through over 200 photographs. Bequeathed by the widow of surveyor Antoine Soulard to the city of St. Louis in 1842, what was once a plot of land intended for a vegetable market became a center of a community of popular parks, breweries, churches, and shops. Masses of Eastern European immigrants flocked to Soulard, just outside downtown St. Louis, to start a new life of hope and growth. German, Irish, Italian, and Czech influences can be seen here in the images of the infamous "brew barons," horse-drawn market carts, and "flounder" houses that the authors have reproduced with insightful captions. Captured here in original photographs is the inescapable fury of the Great Cyclone of 1896 that destroyed the area but not its clenched-fist determination to survive. Montesi and Deposki take us on a heroic journey through the annals of time to discover the tenacious heart of a neighborhood now known as St. Louis' most popular venue for jazz and blues.
#67
Southwest Garden
2008
The Southwest Garden neighborhood borders two internationally known St. Louis landmarks, the Missouri Botanical Garden, founded in 1859, and Tower Grove Park, established in 1868. The land for both the garden and the park was donated by their founder, Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist. Both destinations are designated as national historic landmarksathe garden is one of the oldest in the United States, and the park shares the honor of being on the National Register of Historic Places with only three other municipal parks in the nation. The botanical garden is the best place to start a historical walking tour of the Southwest Garden neighborhood.
#68
Southwest Missouri Mining
2000
The southwest corner of Missouri made fortunes for many early settlers to the area, and created an economic boom rivaling the Gold Rush. In this new book, author Jerry Pryor creates a pictorial history of the efforts of those who staked everything on the chance of striking a fortune underground in the land west of the Mississippi. As early as the first Native American occupation of the region, mining for ore had always been an essential aspect of life in southwestern Missouri. In the mid-19th century, mining towns sprung up like weeds, with early wanderers hearing tales of fortunes made, sometimes accidentally, while plowing fields rich in ore. Joplin, Webb City, Carterville, and Oronogo all have origins in the mining camps that eventually grew into booming towns and cities. Soon this rich belt of mining land fostered a variety of lifestyles, ranging from the poor man's attempt to support his family under difficult and frightening conditions, to entrepreneurs such as Alfred H. Rogers, who organized the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company, the largest inter-city system west of the Mississippi.
#69
Springfield
1830-1930
2011
Springfield, now the third-largest city in the state, was once an area favored by Native Americans for its natural beauty, mild climate, abundant timber, and excellent hunting and fishing. Founded by John Polk Campbell in 1829, the settlement grew steadily, thanks to its civic-minded residents. Springfield's many photographs show these diligent people at work as well as at play. Whether enjoying a vaudeville show at the Landers Theatre in 1891, riding a jitney or streetcar to Doling Park in 1915, or playing in the world's largest Boy Scout Band in 1925, the people of Springfield enjoyed themselves. Images depict businesses such as the Springfield Wagon Company, which became "king" of U.S. wagon manufacturing, and the "Frisco," whose operational hub was housed in Springfield, bringing commercial and industrial diversification. In 1926, the city became the birthplace of the Mother Road, Route 66, which firmly established Springfield's right to the name "Queen City of the Ozarks."
#70
St. Charles
Les Petites Cotes
2009
In 1769, French Canadian fur trader Louis Blanchette built a cabin on the Missouri River in what is today St. Charles. He called the settlement Les Petites Cotes, or the little hills. Other now famous explorers soon passed this way, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who began their expedition here in 1804 to explore the Louisiana Purchase territory. Daniel Boone forged a path through St. Charles along the Boone's Lick Trail, which later joined the Santa Fe Trail and then the Oregon Trail. Today St. Charles hosts many annual events to celebrate its rich history and transport visitors to the past. However, the site of Missouri's first state capitol has not survived without tragedy and an occasional natural disaster, including a cholera epidemic, tornadoes, floods, and a couple of disastrous railroad bridge accidents.
