Our Missouri

To kick off the "On the Bookshelf" series, Joseph Beilein, Jr. returns to talk about his new book, A Man by Any Other Name: William Clark Quantrill and the Search for American Manhood. Episode Image: Quantrill’s Raiders Reunion, ca. 1920 [B. James George Sr. Photograph Collection (P0010), SHSMO] About the Guest: Joseph M. Beilein Jr. holds a PhD in History from the University of Missouri. Presently, he serves as an associate professor of history at Penn State-Erie, The Behrend College. He is the author of Bushwhackers: Guerilla Warfare, Manhood, and the Household in Civil War Missouri, the editor of William Gregg's Civil War: The Battle to Shape the History of Guerrilla Warfare and the co-editor of The Civil War Guerrilla: Unfolding the Black Flag in History, Memory, and Myth. His new book, A Man by Any Other Name: William Clark Quantrill and the Search for American Manhood, is published by the University of Georgia Press.

In this episode, host Sean Rost concludes the Historic Missourians series with a focus on philanthropists and conservationists Edward "Ted" Jones and Hilda "Pat" Jones. Episode Image: Ted and Pat Jones at their home in Williamsburg, Missouri, date unknown [Courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation]

In this episode, SHSMO senior archivist Elizabeth Engel joins host Sean Rost to discuss her recent Historic Missourians biography of artists and conservationists Charles and Elizabeth Schwartz. Episode Image: Charles and Elizabeth Schwartz with Canadian geese, undated. [Charles and Elizabeth Schwartz Papers (C2217), SHSMO] About the Guest: Elizabeth Engel, an Iowa native and a University of Iowa graduate, holds a master's degree in library and information science. Her undergraduate work was in English at Iowa State University. She has been with the State Historical Society of Missouri since 2006 and is currently a senior archivist.

In this episode, SHSMO archivist Hali Allen joins host Sean Rost to discuss her new Historic Missourians biography on the "Orator of the Ozarks," Dewey Short. A video of Dewey Short's appearance on the Ozark Jubilee referenced in this episode can be found here. Episode Image: Dewey Short giving a speech, ca. 1950s. [Dewey Short Papers (C4515), SHSMO] About the Guest: Hali Allen holds a bachelor's degree in history from Pittsburg State University and a master's degree in library and information science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Presently, she is an archivist for the State Historical Society of Missouri.

In this episode, SHSMO archivist Haley Frizzle Green joins host Sean Rost to discuss her upcoming Historic Missourians biography of Ralph Foster, and the traveling exhibit "Broadcasting the Ozarks: A History of RadiOzark Enterprises," which is on display at the Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia until December 2023. Episode Image: Ralph Foster, no date [Image courtesy of the Ralph Foster Museum] About the Guest: Haley Frizzle-Green holds a master's degree in library and information science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Presently, she is an archivist for the State Historical Society of Missouri at the Springfield Research Center.

In this episode, Bridget Haney, SHSMO Historian, joins host Sean Rost to discuss her new Historic Missourians biography of Arvarh Strickland. Episode Image: Arvarh Strickland, ca. 1987 [ Arvarh E. Strickland Papers (CA4995), SHSMO] About the Guest: Bridget Haney is a PhD candidate at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Presently, she is a historian for the State Historical Society of Missouri.

In this episode, Doug Genens, SHSMO Oral Historian, joins host Sean Rost to discuss his new Historic Missourians biography of Mary Jane Guthrie. Episode Image: Rocheport Cave, one of Mary Jane Guthrie's bat collection sites, ca. 1900 [Rocheport, Missouri, Photograph Collection (P0089), SHSMO] About the Guest: Doug Genens earned a PhD in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Presently, he serves as an oral historian for the State Historical Society of Missouri.

