Missouri Trivia & Tidbits

Looking for Missouri trivia? Try our list Missouri little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

In 2008, Curt and Deborah Sleeper of Festus (pop. 9,660) completed their dream home inside a 17,000-square-foot cave hollowed out by mining in the 1930s. The three-story cave house has a timber frame exterior in its 37-foot-tall opening.

first appeared: 10/18/2009

The world's largest turquoise carving, which weighs 68 pounds, is among the gems at the Golden Pioneer Museum in Golden in Barry County (pop. 34,010).

first appeared: 10/4/2009

The oldest farmers market west of the Mississippi River is Historic Soulard Farmers Market in St. Louis. In 1838, Julia Cerre Soulard donated the land specifically for use as a marketplace, and vendors and farmers built the first permanent structure in the 1840s.

first appeared: 9/20/2009

Established in 1853, Kirkwood (pop. 27,324) is known as the "Queen of the St. Louis Suburbs" and was the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi River.

first appeared: 9/6/2009

Neck City (pop. 119) originally was known as Hell's Neck because of the rowdy nature of the mining town. When an application for a post office was made in 1899, "Hell" was dropped.

first appeared: 8/23/2009

Kip Cullers of Purdy (pop. 1,103) is the world's soybean king after harvesting 154 bushels of soybeans per acre, almost four times the national average, to set a world record in 2007.

first appeared: 8/9/2009

James White, 17, a junior at Grandview High School in Grandview (pop. 24,881), broke a 25-year national high school record for the high jump in April when he leapt 7 feet, 5¾ inches at the Winnetonka Invitational.

first appeared: 7/26/2009

—The first female governor in the United States was Nellie Tayloe Ross, who was elected Wyoming governor in 1924 to fill the unexpired term of her husband, William Ross. She was born in 1876 in St. Joseph (pop. 73,990).

first appeared: 7/12/2009

—The oldest continuously operated greenhouse conservatory in the United States is the Linnean House, built in 1882, at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

first appeared: 6/28/2009

—In 1957, Arthur Frommer published Europe on 5 Dollars a Day, based on his budget travels while he was in the military, and launched his line of travel books. Frommer, considered one of the nation's foremost travel authorities, spent most of his childhood in Jefferson City (pop. 39,636).

first appeared: 6/14/2009

—A collection of more than 200 rare French silk tapestries is displayed at the National Silk Art Museum inside the Saint George Hotel in Weston (pop. 1,631).

first appeared: 5/31/2009

—The state's oldest horse is Mr. Kid Bars, who turns 40 this month. The registered American quarter horse works at Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center in Columbia (pop. 84,531). Most horses don't live longer than 30 years.

first appeared: 5/17/2009

—The state's first poet laureate is Walter Bargen, of Ashland (pop. 1,869), appointed in 2008. His work has appeared in more than 100 publications.

first appeared: 5/3/2009

–The village of Plad in Dallas County (pop. 15,661) was supposed to be named "Glad," but the post office made a mistake and residents decided it was too much trouble to correct.

first appeared: 4/19/2009

—The ice cream cone was designated the official state dessert last year, in part because of its popularity at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. The designation promotes the state's dairy and frozen dessert industries.

first appeared: 4/5/2009

—Guitarist Tony Melendez, who was born without arms, plays guitar with his toes and performs nationally with his Toe Jam Band. Melendez's music ministry is based in Branson (pop. 6,050).

first appeared: 3/22/2009

—The 1896 Gasconade County Courthouse in Hermann (pop. 2,674) was funded with a $50,000 gift from the will of resident Charles Eitzen. It’s believed to be the only privately funded courthouse in the nation.

first appeared: 3/8/2009

—At the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, visitors can handle a solid gold bar, which weighs about 27 pounds and is worth about $400,000. The gold’s value changes daily. Visitors also get a close-up look at one of the region’s largest automated cash vaults, and can watch bank employees and robots move large containers of cash within a secure area.

first appeared: 2/22/2009

—According to legend, the former village of Surprise, in Oregon County (pop. 10,344), earned its name because J.L.C. Turner, who operated a mill on the Eleven Point River, and residents were astonished that approval was granted for a post office.

first appeared: 2/8/2009

—In 1904, St. Louis brothers Edward, Richard and William Tritschler each qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in gymnastics, though none medaled during the Summer Games that year in their hometown.

first appeared: 1/11/2009

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.