#71
St. Louis Arsenal
Armory of the West
2001
On the afternoon of May 10, 1861, Army Captain Nathaniel Lyon marched out of the St. Louis Arsenal at the head of 7,000 Union Regulars and Volunteers to capture an encampment of nearly 700 reputed Confederate sympathizers at Camp Jackson on the western outskirts of St. Louis. It probably did not occur to him that he was embarking on a mission that would forever enshrine his name, and that of the Arsenal, in the annals of Civil War history.In words and images, St. Louis Arsenal: Armory of the West relates in detail the story of the Arsenal, from its founding in 1827 through its transition to cavalry post in 1872, then traces its new life and changing fortunes as the installation adapted its mission to meet the ever changing needs of the federal government. Such personalities as William Beaumont, Ulysses S. Grant, William Sherman, Robert E. Lee, Nathaniel Lyon, Daniel Frost, and many others who would claim a place in American military history once served at, or had dealings with, the St. Louis Arsenal.
#72
St. Louis Casa Loma Ballroom
2005
In 1927, on the northeast corner of Cherokee and Iowa Streets in south St. Louis, a multistory, multipurpose building was erected. Retail shops and a bowling alley occupied the first floor, while upstairs was a place that defied the imagination of someone driving by in their brand new Model T Ford. Today, that upstairs space, with its lofty ceiling, huge maple tongue-in-groove dance floor, and wraparound balcony, is the Casa Loma Ballroom—St. Louis' last grand ballroom. Today, one gets the feeling that the ghosts of the big bands and the vocalists still linger there—and with good reason. Just about everybody who was anybody played there at one time or another. Ol' Blue Eyes himself, before he was the idol of millions, received just a meager "Featured Singer, Frank Sinatra" note at the bottom of the Casa Loma bill the night he played with the Harry James Orchestra.
#73
St. Louis Fire Department
2003
The St. Louis Fire Department was established in 1857 and is the second oldest paid fire department in the United States. This pictorial history portrays the department's rich history and exemplifies why its motto is "Justifiably Proud." The St. Louis Fire Department history is one of leadership and innovation. It was one of the first departments to purchase a 100' aerial ladder truck. It was also one of the first to establish an academy for the study of fire and the training of fire fighting recruits. In 1987, the department was the first in the nation to use a "Total Quint Concept," which combined the traditional fire truck and hook and ladder truck into one piece of equipment.
#76
St. Louis Radio and Television
2012
St. Louis sits near the center of the United States in an area sometimes termed flyover territory by those who live on the coasts. Although this city in the middle of the country is not generally known as the birthplace of broadcasting, it is in fact where Nikola Tesla demonstrated the first true broadcast in March 1893. Later, in 1920, two St. Louis men began a radio broadcast announcing the results of the Harding-Cox presidential election on the same night as KDKA in Pittsburgh, but the Pennsylvania event received all of the national recognition. Wireless broadcasts (in Morse code) of weather information were emanating from the campus of St. Louis University in 1912; that station, 9YK, became WEW in 1922. Television was introduced to St. Louisans in 1947, although at least one forward-thinking local broadcaster was experimenting with the medium as early as 1928.
#77
St. Louis Union Station
2002
When St. Louis' Union Station opened to the public in 1894, nearly 10,000 people gathered to celebrate. What they saw rivaled famed stations in the East, with its barrel-vaulted ceiling, sweeping archways, and Tiffany stained-glass windows. Modeled after the walled city of Carcassone, France, Union Station was one of the busiest in the world during its heyday. Follow the history of this great architectural triumph from its original glory days through its demise and rebirth. The days of rail transportation come to life in more than 200 historic images, from steam engines hissing into the 11-acre train shed, to the perky smiles of the renowned "Harvey Girls." Union Station is also seen here as tens of thousands of passengers a day dwindled to mere hundreds. As the automobile and airplane gained momentum in the 1950s and 60s, railroading lost popularity and St. Louis' Union Station fell into disrepair and eventually closed. Now restored to its original splendor, Union Station is again a bustling center of urban entertainment and activity.