To open Season 6 of Our Missouri, the roles are reversed as special guest Kathleen Seale sits in the host chair and talks with Sean Rost about the new podcast series on Historic Missourians as well as a biography he co-authored with Doug Genens on Paul Henning. Episode Image: Postcard labeled “Down Home in the Ozarks,” ca. 1970s [Missouri Postcard Collection (P0032), SHSMO]

With law enforcement still investigating the Union Station Massacre, the Barrow Gang quietly pulled into Platte City’s Red Crown Tavern. By the time they left, in a hail of gunfire, they were arguably one of the most wanted gangs in the United States. In Part 4, co-hosts Sean Rost and Kathleen Seale conclude the Summer Series by recounting the events that unfolded at the Red Crown Tavern, and how its aftermath set the Barrow Gang on a path towards the end of the road. Episode Image: Highway leading to Tipton, Missouri, 1945 [Charles van Ravenswaay Photograph Collection (P0014), SHSMO]

Only days after the shootout in Columbia, Pretty Boy Floyd and Adam Richetti stopped at a repair shop in Polk County. Within hours of their visit, they were in Kansas City, just in time for an event that would later be known as The Union Station Massacre. In Part 3, co-hosts Sean Rost and Kathleen Seale trace Floyd and Richetti’s travels from Polk County to Kansas City to parts unknown. Episode Image: Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, date unknown [Martin Eichenlaub Postcard Collection (P0009), SHSMO]

On June 14, 1933, Missouri State Highway Patrolman Ben Booth and Boone County Sheriff Roger Wilson were called to the intersection of Highway 40/Highway 63 in Columbia to set up a roadblock due to a bank robbery. In Part 2, co-hosts Sean Rost and Kathleen Seale discuss how the roadblock altered the lives of all involved and left Missouri law enforcement agencies scrambling to find the occupants of a mysterious car. Episode Image: Missouri State Highway Patrolman on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, ca. 1935 [Charles Trefts Photographs (P0034), SHSMO]

In 1933, a crime wave gripped many parts of the United States, including Missouri. During this 4-part summer series, co-hosts Sean Rost and Kathleen Seale examine the history and legacy of the events of the Summer of 1933. In Part 1, Rost and Seale discuss the Barrow Gang and their travels through southwest Missouri during the 1930s. Episode Image: Empire District Electric Company, Joplin, Missouri, date unknown [Whitaker Family Collection (SP0076), SHSMO]

To conclude Season 5 and the series “African American Heritage in the Ozarks,” this episode features Christine Peoples highlighting upcoming programs at Timmons Hall and the legacy of the History Keepers. Episode Image: Timmons Hall, Springfield, Missouri, 2021 [Courtesy of Andrew Olden] About the Guest: Christine Peoples is the Timmons Hall Education Coordinator for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board

This episode is hot off the press! Join us as host Sean Rost discusses the contributors behind the community and society pages of newspapers such as the Kansas City Call, St. Louis Argus, Sedalia Conservator, Joplin-Springfield Uplift, and how they shared important updates on local affairs. Episode Image: Eddie Bryant and LeRoyce Stevens at the St. Louis Argus newspaper office [St. Louis Argus Photograph Collection (S0586), SHSMO]

In this episode, Curtis Gregory, a park ranger for the National Park Service, discusses the activities and history of George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, and reflects on the life of George Washington Carver. Episode Image: Statue of George Washington Carver as a young boy, Diamond, Missouri, 1960 [Gerald R. Massie Photographs (P0016), SHSMO] About the Guest: Curtis Gregory is a park ranger for the National Park Service at George Washington Carver National Monument

In this episode, host Sean Rost looks back to Frederick Douglass' 1893 visit to Springfield, Missouri, and examines who Douglass was, why he came to Springfield, and what he advised Missourians to consider at the dawn of a new century. Episode Image: College Street, Springfield, Missouri, date unknown [Arthur Richard Hill Photographs (SP0067), SHSMO]

This episode features Andrew Olden, a PhD candidate at the University of Missouri-Columbia and staff member for the African American Heritage in the Ozarks Project, discussing Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1743, an African American unit based at Washington State Park along the banks of the Big River near De Soto, Missouri, in the mid-1930s. Episode Image: Thunderbird Lodge, Washington State Park, 2021 [Courtesy of Andrew Olden]

