Imagine it’s the Spring of 1808. You and local acquaintances are arriving back from a winter-long expedition in the tributaries of the Missouri River. As you enter St. Louis, you are appalled by the crowd and number of people. Hundreds are arriving…

So, what does a history teacher do with so much time on his hands and a ton of records readily available to the public through the Missouri Secretary of State’s Archives? Get more data. I can’t take credit for all of the data collected. This project…

As German immigrants arrived in Missouri, many settled in St. Louis, where a lot of breweries were created, but none as famous as Anheuser-Busch (1879). After signing the legislation to ratify the 21st Amendment, ending prohibition, FDR said: “I…

Following the American Revolution, there was near constant conflict between Great Britain and France. Because France was a trading partner of The United States and Britain was interfering with this trade by blocking American ships from getting to…

Before Missouri had achieved statehood, Beverly Porter was born a slave in Culpepper County, Virginia. Although it is unclear how (or when) Beverly was moved to Lincoln County, MO, it is likely that he was moved here by his enslavers, the Porters,…

Honorable, respected, conservative. These are just a few words that describe former United States Congressman, Clarence Cannon. Cannon went from being a small town boy from Elsberry, Missouri to being one of the most powerful men in United States…

Elsberry, Missouri has never been a particularly large or wealthy town. The community’s biggest claim to fame is Congressman Clarence Cannon. While the community’s history is rather modest, moments of grandeur do shine through. For example: in the…

Those who have grown up in and around the town of Elsberry have undoubtedly heard the name of Clarence Cannon. The renowned Representative Cannon, of Missouri’s Ninth Congressional District, was born, raised, and lived, until the day he died, in our…

Throughout the seventies, there were a series of strange and unexplainable events happening across the country, including the small town of Elsberry, Missouri. There were many reports coming in from local farmers of cattle mutilations. The reports…