May 2017

Missouri: "Show Me" From Above

Posted on 05/08/2017 by Nathan Lewis in New Content Releases

Fort Osage an early 19th century factory trading post, 1990

Today, we’re excited to announce that 519,989 aerial photos of Missouri are now available to view online. The vast majority of these images depict the importance of small family farms in Missouri’s rich history. We hope that you’ll find some family history in these photos and share them with others.

The state of Missouri was named after a tribe of Sioux Indians that lived in the state called the Missouris. The word “Missouri” means “wooden canoe people”. Missouri is known as the “Show Me State” which is an expression that may have began in 1899 when Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver said, “I’m from Missouri and you’ve got to show me.”

Missouri has a rich history and is home to many landmarks and important historic events. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is the tallest man-made national monument in the United States. It is 630 feet wide and stands 630 feet tall. The Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis is the largest beer producing plant in the United States. This brewery produces Budweiser, which is the best selling beer brand in the world. St. Louis was also the host of the first Olympic Games ever held in the United States. At the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, the ice cream cone was invented. An ice cream vendor ran out of cups and asked a waffle vendor to help by rolling up waffles to hold ice cream. This fair also introduced some other favorite sweets such as cotton candy, iced tea, and Dr. Pepper.

While Missouri has a rich history for many things, none is more important than its farming industry which has been at the heart of many Missouri families. The Show Me State is home to more than 100,000 farms, covering two-thirds of the state’s land acreage, which comes to nearly 30 million acres. On average, Missouri farms are about 269 acres and nearly all are family owned and operated. Soybeans are the most produced food commodity in Missouri followed by corn and cattle. The soybean industry generates $4.3 billion dollars for Missouri and all the farming combined generates over $10 billion dollars.