This episode focuses on the life of Voda "Bea" Hardy Curtis, and documents the path of her family from slavery to suffrage. The episode also features audio clips from Voda Curtis' 1977 oral history (S0829) housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri's St. Louis Research Center, as well as final thoughts from past oral history interns–Cydney Smith, Cassie Draudt, and Keely Doll–who conducted research on Voda Curtis' life. Episode Image: Women gathered at what was called the “Negro Service Center” in Joplin, Missouri, 1955 [Whitaker Family Collection (SP0076), SHSMO]

In this episode, host Sean Rost introduces listeners to the life and legacy of John A. Lankford. Born in Potosi, Missouri, in 1874, Lankford achieved immense fame as one of the most celebrated architects of his generation. Listen here to learn about Lankford's journey from Potosi to Washington D.C., along the banks of the Potomac River. Episode Image: Forge Room at Lincoln Institute in Jefferson City, Missouri, ca. 1903 [Lincoln University Photographs (P1096), SHSMO]

In 2021, the State Historical Society of Missouri was awarded an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities and Missouri Humanities for a project titled “African American Heritage in the Ozarks.” Over fifteen months, staff at SHSMO identified and compiled an extensive list of primary and secondary sources related to African American life in the region, provided public programming in numerous Ozarks communities, developed physical and digital exhibits, and conducted more than two dozen oral histories preserving the voices and memories of the people who call, or have called, the Ozarks home. To begin the second half of Season 5 and the new series “African American Heritage in the Ozarks,” host Sean Rost introduces listeners to the some of the oral history interviewees and the key themes of Ozarks history that emerged over the course of the project. For more information on the Emancipation Day in the Missouri Ozarks interactive map discussed in the episode, please visit: https://shsmo.org/interactives/emancipation-day-ozarks Episode Image: Mark Dixon interviewed by Gary Kremer at Benton Avenue AME Church, Springfield, Missouri, 2022 [Courtesy of Andrew Olden]

To conclude the Title IX in Missouri series, host Sean Rost talks with four journalists, Kathryn Lucchesi, Maddy Glab, Lauren Michelson, and Dani Wexelman, about the evolution of sports journalism in the 21st Century. Episode Image: Radio interview between Mary Margaret McBride and Goldena Howard, Columbia, Missouri, date unknown [Mary Kathy Dains Photographs (P0300), SHSMO] About the Guests: Kathryn “Kat” Lucchesi is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to joining the Journalism School, she held several positions in media and digital marketing, including Multimedia Director for the University of Missouri football team; Director of Social Media for Oregon State University Athletics; and multimedia reporter, anchor, and producer at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri. Maddy Glab is a multimedia journalist for Pegula Sports & Entertainment. In that role, she primarily serves as a team reporter for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Prior to that role, she held several positions in media and digital marketing, including On-Air Talent/Multimedia Producer for the University of Tennessee; Video Producer/Reporter for Stanford University Athletics; and a sports reporter and anchor at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri. Lauren Michelson is a sports anchor for KLKN-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska. Prior to that role, she worked as a sports reporter and anchor at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri. Dani Wexelman is a freelance on-air reporter and producer. In that role, she has worked with MLB Network, Major League Rugby, National Lacrosse League, and Sirius XM Radio. She also co-hosts two podcasts, “Datt’s What She Said with Dani” and “Amateur Hour.” She has held several positions in media and digital marketing, including On-Air Talent, Storyteller, and Producer for MLB.com; Editor/Producer for NHL.com; Digital & Social Media Paid Intern for the Harrisburg Senators, and an anchor, reporter, producer for KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) had a lasting impact on countless Missourians, even though it was only in existence for roughly a decade during the 1970s and early 1980s. In the latest Our Missouri Podcast episode, learn about the legacy of the AIAW and listen to oral history interviewees from the Missouri Sports & Recreation oral History Project (C4377) discuss their memories of the first few crucial years of Title IX and the AIAW. Episode Image: Southwest Missouri State University women’s volleyball team, 1979 [Courtesy of Linda Dollar]

