Missouri History Museum

In 1870, homesick journalist Carl Dänzer longed to see the European birds of his youth darting among St. Louis’s trees. He imported 24 Eurasian tree sparrows—a bird unassumingly common in Europe and Asia but nonexistent in North America—and released them in Lafayette Park. More than 150 years later, the St. Louis region now has a population of birds 15,000 strong, all descendants of Dänzer’s colony of two dozen transplants.

St. Louis is more interesting, more complex, and more surprising than you might realize. It all starts with an introduction at mohistory.org/vision

Do you think you know St. Louis landmarks? Test your knowledge by playing this week’s chip wall challenge! Swipe → for the answers.

You can color various St. Louis buildings pink (or your favorite color!) by visiting . The exhibit is open until September 2, 2024. 🎨💗

In 1995, St. Louis’s Blacks Assisting Blacks Against AIDS (BABAA) organized the first annual B-Boy Blues Festival, or the B-Boy Festival.

Named after James Earl Hardy’s landmark novel about Black gay life, first published the previous year, the event was a fundraiser for BABAA and an opportunity for community building. Later rebranded Black Pride St. Louis and operated by an organization of the same name, the yearly festival remains a local tradition and an opportunity to celebrate the distinctive culture of q***r Black people.

Black Pride St. Louis takes place this weekend, and you can find artifacts from previous years on display in our exhibit.

Saturday, August 13, 1904, was "Philippine Day" at the 1904 World's Fair. But this wasn't a day set aside to celebrate Filipino culture. Instead, it was a day meant to celebrate the US's recent colonial extension into the Philippines. The day itself was chosen to commemorate The Battle of Manila, after which the US took control of the Philippines.

To help commemorate Philippine Day, US Secretary of War William Howard Taft visited the Fair on August 13. While at the Fair, Taft, who had served as the US Governor-General of the Philippines from 1901 to 1903, watched military parades and visited the Fair's Philippine Reservation, where over 1,000 Filipinos were made to put their lives and bodies on display for the Fairgoing public.

Taft was hardly the only one—the Fair saw over 125,000 visitors on August 13, many of whom were there to see this latest display of American imperial might.

Interested in learning even more about the Philippine Reservation? Explore our exhibit and join us this Thursday for a program on the legacy of prejudice at the Fair.

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Catch a conversation about how persistent narratives of the affect our world today and how we can move forward intentionally at this week's . The panel will consist of artist Ria Unson and Linda Nance, president of the Annie Malone Historical Society and national historian of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, Inc. (NACWC), and their conversation will be moderated by Dave Walsh, professor of American culture studies at Washington University.

The event will also feature a sneak peek at MHS Press’s newest book, "The Wonder and Complexity of the 1904 World’s Fair," which will feature essays by Nance, Unson, and Walsh. It'll be available for purchase starting in November. Arrive early at 5pm for happy hour activities and refreshments available for purchase from the Key Bistro.

Presented by Washington University in St. Louis and Wells Fargo

Learn more: https://mohistory.org/events/the-legacy-of-prejudice-at-the-1904-worlds-fair

There was an Automobile Day at the 1904 World's Fair? It's true! The parade of vehicles, which toured through the fairgrounds , featured "motor cars from nearly every large city in the country, and some from cities not so large."

See our newly renovated exhibit to learn more about technology in 20th century America!

The 2024 Paris Olympics may have come to a close, but its legacy as an Olympic host city lives on. As the site of the first Games ever held in the US—and one of only three American cities to ever host the Summer Games—St. Louis can also claim an important role in Olympic history. But few Games have been as harshly criticized as those held in St. Louis in 1904 alongside the World's Fair.

Read more about St. Louis's complicated Olympic legacy—from the ugliness of the Anthropology Days to a lack of international athletes—then join us on Thursday night for a program about the legacy of prejudice at the 1904 World's Fair.

Blog post: https://mohistory.org/blog/an-olympic-legacy-in-dispute

The Young Friends of the Missouri Historical Society would like to invite you to explore the Missouri History Museum after dark!

The thrilling evening will be filled with a scavenger hunt, food, drinks, and a cash prize for the winning team. The second- and third-place winners will receive their choice of a private tour of our newest exhibits, or the . All proceeds will benefit the Missouri Historical Society.

🗓️ August 24 at 6:30pm
🎟️ $20 per person or $75 for a team of 4
🔗 Register here: https://mohistory.org/events/scavenger-hunt-08-24-2024

We're turning 158 today! The Missouri Historical Society was founded in 1866 by educator Elihu Shepard and dozens of St. Louis's business and civic leaders “for the purpose of saving from oblivion the early history of the city and state, but more particularly that of the city.”

Today MHS encompasses the Missouri History Museum, Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, and the Missouri Historical Society Library & Research Center.

