Last updated on July 9th, 2023
56. Missouri has a rich history in the automotive industry, with the first successful gasoline-powered automobile built by Charles Duryea in Springfield.
57. Missouri is home to several historic sites related to the Lewis and Clark expedition, including the Lewis and Clark Boat House and Nature Center in St. Charles.
58. The state has a thriving film industry, with many movies and TV shows filmed in Missouri, including “Gone Girl” and “Winter’s Bone.”
59. Missouri is home to the National Museum of Military Vehicles, which displays a collection of military vehicles dating back to World War II.
60. The state’s official mineral is galena, which played a significant role in the state’s early economy due to lead mining.
61. Missouri is home to the “Kansas City Board of Trade,” one of the oldest futures and commodities exchanges in the United States.
62. Missouri is home to several famous athletes, including baseball legends like Stan Musial, Buck O’Neil, and George Brett.
63. The town of Uranus, Missouri, has a unique tourist attraction called “Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store,” known for its quirky humor and unusual souvenirs.
64. Missouri was once home to the “World’s Largest Pecan,” a 12-foot-tall concrete sculpture located in Brunswick, paying homage to the state’s pecan-growing industry.
65. The town of Licking, Missouri, holds an annual “Frog Jumping Contest,” inspired by Mark Twain’s story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”
66. Missouri is the birthplace of sliced bread. In 1928, the Chillicothe Baking Company became the first to sell pre-sliced bread to the public.
67. The Lake of the Ozarks is a vast reservoir known for its recreational activities, including boating, fishing, and water sports.
68. Missouri has more than 1,000 miles of navigable waterways, including the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.
69. The state has a significant presence in the aerospace industry, with companies like Boeing having a major presence in the state.
70. Springfield, MO is a renaissance city for youths. It is a good place for scholars, offering 22 colleges plus a leading public university in the state of Missouri. Most of the old buildings have been restored and turned into coffee shops, lofts, music venues, offices, boutiques, and restaurants.
71. Columbia, the fourth most populous city in Missouri was once a home of Mound Builders during the prehistoric era. This was a large community of native Americans that built mounds from Mississippi River to the mountains of Appalachian. Most of the mounds they managed to create are found in Ohio and Mississippi.
72. St. Charles, a restored city situated on Missouri River welcomes guests thanks to its strategic location and entry to the Louisiana Purchase, a western territory. Historic characters including Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark played an important role in shaping the town into what it is today. These brave pioneers left exploits at the historical sites of St. Charles.
73. According to Money Magazine St. Peters is the best place to live in Missouri and among the top 100 residential areas in America. Houses are quite affordable in St. Peters and the schools here do better than the state’s average scores especially in Math and languages.
74. Known for Arch Nemesis, the city of O’Fallon offers unique pizzas that are not made with the usual Provel cheese which many people crave for. Rather, the pizza sold in O’Fallon restaurants is cooked with Zesty Pizza Loaf, a less flavorful, and a less expensive option.
75. Lee’s Summit began as a small town of Strother with 11 blocks adjacent to Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks. Today, Lee’s Summit has a well-developed downtown that came out of the 11 blocks. Major events happen in the Downtown District including Lee’s Summit Farmers Market.
About the Flag of Missouri
1. Design and Symbolism
The Missouri flag has three horizontal bands: red, white, and blue. At the center is the state coat of arms with a thick circular border filled with stars.
Red represents courage, and white signifies purity. Blue is a symbol of permanence, vigilance, and justice. The tri-color design is reminiscent of the flag of France and the Netherlands, reflecting the heavy European influence on the state during its early years.
The coat of arms features two bears protecting a round shield. It shows a crescent moon, a bear silhouette, and a bald eagle. These are encircled by the motto “United we stand, divided we fall.”
2. Adoption
The official adoption date is March 22, 1913. The flag continues to fly with the original Marie Oliver design today.
3. Technical Details
Ensure that the flag has a proportion of 7:12 and that the colored stripes have equal width. The blue circle should have 24 stars – a nod to Missouri as the 24th state. The seal has an additional 37 stars, bringing the total to 61.
The state seal has the motto “Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto” or “The Welfare of the People Should Be the Supreme Law.” Underneath are the Roman numerals MDCCCXX or 1820.