In this episode, host Sean Rost takes listeners into the stacks to learn about some of the State Historical Society of Missouri's collections that highlight athletics and recreation in the state of Missouri, particularly related to the evolution of opportunities for girls and women in the 20th Century. Episode Image: Girls Gym Demonstration at Northside Branch Gymnasium in St. Louis, Missouri, 1960 [Gateway Region Young Men’s Christian Association Records (S0473), SHSMO]

The lessons learned in Hartville in Wright County impacted Dr. Mary Jo Wynn for the rest of her life. In this episode, host Sean Rost, as well as several participants in the Missouri Sports & Recreation Oral History Project, highlight key moments in Wynn's hall of fame career, including her efforts to expand educational and athletic opportunities for women far beyond the campus of Missouri State University. Episode Image: Dr. Mary Jo Wynn, SMSU Sports Report, December-January 1978-1979 [Courtesy of Linda Dollar]

In this episode, host Sean Rost highlights some of the 1930s and 1940s barnstorming women's basketball teams and players from Missouri, and introduces listeners to Wisconsinite Helen Onson, a former player for several of these teams whose papers and oral history are at the State Historical Society of Missouri. For a link for the "Out of the Stacks" On Demand program referenced in the episode, check out: https://shsmo.org/on-demand/out-of-the-stacks Episode Image: Players of the Helen Stephens Olympic Co-Eds basketball team, date unknown [Helen Onson Papers (C4043), SHSMO]

To compete or not to compete—that was the question educators and athletes debated nationwide between the 1920s-1970s. In the latest Our Missouri episode, learn about how Play Days in Missouri fit into this debate on athletic opportunities for women. Episode Image: Volleyball game at Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri, 1969 [Francis Scheidegger Collection (S0809), SHSMO]

In this episode, host Sean Rost opens the Title IX in Missouri series with an overview of the early history behind the landmark legislation, and introduces listeners to some of the athletes, coaches, and administrators featured in the Missouri Sports & Recreation Oral History Project. Episode Image: Girls playing soccer at North Junior High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, 1962 [Francis Scheidegger Collection (S0809), SHSMO]

This episode features excerpts from an oral history conversation between Marjorie “Marj” Paxson and Jean Gaddy Wilson recorded in 2007 for the National Women and Media Collection’s 20th Anniversary. Wilson talks with Paxson about her career in media, her role in the establishment of the National Women and Media Collection (NWMC), and her views on the state of journalism for women at the turn of the 21st Century. Episode & Banner Image: Marjorie B. Paxson, ca. 1950s [Marjorie B. Paxson Papers (C4078), SHSMO] About the Guests: MARJORIE “MARJ” PAXSON Marjorie “Marj” Bowers Paxson was born on August 13, 1923, in Houston, Texas. She attended Rice University in Houston for two years, where she worked on the student newspaper, the Thresher. In 1942 Paxson transferred to the University of Missouri and graduated in 1944. While at the University of Missouri, she worked on the Columbia Missourian. Over the course of her journalistic career, she held various reporting, editorial, and publishing positions at the United Press, Associated Press, Houston Post, Houston Chronicle, Miami Herald, St. Petersburg Times, Philadelphia Bulletin, Idaho Statesman, Chambersburg Public Opinion, and Muskogee Phoenix. Paxson was also named editor of Xilonen, an eight-page daily newspaper published for the United Nations World Conference for International Women’s Year held in Mexico City in 1975. She retired in 1986 and continued writing a column for the Muskogee Phoenix until 2004. In 1987, Paxson donated $50,000 and her personal papers to help establish the National Women and Media Collection at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection (now administered by the State Historical Society of Missouri). Marjorie “Marj” Paxson died on June 17, 2017. JEAN GADDY WILSON Jean Gaddy Wilson is a professional consultant who has spoken on five continents and who spent fourteen years as a Professor of Journalism at the University of Missouri. She is a co-author, along with Brian S. Brooks and James L. Pinson, of the journalism textbook Working With Words: A Handbook for Media Writers and Editors. She is the founder of New Directions for News, an innovation think tank, at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and her work led to the founding of the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) and the International Women’s Media Foundation. She co-founded the National Women and Media Collection (NWMC) with Gannett publisher Marj Paxson and the Western Historical Manuscript Collection (now administered by the State Historical Society of Missouri).