These elaborate cakes helped us celebrate our 100th anniversary in 1966 and our 150th anniversary in 2016. 🎂

We’re back to test whether or not you can identify these four St. Louis buildings!

Didn't get them all right? Don't feel blue! Come visit to see more of the chip walls in person and let coloring St. Louis buildings cheer you up! The exhibit is open until September 2nd! 🏙️🖌️

The 1904 Olympics were the first time a marathon was run west of the Mississippi River. Out of the field of 32 athletes, John Fullough was the only St. Louisan to compete. Cuban Felix Carvajal hitchhiked to St. Louis, but had to run in his street clothes. South Africa sent two runners, Len Taunyane and Jan Mashiani, who finished 9th and 12th respectively.

Only 14 runners finished the less than 25-mile race. The race took place in the afternoon, and the temperature was over 90 degrees and humid. After five laps around the stadium, the course moved out to country roads that were both hilly and dusty.

Organizers were interested in conducting an experiment with the runners to learn more about how the human body reacts to dehydration, so there was only one water station about halfway through the course. Passing vehicles and the follow cars churned up dust that the runners inhaled. Many dropped out, and some cheated by catching rides for part of the distance.

The eventual winner, Thomas Hicks, was aided by his trainers, who gave him shots of strychnine and egg whites mixed in brandy. His time was 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 53 seconds—by far the longest time ever for an Olympic marathon.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

“With my needle, I kept bread in the mouths of seventeen people for two years and five months,” Elizabeth Keckly recalled of her time enslaved in St. Louis, making exquisite dresses for the city’s wealthy. She purchased her freedom and moved to Washington, DC, where she became the personal modiste and close friend of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In 1868 she published her autobiography, Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House.

St. Louis is more interesting, more complex, and more surprising than you might realize. It all starts with an introduction at mohistory.org/vision

History was made at the 1904 Olympics when Milwaukee Athletic Club runner George Poage won bronze in the 400-meter hurdles. Poage, a native of Hannibal, Missouri, had moved to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, when he was a child. On August 31, 1904, he became the first African American to medal in an Olympic event. He also took bronze in the 200-meter hurdles the following day. After the Olympics, Poage stayed in St. Louis and taught English at Sumner High School.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

Today marks 10 years since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri—an event that changed the world. Since his death, the Missouri Historical Society has documented this moment in St. Louis history and hosted conversations and programs contending with the tragedy and the wave of activism that followed.

Yesterday evening we held a panel discussion with The Michael Brown Sr. Chosen For Change Organization. We hope you'll also join us for our Family Activism Day in Memory of Michael Brown on 8/17.

📷 : Protest art in Ferguson, 2014. Photo by Lawrence Bryant.

The last day of the official 1904 Olympic Games was September 3 and included more running and jumping events. On that day, Ray Ewry of the New York Athletic Club won his third gold medal in an event called standing triple jump, with a distance of more than 34 feet and 7 inches.

Ewry was dominant in each of the first three modern Olympics in the standing jumps category, winning eight gold medals in eight years. His feats are even more impressive when you consider that Ewry was a polio survivor.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

Since the inaugural event in San Francisco in 1982, the Gay Games have celebrated equality, inclusion, and diversity, with participation open to all regardless of age or ability. Track and field events for the 1994 Gay Games took place at Downing Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City.

Adding to the medals she won in the 200-meter dash at the two previous Gay Games, St. Louisan Kris Kleindienst brought home gold medals in the 40–45 age category in the 100 and 200-meter dash.

You can explore additional LGBTQIA+ sports history in our exhibit.

Individuals on the autism spectrum and their companions are invited to join us for the 8/19 Sensory-Friendly Morning at the Missouri History Museum!

To ensure a positive experience for all attendees with autism, lighting and noise levels in and other spaces inside our building will be adjusted to create a more inclusive atmosphere to minimize sensory overload and provide a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

Register: https://mohistory.org/events/sensory-friendly-morning

Boxing was first introduced as an Olympic sport in 1904. There were seven weight classes with 18 boxers, all from the US. St. Louis Business Men's Gymnasium member Oliver Kirk had the distinction of winning two gold medals in the sport, in different weight classes. He won in the bantamweight and then the featherweight class.

Women's boxing (seen here) was held in 1904 as an exhibition sport only. It wouldn't become an official Olympic sport until 2012.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

📸: Wikimedia Commons

We're halfway between the GOP Convention and the Democratic National Convention! that St. Louis has played host to political conventions dating back to 1876?

Get the history about them on our blog: https://mohistory.org/blog/national-conventions

Soccer was a demonstration sport at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. While the Galt team of Ontario, Canada, won gold, two St. Louis teams also medaled. Since both teams had lost to Galt, CBC High School - St. Louis, MO and St. Rose played each other in the silver medal matchup.