4. History
The First Flag
In 1821, Missouri became the 24th state in the US. Their coat of arms came out the following year. However, there was no official flag for forty years. In 1861, Major-General Sterling Price told the State Guard to adopt a state flag made from blue merino with the Missouri coat-of-arms in gold.
The Second Flag
In 1908, Marie Elizabeth Oliver began studying state flags. She sent letters to government officials asking about flag design and adoption.
Her efforts led to a design featuring the Missouri coat of arms. It was painted on paper by her friend Mary Kochitzky. Unfortunately, it did not get the approval of the House. In 1911, the Capitol burned down along with the paper flag.
Undaunted, Marie Oliver sewed a second flag with the help of Mrs. SD MacFarland. The silk flag got enough positive feedback to ensure adoption. In 1913, Gov. Elliot Woolfolk Major made it official when he signed the Oliver Flag Bill.
5. Facts
Dr. GH Holcomb designed a rival flag. The Holcomb flag faced opposition because it resembled the US flag. Critics also said that it lacked symbols unique to Missouri.
Marie Oliver kept the silk flag until 1961 when her son turned it over to Missouri. In 1988, elementary students raised money to restore the flag. It is now on display at the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center in Jefferson City.
The Missouri state flag arose from the Oliver-Leming House. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The red brick structure has 2.5 stories, with a front porch supported by Greek columns.
The bears in the flag represent strength and courage. They look like grizzly bears because of their brown coat and large size, but these do not live in the state. The only species native to Missouri is the smaller American black bear.
Missouri – quick facts and state symbols
| State Abbreviation | MO |
|---|---|
| State Capital | Jefferson City |
| Largest City | Kansas City |
| State Size | Total (Land + Water): 69,704 sq miles; Land Only: 68,886 sq miles |
| Population | 6,196,156 (Estimate July 1, 2023 from United States Census Bureau) |
| Statehood | August 10, 1821 |
| State rank by population | 18th |
| State rank by date of formation | 24th |
| State rank by area | 21st |
| Number of Counties | 114 Complete list of 50 states and number of counties in each |
| Demonym | Missourian |
| Bordering States | Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee |
| Official Language | English |
| Highest Point | Taum Sauk Mountain 1,772 ft (540 m) |
| Lowest point | St. Francis River at Arkansas border 230 ft (70 m) |
| Mean elevation | 800 feet above sea level |
| Length | 300 miles (480 km) |
| Width | 240 miles (390 km) |
| Governor | Mike Parson (R) |
| Lieutenant Governor | Mike Kehoe (R) |
| Electoral Votes | 10 |
| State Motto | Salus populi suprema lex esto (Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law) |
| State Nickname | Bullion State Cave State Gateway State Lead State Ozark State Show Me State |
| % Water | 1.17 |
| Nobel Prize Winners | Jack Kilby (Physics, 2000) Roger D. Kornberg (Chemistry, 2006) T.S. Eliot (Literature, 1948) Steven Chu (Physics, 1997) |
| Famous people | Roger Wehrli (Pro Football player) Yogi Berra (Baseball player) Jo Jo White (Basketball player) Pat LaFontaine (Hockey player) John Goodman (Actor) Eminem (Singer) |
| U.S. President Born in Missouri | 1. Harry S. Truman. |
| State animal | Missouri mule |
| State Amphibian | Bullfrog |
| State Bird | Bluebird |
| State Game Bird | Bobwhite Quail |
| Invertebrate | Crayfish |
| Mineral | Galena |
| State Reptile | Three-toed box turtle |
| State Horse | Missouri Fox Trotting Horse |
| State Dinosaur | Hypsibema missouriensis |
| State Flower | Hawthorn |
| State Insect | Honeybee |
| State Fossil | Crinoid |
| State Tree | Flowering Dogwood |
| Longitude | 89° 6′ W to 95° 46′ W |
| Latitude | 36° 0′ N to 40° 37′ N |
| Time Zone | Central |
| Website | www.mo.gov |
| Area Codes | 314, 417, 557, 573, 636, 660, 816, 975 |
| Table last updated | December 21, 2023 |
