America in the Twentieth Century

When you think about vacationing in the Ozark Mountains, Li’l Abner comic strip characters at Dogpatch USA or scores of their generic cousins elsewhere probably come to mind. But that would be only the beginning. The Ozarks region has scores of attractions to offer tourists and locals alike. From the early music theaters of Branson to the kitschy tourist traps of Lake of the Ozarks, it is a unique part of the nation. Author Tim Hollis details the businesses that no longer exist, from abandoned roadside relics along Route 66 to the concrete prehistoric monsters of Arkansas’ Dinosaur World.

Relive the World Series upset that gave rise to St. Louis's baseball obsession

With a legacy of eleven World Series wins, the Cardinals are intertwined with the culture of St. Louis. It all started in 1926 with a legendary World Series upset against Babe Ruth’s Yankees. But what goes untold are compelling stories—like Ruth charming the city into what became a tradition of cheering opposing players—that made St. Louis fans go baseball crazy for the first time. Meanwhile, early radio broadcasts helped turn the region into “Cardinal country.” These forgotten anecdotes made 1926 more than another championship season. The victory transformed St. Louis into a baseball town, putting in place practices, traditions, loyalties, and an energy that have been passed down through time.

Terry Lemons, a St. Louis native, brings a reporter’s eye to recover faded memories that shine new light on the story that began in 1926.

Join author and comedian Mike Bridenstine for a show business story unlike any other. In 2001, an aspiring comedian in Kansas City named Kyle Parris performed what can be described as the most infamous open mic set of all time. And it took place at one of the most infamous clubs in the history of stand-up—Stanford & Sons—which was owned by one of the most notorious and colorful families in comedy history. This book tells the story of that set, as well as the story of the Kansas City comedy scene, from the boom times of the ’80s, when comics like Sinbad and Eddie Griffin got their starts, to the 2000s, when Nikki Glaser got hers. There are a lot of twists, turns and wild characters along the way, including some recent headlines in the Hollywood trades.

St. Louis was at the center of several key Civil War events from the Dred Scott decision through the Mississippi Campaign that cut the Confederate States in two. Visit the site from which enslaved people tried to cross the Mississippi River to the free state of Illinois. Discover how hundreds of lawsuits by enslaved people set the stage for the Dred Scott decision that lit the fuse to the Civil War. See the military base that produced over 200 Civil War generals and the arsenal that secessionists and unionists fought to control. Author Peter Downs goes behind the monuments and historic sites to explore the people, relationships and events that influenced the course of civil war in St. Louis and the nation.

St. Louis may be known as the Gateway to the West, but its history holds many stories buried through time that show a different side. Discover which Hollywood leading man and heartthrob originated the custom of leaving a chocolate on a hotel pillow. Learn which high school was named after a senator who was nearly beaten to death on the senate floor. Puzzle  over the lavish dinner party held in a sewer, and be amazed to find a masterpiece hidden in the ceiling of a U-Haul building. Author and historian Mark Zeman unveils the forgotten history of St. Louis.

Discover how the people and places of Missouri helped delivery victory to a war-torn Europe.

The state of Missouri played a unique role in World War I—as the birthplace of Gen. John J. Pershing, the commanding officer of the American Expeditionary Forces, and Maj.Gen.Enoch Crowder, the primary author of the military draft—and it is an impressive legacy featuring a colorful cast of characters, events, and communities.Missouri was home to two flying aces of the war as well as Bennett Champ Clark, the youngest colonel in the American Expeditionary Forces and the first national commander of the American Legion. During the war, the state was home to farms and ranches that provided an army of mules that assisted Allied forces in hauling critical materials and equipment in the harshest of conditions. Additionally, 156,000 of the state’s citizens served in the military with approximately 10,000 wounded or killed in action.

Jeremy Paul Amick, a former Missouri National Guardsman and military historian/public affairs officer with the Silver Star Families of America, has collected a unique set of photographs illustrating the impact of the Great War on the people of the state of Missouri.

Spirits of the Gateway City

Since 1764, St. Louis has been the gateway to the unknown. Walk along the limestone cobbles of Laclede’s Landing and witness the birth of a city with large aspirations and crooked dealings. Here you will find fur traders hardened by wilderness “law,” former slaves fighting for their future, criminals immortalized in song, the rise and fall of the elite and the fight for the soul of a child. Meet the people behind Eads Bridge, the Old Courthouse, City Hospital, Lemp Brewery and more. From the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War and Reconstruction to the modern day, hear their stories and learn why they may still haunt the cobblestones beneath your feet. Jennifer Elwyn delves into the dark side of a historic city.

Relive the World Series upset that gave rise to St. Louis's baseball obsession

With a legacy of 11 World Series wins, the culture of St. Louis intertwines with the Cardinals. It all started in 1926 with a legendary World Series upset against Babe Ruth’s Yankees. But what goes untold are compelling stories—like Ruth charming the city into what became a tradition of cheering opposing players—that made St. Louis fans go baseball crazy for the first time while early radio broadcasts helped turn the region into “Cardinal country.” These forgotten anecdotes made 1926 more than another championship. The victory transformed St. Louis into a baseball town, putting in place practices, traditions, loyalties, and an energy that have been passed down through time.

Terry Lemons, a St. Louis native, brings a reporter’s eye to recover faded memories that shine new light on the story that began in 1926.

Coffee is an elixir many live by, but few of us know the history of what's in our mug. Follow author Deborah Reinhardt as details the rich history of coffee in the Gateway City.

A history of betting on the East Side. Making it as a professional gambler in the first part of the twentieth century was a long shot, but wagering on the wide open scene of East St. Louis could help even the odds. Folks who were feeling lucky enough might grab a copy of Louis Cella’s racing form, or get the inside scoop from turf men like Barney Schreiber. Students of the art of bookmaking had plentiful mentors in local legends like Adam “Mulepole” Fritz. But even then, a hot streak could attract the attention of a representative of the Chicago Outfit such as Frank “Buster” Wortman. The nephew of Vic and Jim Doyle, who built the Ringside Casino into the Midwest's largest casino, author James Doyle connects the dice rolls of bygone St. Louis Kingpins to high stakes players in New York and New Orleans.

Aviation captivated young men before World War II, regardless of their skin color. But few Black enthusiasts had access, means or opportunity until the Civil Pilot Training program.

Lincoln University of Missouri and the old Jefferson Airfield offered the only program west of the Mississippi River exclusively for Black pilots. Fulfilling the dream of the school’s founders, many successful Lincolnites joined the Tuskegee Airmen, the first U.S. military aviation units. Wendell Pruitt’s aerial acrobatics were legendary, and Wilbur Long was one of twenty-two to survive Nazi POW camps. Clovis Bordeaux went on to be one of the first Black rocket scientists, and Charles Anderson became a pioneer in satellite meteorology. Michelle Brooks explores Lincoln’s men and moments in their pursuit of Double Victory.