Elizabeth Engel, Laura Jolley, Aleksandra Kinlen, and Heather Richmond from The State Historical Society of Missouri join us to discuss their involvement in the creation of the exhibit, “In Their Own Words: Celebrating the National Women and Media Collection,” The exhibit is on display in the Wenneker Family Corridor Gallery at the Center for Missouri Studies from July to December 2022. Episode & Banner Image: Marie Anderson and Robert Applegate, ca. 1958 [Marie Anderson Papers (C4074), SHSMO] About the Guests: Elizabeth Engel is a senior archivist for the State Historical Society of Missouri and manages the National Women in Media Collection. Engel is one of four curators of In Their Own Words: Celebrating the National Women and Media Collection. Engel, an Iowa native and a University of Iowa graduate, holds a master's degree in library and information science. Her undergraduate work was in English at Iowa State University. She has been with the State Historical Society since 2006 and currently heads the Columbia Research Center’s accessioning program, working with donors to acquire manuscript collections. Laura Jolley is the assistant director of manuscripts for the State Historical Society of Missouri and one of four curators of In Their Own Words: Celebrating the National Women and Media Collection. Jolley holds a master's degree in library science and a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Missouri. She has been at SHSMO for over 14 years and currently oversees the collecting and preservation efforts of the Society. Aleksandra Kinlen is a manuscript specialist for the State Historical Society of Missouri and one of four curators of In Their Own Words: Celebrating the National Women and Media Collection. Kinlen earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in history from Missouri State University. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science at the University of Missouri–Columbia, she joined SHSMO as a practicum student before becoming a manuscript specialist in April 2021. Heather Richmond is a senior archivist for the State Historical Society of Missouri and one of four curators of In Their Own Words: Celebrating the National Women and Media Collection. Richmond received a master's degree in library studies with an emphasis in archives from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. Her undergraduate work was in creative writing and psychology at Beloit College. Richmond has been with SHSMO for nearly 10 years and currently oversees the Society's digitization program.

Dr. Kimberly Voss joins us to talk about her writings on women in journalism, particularly her books on Women’s Pages in newspapers and how she utilized the National Women and Media Collection for her research. Episode & Banner Image: Miami (FL) Herald newspaper staff, ca. 1950s [Dorothy Misener Journey Papers (C3904), SHSMO] About the Guest: Dr. Kimberly Voss earned a PhD in Mass Communications and Journalism from the University of Maryland. Presently, she is a Professor of Journalism at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida. She is the author of several books, including “The Food Section: Newspaper Women and the Culinary Community,” “Politicking Politely: Well-Behaved Women Making a Difference in the 1960s and 1970s,” and “Re-Evaluating Women’s Page Journalism in the Post-World War II Era: Celebrating Soft News.” She is the co-author of “Mad Men & Working Women: Feminist Perspectives on Historical Power, Resistance and Otherness.”

