Elm Farm Ollie in 1930 Was the First Cow to Be Milked While Flying in an Airplane

 Events
Feb 182024
 
Cow

A Cow but not Elm Farm Ollie

Elm Farm Ollie in 1930 was the first cow to be milked while flying in an airplane.  Born and raised in Bismarck, Missouri, Elm Farm Ollie, also known as Nellie Jay and Sky Queen, produced 24 quarts of milk during the 72-mile flight. The milk was placed into paper cartons, and the cartons were dropped by parachute over St. Louis, Missouri, to the spectators below. Elsworth W. Bunce became famous as the first person to milk a cow in a flying airplane. Idea: Children could write a newspaper account of this story, including the important WHY?.

First Wagon Train Left Independence, Missouri, for California in 1841

 Events
May 012024
 

First wagon train left Independence, Missouri, for California in 1841. The wagon train reached its destination November 4, 1841. Most wagon trains left in the spring, because it took four or five months to reach their destination. The trains did not want to be isolated in the mountains during winter. The trains, perhaps as much as one hundred wagons long, traveled about fifteen to twenty miles a day. The wagons were called prairie schooners because their white tops looked like billowing sails. Idea: Children could learn more at: Wagon Trains. They could also read Russell Freedman’s Children of the Wild West.

Gateway Arch Was Dedicated in 1968

 Events
May 252024
 

Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch was dedicated in 1968. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the arch is also called the Gateway to the West or the Saint Louis Arch. It honors our country’s westward expansion and the courage of American settlers. One of the reasons Saint Louis was chosen was because the Corps of Discovery began and ended its journey here. At 630 feet tall, the monument is the world’s tallest arch. The idea of the arch began around 1933. Building the steel-clad arch started on February 12, 1963 and was finished on October 28, 1965. It opened to the public on June 10, 1967. The area became the Gateway Arch National Park on February 22, 2018. Children can learn more at: Gateway Arch.

Sliced Bread Was Sold for the First Time in 1928

 Events
Jul 072024
 
Sliced Bread

Sliced bread

Sliced bread was sold for the first time in 1928 at the Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri. Before then, people sliced their own bread. Bread consumption increased, because people found it easier to grab a slice and go. Consumption of butter, jam, and other spreads increased as well. For a short time during World War II sliced bread could not be sold. The invention led to the saying, “the best thing since sliced bread.”

George Washington Carver Monument Was Dedicated in 1943

 Events
Jul 142024
 
Bust of George Washington Carver at Memorial

Bust of George Washington Carver at Monument

George Washington Carver Monument was dedicated in 1943. The first national monument for an African-American and the first monument for a non-president, the site is Washington’s childhood home in Diamond, Missouri. Children could visit: http://www.nps.gov/gwca/index.htm.

Happy Birthday, Missouri!

 Events
Aug 102024
 
Missouri State Flag

Missouri State Flag

Missouri became the twenty-fourth state of the United States in 1821. Its name comes from the Iliniwek word missouri, meaning owner of big canoes. The state’s nickname is the “Show-Me State,” and Jefferson City is the capital. It ranks nineteenth in area and sixteenth in population. St. Louis, a large Missouri city, was once the Gateway to the West. The Gateway Arch, a reminder of that role, was built in 1964 and stands 630 feet high. The Pony Express ran from Missouri to California. Children could visit an Internet site at: Missouri. They could find out why Missouri is called the “Show-Me State.”

Lewis and Clark Returned to St. Louis in 1806

 Events
Sep 232024
 
William Clark

William Clark

Lewis

Meriwether Lewis

Lewis and Clark concluded their exploration in 1806. They had left St. Louis, Missouri, on May 14, 1804. Their expedition lasted two years, four months, and ten days, ending in St. Louis, Missouri. Their journals described bison, grizzly bears, and many other animals. Older children could explore a very interesting website: Lewis and Clark.

Evaporated Milk Was Patented in 1884

 Events
Nov 252024
 

Evaporated milk was patented in 1884 by John B. Meyenberg of Saint Louis, Missouri. In 1884 refrigerators had not been invented, so milk spoiled easily. Meyenberg’s process removed about 60 percent of the water in milk. The remainder was homogenized, canned, and sterilized. The evaporated milk, which occupied far less space than fresh milk, could remain in cans for over a year. People could open the can, pour the evaporated milk into a big container, and add water to reconstitute it. Today most people use evaporated milk in desserts. Children can view the patent application at: Evaporated Milk Patent.