The state is also known as the “Mother of the West,” because it once
lay at the frontier of the country. St. Louis, St. Charles, Independence,
St. Joseph, and Westport Landing (now Kansas City) served as settling
points for westbound pioneers. Today, Missouri’s proximity to the
geographical and population centers of the nation makes it an ideal center
for business, industry and tourism.
The state’s total resident population in Census 2000 was 5,595,211,
ranking Missouri 17th among all U.S. states. Jefferson City, Missouri’s
state capital, isn’t the state’s largest. That honor goes to St. Louis,
located just below the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers,
making it a key center for transportation and trade since the days of
Lewis and Clark. From St. Louis you can catch a nonstop plane to popular
European destinations, making it an international gateway. Anheuser Busch
Inc., the world’s largest brewer, is headquartered in St. Louis, as is the
Monsanto Company, a leader in genetic technology. Also in St. Louis is
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, manufacturer of military aircraft,
missiles and electronic equipment used worldwide. About 4.5 hours from St.
Louis is Missouri’s second major metro area, Kansas City, home of Hallmark
Inc., blues and barbecue.
Famous Missourians include:
Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the
United Stated, born in Lamar;
Samuel Clemens, commonly known by his
pen name, Mark Twain, born in Hannibal;
George Washington Carver,
born a slave near Diamond, Mo., known as a great scientist; distinguished
military leader
John J. Pershing, born in 1860 near Laclede, Mo.;
notorious outlaw
Jesse James, notorious outlaw, born in Kearney;
and the legendary pioneer scout
Daniel Boone, born in Defiance, in
the Missouri Territory as it was known before becoming a state.
Missouri is home to two NFL teams – The Kansas City Chiefs and the St.
Louis Rams; two major league baseball teams – the Kansas City Royals and
the St. Louis Rams; as well as the St. Louis Blues hockey team. There are
more than 80 state parks and historic sites with a variety of features:
winding rivers and streams, clear blue springs and limestone bluffs. There
are also more than 5,500 recorded caves.
Links:
St. Louis Science Center
American Jazz Museum
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Thomas Hart Benton Home
Harry S Truman Home National Historic Site
Bingham-Waggoner Estate
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Gateway Arch/Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Missouri Botanical Garden
Baldknobbers Jamboree
State Bird: Bluebird
State Floral Emblem: White Hawthorn Blossom
State Tree: Flowering dogwood
State Tree Nut: Eastern black walnut
State Animal: Missouri mule
State Horse: Missouri fox trotting horse
State Fish: Channel catfish
State Aquatic Animal: Paddlefish
State Motto: “The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law”
State Insect: Honeybee
State Beautification Plant:
State Fossil: Crinoid
State Mineral: Galena
State Rock: Mozarkite
State Song: “The Missouri Waltz”
State American Folk Dance: Square dance
State Musical Instrument: Fiddle
Statehood: August 10, 1821; the 24th state