The match, held November 18, ended in a 1-1 draw with night approaching, thus prompting another game to determine a winner. The first game was hard fought, with St. Rose losing a player to a devastating injury when Tom Cook fractured his leg in the first half. The rematch took place the next week because many of the players were also involved in the rugby tournament. CBC won the match 2-0 and received the silver medal, while St. Rose earned the bronze.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

The Michael Brown Sr. Chosen For Change Organization is a nonprofit organization that provides holistic grief support and outreach programs to families who have experienced a traumatic loss. Attend this week's for a panel conversation with leaders and participants in their Chosen Fathers Program as they share about the lives of their children “Before the Hashtag” and how the program creates a safe and supportive space for grieving men to heal, bond, and grow together.

Presented by Washington University in St. Louis and Wells Fargo

Learn more: https://mohistory.org/events/our-children-before-the-hashtag

The fourth day of the 1904 Olympics included running competitions and tug-of-war, an event that had been at each of the last two Olympics and would remain an official part of the Games up to 1924.

The finalists for tug-of-war were the Milwaukee Athletic Club and Southwest Turnverein #1 of St. Louis. Milwaukee was awarded the gold medal, but St. Louis team members accused them of cheating when they allowed stronger non-members of the club to compete. St. Louis pleaded their case, but the officials let the outcome stand. Southwest Turnverein #2 St. Louis team won the bronze.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

The 1904 St. Louis Olympics started later and lasted longer than the 2024 Paris Olympics. Track and field events kicked off the Games in late August, followed by swimming, golf, and boxing events in September. Wrestling and gymnastics—including running, throwing, and jumping events—were held in October.

For each of the track and field events, a prominent businessman sponsored a contest and provided a loving cup along with the medal. Samuel S. Jones of the New York Athletic Club received the gold medal and a silver loving cup in the running high jump with a height of 5 feet 11 inches. Jones's cup was presented by John A. Holmes.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

Our final African American History Initiative (AAHI) Summer 2024 Intern feature is on Zea'Neya Rhone! The recent Sumner High School graduate had this to say about her month-long contributions.

"My last day here was actually my best day out of the whole month I have been working here. I love the people I get to work with, and I love the activities. . . . Best museum ever! Hopefully, I'll be back."

The Women's 100m Finals are taking place at the Paris Olympics today, so we're taking a look back at gold medalist Helen Stephens, who inspired generations of women athletes in Missouri and beyond as the "Fulton Flash."

Growing up a tomboy in Fulton, Missouri, Stephens demonstrated exceptional athletic ability from an early age. She took her talents to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, where the 18-year-old Stephens won two gold medals.

While Stephens gained global fame as an Olympic champion, she felt she had to hide that she loved and had romantic relationships with other women. In later years, she settled in St. Louis and spent most of her life with a female partner, Mabel Robbe.

You can learn more about Stephens's story when you visit our exhibit.

Roque, a variation of croquet, was an Olympic event only in 1904. It differs from croquet in that it's played on a hard, somewhat octagonal surface with a curb used for propelling the ball through the course of 10 arches to the finish. Only four contestants, all from the US, entered.

The tournament took place in early August and consisted of a double round-robin style with each contestant playing their opponents twice. Charles Jacobus, a 64-year-old from Massachusetts, earned gold with five wins and one loss. Jacobus held the title of Father of American Roque, so it's fitting that he won the competition.

Track the Olympics from 1904 St. Louis to 2024 Paris. Connect with other stories in our and exhibits!

📷 : St. Louis Public Library via Wikimedia Commons

The next Summer 2024 Intern spotlight is on Laura Shimel, the Content Writing Intern in our Marketing & Communications Department. How did her internship experience teach her more about the work of museums?

"I was fortunate to work at MHS last year and was introduced to many staff members during that time, especially during the networking lunches Kat and Susi organized. This summer the speed networking has been a great way to meet staff from across the organization. Also, interviewed exhibit designers, curators, and others to compose blog posts specifically about the work they do at MHS."

Keeping one’s name in good standing has always been serious business, but in early 19th-century St. Louis, it could have life-or-death consequences. For the “gentlemen” of upper-class St. Louis, any offense to another man’s honor could result in a challenge to duel—possibly to the death. The ground for settling scores was “Bloody Island”—a Mississippi River sandbar just off the city’s levee that became the last place some of St. Louis’s most prominent citizens ever saw.

St. Louis is more interesting, more complex, and more surprising than you might realize. It all starts with an introduction at mohistory.org/vision

Take a jaunt through Grand Center on our Musical St. Louis tour this month! It's one of 20 public walking tours we're offering in August. Book your experience at https://mohistory.org/learn/see-stl