Missouri

History: Native Americans inhabited and settled in Missouri about 12,000 years ago. A complex Mississippian culture built cities with large earthen mounds. The first European arrivals were French Canadians, who created the first settlement at Ste. Genevieve in 1740. Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory claimed by France. In 1803 it was sold to the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase. It joined the U.S. as the 24^th state on August 10, 1821. After that, Missouri became the ‘Gateway to the West’ because so many westward trails started there.

Economy: Major industries in Missouri include aerospace, transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, printing/publishing, electrical equipment, and others. Agriculturally, Missouri produces beef, soybeans, pork, dairy products, hay, corn, poultry, sorghum (corn feed for animals), cotton, rice, and eggs. It has the second highest number of farms in any state after Texas. Natural resources in abundance in Missouri are limestone and lead, also mined are coal and crushed stone.

Climate: Missouri’s climate is generally a humid continental climate with cool, and sometimes cold winters and hot, humid, and wet summers. In some areas, it becomes humid subtropical (in the bootheel near the Mississippi River). Because Missouri is in ‘Tornado Alley’, it often receives extreme weather like severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Geography: Missouri is landlocked (touching no ocean or sea) and borders eight different states. There are basically four geographical regions in Missouri: the wiggly section on the eastern border due to the Mississippi River; the Dissected Till Plains in the north; Osage Plains in the west; and the Ozark Plateau in the southern half. Most of Missouri is flat, with some forested ridges, springs and caves in the Ozark Plateau.

Fun Facts:

Missouri has been home to many famous writers like T.S. Eliot, Mark Twain, and Tennessee Williams.
It’s nickname is the ‘Show-Me’ state because a congressman once said “I’m from Missouri and you’ve got to show me!”
There are more than 6000 caves in Missouri, and has the only cave restaurant in the U.S.
Missouri has had four of the worst earthquakes in U.S. history, the largest one a magnitude 8.0 sometime between December 1811-February 1812.
Valentine Tapley of Pike County declared that he would never shave again if Lincoln was elected President; his beard grew to be 12 ft 6 inches long.
Several new foods were introduced or popularized at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis: waffle cone, cotton candy, peanut butter, puffed wheat, iced tea, and Dr. Pepper.

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