Established in 1987 and celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2022, the National Women and Media Collection documents the roles women have played in media fields, as employees and leaders as well as subjects of news coverage, how those roles have altered over time, and how attitudes of and towards women have changed. The Collection includes records of women’s organizations and professional and personal papers of women journalists, editors, book authors, newspaper and magazine publishers, media company CEOs, journalism and mass communication educators, press secretaries, and public relations personnel, as well as radio, television, and film producers and personalities. To celebrate this important anniversary, and coincide with the opening of the new National Women and Media exhibit in the Wenneker Family Corridor Gallery at the Center for Missouri Studies, the Our Missouri Podcast dedicates its Summer Series to the women featured within the collection and exhibit, as well as the journalists, scholars, archivists, and librarians who have pioneered and preserved its materials. This episode features excerpts from an oral history with Jean Gaddy Wilson recorded in 2022 for the National Women and Media Collection. Episode Image: Marjorie Paxson, Jean Gaddy Wilson, and Nancy Lankford, date unknown [Marjorie B. Paxson Papers (C4078), SHSMO] About the Guest: Jean Gaddy Wilson is a professional consultant who has spoken on five continents and who spent fourteen years as a Professor of Journalism at the University of Missouri. She is a co-author, along with Brian S. Brooks and James L. Pinson, of the journalism textbook “Working With Words: A Handbook for Media Writers and Editors.” She is the founder of New Directions for News, an innovation think tank, at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and her work led to the founding of the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) and the International Women’s Media Foundation. She co-founded the National Women and Media Collection with Gannett publisher Marj Paxson and the Western Historical Manuscript Collection (now affiliated with the State Historical Society of Missouri).

This episode features host Sean Rost discussing the National Humane Alliance and its efforts to distribute and construct multiple Ensign Fountains in Missouri in the early 20th Century. Episode Image: Ensign Fountain, Clinton, Missouri, 2019 [Courtesy of Sean Rost]

This episode features Andrew Olden discussing Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1743, an African American unit based at Washington State Park along the banks of the Big River near Desoto, Missouri, in the mid-1930s. Episode Image: Thunderbird Lodge, Washington State Park, 2021 [Courtesy of Andrew Olden] About the Guest: Andrew Olden is a PhD Candidate in History at the University of Missouri.

This episode features a conversation with Alex Primm about his new book, “Ozark Voices: Oral Histories from the Heartland,” and his 40+ year career alongside the rivers, gravel bars, forests, and people of the Missouri Ozarks. Episode Image: Fishermen on the Big Piney River, Pulaski County, Missouri, date unknown [Missouri Ruralist Photographs (P0030), SHSMO] About the Guest: Alex Primm has been a freelance oral historian since the 1980s. He has worked on projects in the Ozarks for the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, and the United States Army. His book, “Ozark Voices: Oral Histories from the Heartland,” was published by McFarland in 2022.

Since its earliest days, Missouri has been defined by its rivers. While the Mississippi River gets most of the attention thanks to the literary works of authors like Mark Twain, the Missouri River is actually the longer of the two waterways and travels through more counties in the state than its counterpart. This episode features a conversation with Amahia Mallea about her book, “A River in the City of Fountains,” and the complex history of the great river known as the "Big Muddy." Episode Image: Louise and Doris Schmidt sitting on a hillside overlooking the Missouri River, Boonville, Missouri, ca. 1903 [Maximilian E. Schmidt Photographs (P0001), SHSMO] About the Guest: Amahia Mallea is an associate professor of history at Drake University. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her book, “A River in the City of Fountains: An Environmental History of Kansas City and the Missouri River,” was published by the University Press of Kansas in 2018.

This episode features Thomas Ruys Smith, Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of East Anglia, discussing the cultural life of the Mississippi River and one of its most notable residents, Mark Twain. Episode Image: A statue of Mark Twain overlooking the Mississippi River, Hannibal, Missouri, 1951 [Missouri Ruralist Photographs (P0030), SHSMO] About the Guest: Thomas Ruys Smith is Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of East Anglia. He is the author of several books, including “River of Dreams: Imagining the Mississippi Before Mark Twain,” “Southern Queen: New Orleans in the Nineteenth Century,” and “Deep Water: The Mississippi River in the Age of Mark Twain.” He is also the editor of several anthologies, including “Blacklegs, Card Sharps and Confidence Men: Nineteenth-Century Mississippi River Gambling Stories” and “Christmas Past: An Anthology of Seasonal Stories from Nineteenth-Century America.”

