MoHistory

Rusty. Ginger. Copper Top. If you know a redhead, or are lucky enough to be one yourself, chances are you’ve heard these nicknames before. Redheads hold a special place in cultures around the world. In every shade from deepest auburn to brightest orange, less than 2% of the world’s population are natural redheads, yet they …

Continue reading "Five Famous Missouri Redheads"

The Merchant of Menace. The Master of Horror. King of the Grand Guinol. The Renaissance Man. The Candy Kid. Goth Mr. Rogers. He was a man of many nicknames—okay, that last one is credited to a single Twitter user, but it’s on point—but when he was born in St. Louis on May 27, 1911, he …

Continue reading "Vincent Price Beyond the Screen"

In 1894, a group of St. Louis businessmen petitioned the courts to incorporate a civic organization with a grand ambition to educate, inform, and attract visitors to the city . . . and an unusual name. The object and scope of the association were stated to be educational . . . for the purpose of …

Continue reading "King Hotu and the Mystic Order of Funny Fellows"

The vast collection of clothing and textiles housed at the Missouri Historical Society speaks to numerous facets of life. From domestic textiles to elaborate stage costumes to expertly made shoes and sumptuous gowns, MHS strives to collect pieces that speak directly to the lives of St. Louisans. In celebration of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, …

Continue reading "Celebrating the Grace Strobel Collection during Down Syndrome Awareness Month"

The aroma of collard greens, cornbread, turkey, dressing, and sweet potato pie connects Black Americans to the cultural tradition of soul food. These memories surrounding food evoke a cultural connection of gathering around the kitchen table. From the sensory experience of sight, smell, and flavor, Black communities find enjoyment in gathering and communing over a …

Continue reading "The Cultural Tradition of Soul Food"

This is the first part of a four-part series looking at the Ghost Army of World War II. Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II is a special exhibit open at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum until January 12, 2025. In the words of authors Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Styles, the 23rd Headquarters …

Continue reading "Seeing is Believing: The Ghost Army’s Visual Deception"

First Thing’s First: What’s a Zine? A zine (pronounced “zeen”) can be many things. Zines, short for “fanzine” or “magazine,” have always been DIY and small batch. Zines exist to help people connect to each other over shared fandoms, opinions, or art. Even with the convenience of digital zines, many zines still have touches of handmade …

Continue reading "A Primer for Exploring Zines and Comics in STL"

Abigail Sarver-Verhey, exhibit designer, and Ian Darnell, assistant curator, were part of the team that planned the Missouri History Museum’s Gateway to Pride exhibit, and they knew they wanted to create something special. Gateway to Pride is, after all, the first full-scale museum exhibit on St. Louis’s storied LGBTQIA+ history. “We suspected some visitors might have …

Continue reading "Envisioning Gateway to Pride"

EDITOR’S NOTE: In order to bring a plurality of voices to our storytelling, the Missouri Historical Society frequently asks guest writers to contribute to History Happens Here. The views and opinions expressed by guest contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missouri Historical Society, its affiliates, or …

Continue reading "Notable Chinese Alumni of Missouri Institutions, Part 3"

On March 22, 1994, Rodney Wilson told his students at Mehlville High School that he was gay. This announcement wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment reveal. Wilson was teaching his students about the Holocaust and the different identification tags assigned to prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. The 29-year-old teacher explained that had he had been alive at …

Continue reading "Rodney Wilson: The Founder of LGBT History Month"

Driven to cure cancer and further research on malaria, Dr. Lincoln “Doc” Diuguid served St. Louis’s Black community for more than 60 years. The youngest of nine children, he was born to Lewis and Bettie Diuguid on February 6, 1917, in Lynchburg, Virginia. During his childhood, he witnessed the Ku Klux Klan ride down Main …

Continue reading "Dr. Lincoln Diuguid and Du-Good Chemical"

From 2004 to 2008 and resuming in the summer of 2023, I’ve been translating documents from the Delassus-St. Vrain Family Collection from French (and sometimes Spanish) into English. Charles de Hault de Lassus de Luzières (1764–1846) was the last lieutenant governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory before it was sold to the US in 1803. This …

Continue reading "Translating History: The Delassus-St. Vrain Family Collection"

Edward E. Boccia served his country during World War II as a private in the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion in the Ghost Army (23rd Headquarters Special Troops), which was presented a Congressional Gold Medal in March 2024. Born June 21, 1921, in Newark, New Jersey, to Cono and Frances Boccia, he was recruited by the …

Continue reading "An Artist in the Ghost Army"

The late Mildred Huffman’s life is a remarkable story of balancing family responsibilities with a steadfast commitment to public service. A native St. Louisan, her journey from a dedicated homemaker to a trailblazing politician perfectly illustrated her ability to manage diverse roles with unparalleled grace. Mildred’s early life was steeped in the values of community …

Continue reading "Mildred Huffman: Wife, Mother, Trailblazer"

Black and Chinese Americans have faced unique challenges due to racial discrimination and segregation, and their experiences of being cast aside from society ignited a profound intercultural relationship in the 1900s. The shared history between the two communities is much more interconnected than we may think, and St. Louis is a prime example. After emancipation, …

Continue reading "Connections between Mill Creek Valley and Hop Alley"

Beginning in 1921, the Egan-Hogan War was fueled by the abrupt changes Prohibition brought to St. Louis. As the ban on alcohol took effect, the city’s criminal landscape shifted dramatically, leading to fierce battles for control. Egan’s Rats, led by William “Dinty” Colbeck, and the Hogan Gang, led by Edward “Jelly Roll” Hogan, were the …

Continue reading "Bootleg Bloodbath: The Egan-Hogan War and St. Louis’s Fight for Control"

The north entrance of the Jefferson Memorial had the potential to be an amazing space, but financial and logistical issues occurred through the years. The Stupp fountain, which opened in 1984, was one of the many changes that happened within the last 50 years that helped make the Missouri History Museum’s North Lawn the iconic, …

Continue reading "Making a Grander Entrance: The Missouri History Museum’s North Lawn, Part 2"

This September, St. Louis is set to embrace its rich history and vibrant heritage as it becomes the focal point of the Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History’s 2024 Community Curation Program. Known for its impactful projects in cities like Chicago and New Orleans, the organization is bringing its expertise and …

Continue reading "Journeying into St. Louis’s African American Heritage"

With its beautiful Stupp fountain, majestic marble columns, and iconic STL letters, St. Louisans today think of the Missouri History Museum’s North Lawn as a place for parties, picnics, and photo ops. While the entrance itself has always been an attractive and welcoming space, the area surrounding it has undergone significant changes and upgrades since …

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Autumn brings annual favorites ranging from our Twilight Thursdays concert series in September to the Veterans Day Celebration at Soldiers Memorial in November. You can also enjoy special events around Halloween and Día de los Muertos as well as talks on a variety of fascinating historical topics. Here are 10 moments at the Missouri Historical …

Continue reading "10 Fall Moments You Won’t Want to Miss at MHS"