National Missouri Day – January 4, 2025

History of National Missouri Day

The history of Missouri began during the Paleo-Indian period in about 12,000 B.C. when Native Americans settled in the area. Ensuing periods of native life developed until the 17th century, then New France set up small settlements. After some years, Napoleonic France sold the area to the U.S. in 1803, as a portion of the Louisiana Purchase.

Statehood for Missouri came after the Missouri Compromise in 1820 that authorized slavery, and the settlement was rapid after 1820, boosted by a network of rivers made passable by steamboats and by being centered in the city of St. Louis. This attracted European settlers, particularly the Germans. The Civil War saw multiple small battles and influence by the Union. But after the war, the economy became diverse and railroads set up in Kansas City opened up new farmlands in the west.

Missouri is named after the indigenous Missouri Indians. It comes from the word ‘ouemessourita’ meaning “wooden canoe people” or “those who have dugout canoes.”

The idea for National Missouri Day came from the school teacher and native Missourian Anna Lee Brosius Korn. She composed the old state song, “Missouri”, and felt that the state required a whole day to acknowledge significant Missourians. So, in 1915, House Bill 122 created Missouri Day and set it  aside as a day to “foster love for our state’s history and to teach rising generations of boys and girls the glories of Missouri.” Today, Missouri is renowned for its natural beauty, with beautiful lakes, varieties of trees, and wildflowers. The state also yields the most lime in the nation and is the top producer of mined lead in the United States.