The Missouri Historical Society was founded in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

on August 11, 1866. Founding members created the historical society "for the purpose of saving from oblivion the early history of the city and state".

Organization

The Missouri Historical Society operates the

Missouri History Museum The Missouri History Museum in Forest Park (St. Louis), Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri, showcases History of Missouri, Missouri history. It is operated by the Missouri Historical Society, which was founded in 1866. Museum admission is free t ...

in St. Louis'

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...

, as well as the Library and Research Center. Admission to the museum and library are free to the public. There is a fee for special museum exhibitions, but weekly free admission times are available.

Library and Research Center

The Library and Research Center Library and Research Center
/ref> houses a regional history collection documenting St. Louis, the Mississippi and Missouri Valleys, the Louisiana Purchase Territory, and the American West. The Library and Research Center collections include: * Library Collections * Manuscript Collections * Photographs and Prints * Architecture Collections * Broadcast Media Archives * Museum Collections No appointment is needed to view the library and manuscript collections, but might be needed for other collections. Among its unique collections are the 301

freedom suits Freedom suits were lawsuits in the Thirteen Colonies and the United States filed by slaves against slaveholders to assert claims to freedom, often based on descent from a free maternal ancestor, or time held as a resident in a free state or te ...

of the 19th-century St. Louis Circuit Court Records, the largest group of such case files in the country. These have been scanned into a searchable database that is online for researchers. They document the

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

' petitions for freedom under state law before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

."Freedom Suits Case Files, 1814–1860"
, St. Louis Circuit Court Records, Missouri Historical Society (St. Louis, MO), 2004, accessed January 4, 2011 The research library is housed in a historic 1927

Byzantine revival Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Orthod ...

synagogue building erected by the United Hebrew Congregation on Skinker Boulevard. (The congregation has moved to Chesterfield where it erected a new building.)

Programming

The Missouri Historical Society offers programs and outreach services, including traveling exhibitions, tours, theatrical and musical presentations, programs for school classes and youth groups, family festivals, special events, workshops, and lectures.

History

In 1952, the Missouri Historical Society was involved in efforts to lobby the U.S. government to create

commemorative coins Commemorative coins are coins issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Many coins of this category serve as collectors items only, although some countries ...

for the 150th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase.

References

External links

The Missouri Historical Society website

Digitized copy of ''The Universal Exposition of 1904'' by David R. Francis

Lewis and Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibit

{{authority control History of Missouri Byzantine Revival architecture in Missouri Historical societies in Missouri