#79
St. Louis
Bridges, Highways, and Roads
2016
Every street has a story. From the humblest cul-de-sac to the roaring interstates, the roads tell the stories and reveal the character that make each neighborhood unique. St. Louis was born of the great rivers, so its bridges played a crucial role. Together, the names of the roads tell the history of the child of the rivers that became the Gateway to the West. There are the stories behind the French street names pronounced in a uniquely St. Louis manner, the names purged from the map during World War I, and the histories behind the pioneers, politicians, developers, and everyday people who built St. Louis. Here are also the tragic tales of the epic struggle to bridge the great rivers. These photographs, many never published before, will show it all.
#80
St. Louis's Delmar Loop
2013
In 1902, magazine publisher Edward Gardner Lewis needed greater space for his thriving business, then based in downtown St. Louis. He headed west, out Delmar Boulevard a mile past the city line, and bought five acres of open land adjacent to the loop in the trolley tracks that sent the 10D streetcar back downtown. By 1903, Lewis was building a complex that included the Woman's Magazine Building, a five-story octagonal tower with an eight-ton searchlight in its dome. In 1906, University City was incorporated, and Lewis became its first mayor, serving three terms. In 1913, Lewis went west again, this time to found the utopian colony of Atascadero, California. His octagonal dazzler is now University City's City Hall. In 2007, in its first such list, the American Planning Association named the Delmar Loop one of the country's "Great Streets"—it's a long story.
#81
St. Louis's The Hill
2014
The Hill was named for its proximity to the highest point in St. Louis. Italians, mainly from Northern Italy, immigrated to the area starting in the late 1800s; however, by 1910, Sicilians were also immigrating to the Hill. Agencies in Italy were employed by mining companies and other industries to help Italian citizens gather all the required documentation for immigration. Italians came to the Hill because of its proximity to the factory and the mines and because it was a district that allowed them to purchase land and build a home. The Parish of St. Ambrose was founded 1903. After the original church was destroyed by fire, the new church was completed in 1926. The Hill has been home to some of St. Louis' nationally known residents, including baseball heroes Joe Garagiola and Lawrence "Yogi" Berra.
#83
Ste. Genevieve
2008
In the late 1600s and early 1700s, the French established forts, such as Fort de Chartres, in the mid–Mississippi Valley, as well as villages, such as River des Peres and Mine la Motte. Ste. Genevieve was founded in the late 1740s when French Canadians settled on the rich soil of the floodplain. They built homes, cultivated crops (including corn and cotton), and mined the rich veins of lead and the bluffs for stone. The great flood of 1785, referred to by early residents as l’année des grandes eaux, swept away the tiny village, and the mighty Mississippi River reclaimed its riverbed, forcing residents to move their village several miles farther west to higher ground. Today much of the early French culture remains in the numerous 18th- and 19th-century Creole houses that line the ancient streets. Germans began to arrive in the early 1800s and left their mark using the abundant clay and limestone for brick buildings and limestone houses. Ste. Genevieve is dotted with landmarks: the famous Bolduc House, the “post-in-the-ground” Amoureux House, the Felix Vallé House, and many other historic and architectural treasures.
#84
Steelville
2010
The settlement of Steelville, Missouri, was named in 1835 in honor of its first mercantile store and property owner James Steel. Since then, the little town has survived devastation, with the flood of 1898, and destruction, with the great fire of 1904. Yet while many neighboring towns such as Midland and Sankey have vanished, Steelville has been resilient and survived. This is thanks to its founding fathers who realized the importance of education, with the construction of the Steelville Academy in 1851, the Steelville School System in 1886, and bringing to town the Steelville Normal and Business Institute in 1890, where many a young lad and ladies commenced with a formal education. Many graduates went on to be successful, like John Zahorsky, who would become known internationally as the world's most influential pediatrician; Judge Albert L. Reeves, who helped settle this great nation's civil rights cases; and John T. Woodruff, the great attorney for the Frisco Railroad. The photographs of this book have been collected for years by those locals wanting to keep track of their heritage—from the building of their railroad, to the flood, to the simple pleasures of their lives, like picnics on the courthouse lawn.
