March 24th This Day in Missouri

On March 24, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: St. Louis, a key Missouri trade hub, saw early spring activity with fur traders launching expeditions, though no specific event is documented.


• 1856: In “Bleeding Kansas,” Missouri’s “Border Ruffians” continued raids on Kansas anti-slavery settlers, driving violence as spring campaigns intensified in late March.


• 1861: In St. Louis, Union General Henry W. Halleck strengthened federal defenses, while Confederate guerrillas in rural Missouri geared up for spring attacks, fueling strife.


• 1864: Confederate General Sterling Price’s Missouri forces in Arkansas prepared for spring operations, with Missouri itself under Union control and minimal Confederate action.


• 1888: Southeast Missouri’s Missouri Pacific Railroad, linking Cape Girardeau to markets, drove economic growth, with late March freight operations thriving.


• 1929: Missouri’s urban centers, Kansas City and St. Louis, reeled from Great Depression unemployment, with spring public works projects aiming to provide relief.


• 1941: Post-Pearl Harbor, Missouri’s St. Louis and Kansas City boosted World War II manufacturing, with late March recruitment focusing on military production workers.