Missouri Trivia & Tidbits - Page 4

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

—In the 1860s, horticulturist George Husmann, who established the state’s wine industry in Hermann (pop. 2,674), helped save France’s wine industry when vineyards there were devastated by an aphid-like pest. Husmann shipped pest-resistant rootstock from wild Missouri vines to France.

first appeared: 4/22/2007

—In 1818, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne founded the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles (pop. 60,321), the first free school west of the Mississippi River. A bronze bust of Duchesne was added last year to the Hall of Famous Missourians in Jefferson City (pop. 39,636).

first appeared: 4/8/2007

—Dubbed the world’s smallest horse, Thumbelina, a miniature equine owned by Kay and Paul Goessling of Ladue (pop. 8,645), stands a mere 17½ inches tall at the withers, the ridge between the shoulder bones, and weighs 60 pounds. The sorrel brown mare sleeps in a doghouse.

first appeared: 3/25/2007

—Tightwad Bank closed in January after 22 years in business. Customers from around the nation opened accounts totaling $2.2 million at the Tightwad (pop. 63) institution because they enjoyed the novelty of writing checks listed from “Tightwad.”

first appeared: 3/11/2007

—Claire McCaskill, 53, became the state’s first elected female U.S. senator last year. Born in Rolla (pop. 16,367), she served as state auditor from 1999 until 2006.

first appeared: 2/27/2007

—Traveling salesman Max Hunter of Springfield took his reel-to-reel tape recorder into the Ozark hills of Missouri and Arkansas from 1956 to 1976 and recorded 1,600 folk songs and stories, helping preserve the region’s cultural legacy.

first appeared: 2/11/2007

—The state’s longest covered bridge is the 151-foot Locust Grove Covered Bridge near Laclede (pop. 415). Built in 1868, the bridge originally was called the Linn County Bridge and is one of four surviving covered bridges in the state.

first appeared: 1/28/2007

—In 1931, newly widowed Irma Rombauer of St. Louis needed to support her family and self-published 3,000 copies of The Joy of Cooking. Seventy-five years later, her book has sold millions of copies and remains a hit in the kitchen.

first appeared: 12/17/2006

—A life-size statue of cartoon character Beetle Bailey, loafing in a booth with a beer, adorns the campus of the University of Missouri at Columbia. Graduate Mort Walker created the lackadaisical Army private character and cartoon, which debuted in 1950, drawing inspiration from his time loafing at The Shack, a student hangout.

first appeared: 12/3/2006

—In 1972, Johnny Morris began stocking fishing lures in his father’s liquor store in Springfield and reeled in so many sales that he printed a mail-order catalog. Today, his Bass Pro Shops flagship outdoor store is the state’s top tourist attraction.

first appeared: 11/19/2006

—Visitors get an eyeful at the Optical Science Center and Museum in Hannibal (pop. 17,757) with light shows, 3-D posters and antique glasses. Displays also illustrate how contact lenses and artificial eyes are made.

first appeared: 11/5/2006

—Formed in 1948 in Springfield by evangelist brothers Bill and Monty Matthews, the Jordanaires have provided backup singing for Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley and other stars. The group originated the system of studio music notation known as the Nashville Number System.

first appeared: 10/22/2006

—The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, fought near Republic (pop. 8,438) on Aug. 10, 1861, was the first major Civil War engagement west of the Mississippi River, involving about 5,400 Union troops and 12,000 Confederates. Although a Confederate victory, the battle led to greater federal military activity in Missouri, and set the stage for the Battle of Pea Ridge eight months later in Arkansas. Among the casualties at Wilson’s Creek was Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in combat. Today, visitors can experience the 1,750-acre battlefield, which has changed little from its historic setting and is in near pristine condition.

first appeared: 10/22/2006

—Natural wonders abound underground in Missouri, nicknamed the “Cave State” because of its more than 5,500 surveyed caves. One cave even carries an enticing aroma: The Caveman Bar-BQ and Steak House is located inside a cave on a bluff overlooking the Gasconade River near Richland (pop. 1,805).

first appeared: 10/8/2006

Established in 1911, the Capaha Arrow at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau (pop. 35,349) is among the nation’s oldest college newspapers. The second editor was Rush Limbaugh Sr., grandfather of radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh.

first appeared: 9/24/2006

In 1904, St. Louis became the first city in the Western hemisphere to host the Olympic games, with most events held at Francis Field and Gymnasium at Washington University. Francis Field was rededicated 100 years later.

first appeared: 9/10/2006

Twelve gold-plated horseshoes were tossed at a golden spike in May to celebrate the groundbreaking of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame and Museum in Wentzville (pop. 6,896). The hall is slated to open this fall.

first appeared: 8/27/2006

Opened in 1894, Marvel Cave in Branson (pop. 6,050) is the state's deepest cave. Visitors get a workout descending steps and ramps more than 500 feet, but the return trip to daylight is made easier by a cable train.

first appeared: 8/13/2006

Independence, founded in 1827, was a jumping-off point for westward-bound travelers in the 1800s along the Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails. Trail diaries and other mementos document pioneer stories at the city's National Frontier Trails Museum.

first appeared: 7/30/2006

Laura Hawkins Frazer, the inspiration for Becky Thatcher in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, is buried in Big Creek Cemetery in Rensselaer (pop. 145). She and Samuel Clemens (Twain's real name) were childhood sweethearts in Hannibal (pop. 17,757).

first appeared: 7/16/2006

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