#85
Sugar Creek
2010
During the 1840s and 1850s, many of the pioneers and much of the supplies they needed for overland trips west from Independence on the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails arrived at Wayne City Landing, the steamboat port on the Missouri River in what is now Sugar Creek. In 1892, Arthur Stillwell, a Kansas City railroad man, founded Fairmount Park, a first-class pleasure resort in the southern part of Sugar Creek that would be popular until the 1930s. Standard Oil of Indiana purchased land at the north end of Sugar Creek in 1903 and built a major refinery that would dominate the town until it ceased operations in 1982. Sugar Creek's early growth evolved around the refinery, and in 1920, the Jackson County Court established the City of Sugar Creek. This book illustrates the history of Sugar Creek in more than 200 vintage images, detailing the people, businesses, churches, schools, and community services that have shaped the town's past.
#87
Taney County
2001
Taney County, Missouri obtained its name from Roger B. Taney, who married Anne Key, sister of the author of America's national anthem, Francis Scott Key. With roots already embedded in Americana, this once fledgling area in southwestern Missouri would become home to hearty pioneers and entrepunearal miners, who would, over the centuries, transform it into the major tourist region it is today. Captured here in almost 200 vintage photographs are the lives and spirits of those souls who founded Taney County and fostered its growth throughout the years. These images span two centuries to include the pioneers and early farming families of the 19th century, as well as the hometown heroes of the World Wars. Pictured here are the one-room school houses, early photos of life on the Buffalo and White Rivers, the miners of the Turkey Creek Mining Company, and various events and residents of Kirbyville, Oak Grove, Mildred, and Branson, also known as the Nashville of the Ozarks.
#89
Unity Village
2009
In 1919, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, founders of the spiritual organization Unity, bought 58 acres of land about 20 miles from downtown Kansas City. With the ideas, faith, and passion of dozens of coworkers, the area grew from a weekend retreat of tents and ponds into Unity Farm, with a national reputation for its orchards and apple products. In 1953, the farm was incorporated as a Missouri municipalityaUnity Village. Those original few acres have now grown to more than 1,400 acres. Today Unity Village is the location of a worldwide ministry of publishing, prayer, and education. It is best known as the home of Daily Word magazine, with millions of readers in more than 180 countries, and Silent Unity, which receives more than two million requests for prayer support annually. Unity Village is on the National Register of Historic Places, and its English Cotswold and Italian architecture draw visitors from around the world.
#90
University City
2002
In 1904, from a plot of land that would soon become University City, eccentric publisher Edwin Gardner Lewis shone the beam of what he claimed was the world's largest searchlight over the World's Fair in nearby St. Louis. Several years later, he claimed an even greater possession: a city, created around his publishing complex, complete with his own mayoral office, wide boulevards, and beautiful residences. The story of University City is one of urban wonder: from the city's "Hilltop Neighbor" and namesake, Washington University, to the diversity showcased in today's University City. The historic images in this volume illustrate the area's founding and development, from the largest printing press of the time, capable of producing 300,000 eight-page newspapers an hour, to the lion sculptures at the city's famed "Gates of Opportunity," standing proud as the city's everlasting symbol.
#92
Warrensburg
2002
Warrensburg, Missouri, was destined to be more than a one-horse town. When Martin Warren set up his blacksmith shop in 1833, the farmers who gathered there to have their horses shod became the community's first citizens. The town was later named in honor of Warren. During the Civil War, Warrensburg hosted both Union and Confederate troops, who reportedly drilled on the same parade grounds. When the railroad reached Warrensburg on July 4, 1864, the frontier town began to thrive, eventually achieving success in agriculture and, since 1871, in higher education. Warrensburg, Missouri illustrates the history of the city in more than 200 vintage images, detailing the faces, places, and events that have colored the town. The "healing waters" of Pertle Springs drew visitors from all around, and in 1870, Warrensburg would be made famous by a trial concerning a slain hunting dog, Old Drum.
#93
Washington
2010
Washington Landing, as the settlement was called in the early 1800s, was a popular river port along the Missouri River. Many German immigrants were attracted to the rolling hills and valley reminiscent of their homeland, and other settlers saw potential as well. The settlement grew quickly, and by the time the town of Washington was officially established in 1839, it was the most prosperous town in Franklin County. John B. Busch established a brewery in Washington in 1854 and produced the first Busch Beer. Franz Schwarzer began manufacturing what would become his world-famous zither (a German, stringed musical instrument) in 1866. Henry Tibbe began making corncob pipes around 1869, and Washington later became known as the "Corncob Pipe Capital of the World." Today Washington holds the state record for the most buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts four museums, including the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame. Nestled in the heart of Missouri wine country, Washington draws thousands of visitors to the area each year.
#94
Webb City
2015
Agriculture—not mining—brought the first pioneers to Webb City. In 1856, John C. Webb moved his family from Tennessee to southwest Missouri. On the first day of June in 1859, he purchased 240 acres at the General Land Office in Springfield, Missouri. He farmed this land until 1873, when he found lead on top of the ground while plowing his cornfield. Webb City soon became part of the greatest lead and zinc mining district in the world. In September 1875, Webb platted the township of Webb City on part of this same land. His journey from farmer to wealthy mine owner may be a unique story in the world, but it was common in southwest Missouri. Like any boomtown, Webb City grew quickly, and businesses seemingly emerged overnight to meet the needs of the community, making many early founders rich. This book covers the changes in the community as it transitioned from farming to mining, as well as the influence of Route 66.
#95
Webster Groves
2015
Drive down almost any street in Webster Groves and one is filled with a sense of timelessness. Entire neighborhoods are in the National Register of Historic Places, and there are lovingly preserved century homes, beautiful old churches, avenues lined with gardens, and shopping districts more reminiscent of small-town America than a thriving suburb next door to the city of St. Louis. History runs deep here, as it is home to the first chapter of the Red Cross and the first Boy Scout Troop west of the Mississippi, the oldest women's organization in Missouri, the first professional fire department, and the first public library in St. Louis County. North Webster once held the only accredited high school for African American students in St. Louis County. Beginning as a site of country homes for St. Louis professionals, growing through a post-World War II boom that expanded into new neighborhoods, Webster Groves has remained true to its heritage and history.
#96
West Plains
1880-1930
2003
On the eve of the Civil War, West Plains was a sleepy county seat with a population of 150 and a wood-frame courthouse in its town square. During the war, this Southern Missouri town was burned, abandoned, and eventually reconstructed. With the arrival of the railroad in 1883, West Plains turned boomtown, and photographers were among the first entrepreneurs to arrive. This volume of vintage photographs documents the town as it grew, struggled, and prospered over the next 50 years. Pictured here are the washwomen and the bankers, the circuses and the fires, the schools and homes that helped build the West Plains of today.
#97
West Plains
1930-1970
2010
The Great Depression hit West Plains hard, but people were resilient and bounced back during World War II. The postwar years brought rural electrification, television, and paved roads. As the economy began to move away from agriculture to new industries, a flooring mill and shoe factory came to town, accompanied by a community hospital. Big band slipped into rock and roll, radio to television, and iceboxes to refrigerators. In 40 years, people went from Ford Model Ts to Mustangs and from silent films to the big screen at the 63 Drive In. By the end of the 1960s, the Beatles had arrived, and everyone was looking in their world atlas for a place called Vietnam. This is a pictorial journey through a small town in the Ozarks from the 1930s to the 1970s.