Water. Did you ever stop to think just how important water is to your everyday life? From health, sanitation, and nutrition, to transportation, recreation, and cultural identity, water is just as important today as it has been for countless people for generations. Whether it’s the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, or the endless list of rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and even fountains that dot Missouri’s landscape, this series is all about water. So, with that, let’s dive right in to Water & Waterways. This episode features Susan Sundermeyer discussing the book and exhibit, “Farmhouses: Before the Great Flood of 1993 - Life in the Chamois and Morrison Missouri River Bottoms.” Episode Image: Cemetery overlooking the Missouri River, Chamois, Missouri, 2020 [Courtesy of Sean Rost] About the Guest: Susan Sundermeyer is a retired educator from Osage County. She is the author of “Farmhouses: Before the Great Flood of 1993 - Life in the Chamois and Morrison Missouri River Bottoms.”

Water. Did you ever stop to think just how important water is to your everyday life? From health, sanitation, and nutrition, to transportation, recreation, and cultural identity, water is just as important today as it has been for countless people for generations. Whether it’s the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, or the endless list of rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and even fountains that dot Missouri’s landscape, this series is all about water. So, with that, let’s dive right in to Water & Waterways. This episode features Loring Bullard discussing the historical significance of spring water in the lives and health of Missourians. Episode Image: Big Spring, Carter County, Missouri, date unknown [Charles Trefts Photographs (P0034), SHSMO] About the Guest: Loring Bullard holds a master’s degree in Natural and Applied Science from Missouri State University. He is the Watershed Planning/Grant Assistant for the James River Basin Partnership, and previously served as the Executive Director of Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. He is the author of several books, including “Consider the Source: A History of the Springfield, Missouri Public Water Supply,” “Healing Waters: Missouri’s Historic Mineral Springs and Spas,” and “Living Waters: The Springs of Missouri.”

Water. Did you ever stop to think just how important water is to your everyday life? From health, sanitation, and nutrition, to transportation, recreation, and cultural identity, water is just as important today as it has been for countless people for generations. Whether it’s the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, or the endless list of rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and even fountains that dot Missouri’s landscape, this series is all about water. So, with that, let’s dive right in to Water & Waterways. This episode features Bonnie Stepenoff, professor emerita of history at Southeast Missouri State University, discussing Big Spring, Thad Snow, and life and work along the Mississippi River. Episode Image: St. Louis, Missouri, Riverfront, ca. 1880 [Charles Trefts Photographs (P0034), SHSMO] About the Guest: Bonnie Stepenoff holds a PhD in History from the University of Missouri. She is professor emerita of history at Southeast Missouri State University. She is the author of several books, including “The Dead End Kids of St. Louis: Homeless Boys and the People Who Tried to Save Them,” “From French Community to Missouri Town: Sainte Genevieve in the Nineteenth Century,” “Thad Snow: A Life of Social Reform in the Missouri Bootheel,” “Big Spring Autumn,” and “Working the Mississippi: Two Centuries of Life on the River.” She is also the editor of “From Missouri: An American Farmer Looks Back.”

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Walter Kamphoefner discusses German history, culture, and life in Missouri, particularly his upbringing in the state's German Heritage Corridor and his new book, "Germans in America: A Concise History." Episode Image: The Kemper family at Christmas, Hermann, Missouri, date unknown [Edward J. Kemper Collection (C4388), SHSMO] About the Guest: Walter Kamphoefner holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Missouri. He is a Professor in History at Texas A&M University. He is the author of "The Westfalians: From Germany to Missouri" and "Germans in America: A Concise History." He is also the co-editor of "News from the Land of Freedom: German Immigrants Write Home," "Germans in the Civil War: The Letters They Wrote Home," "Longer than a Man's Lifetime in Missouri," and "Preserving German Texan Identity: Reminiscences of William A. Trenckmann, 1859-1935."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Sharon Romeo discusses how freedwomen and enslaved women fought for their freedom and rights in Missouri during the Civil War. Episode Image: A group of African American women standing outside of a house in Boone County, Missouri, date unknown [Boone County, Missouri, Black Archives Collection (C4057), SHSMO] About the Guest: Sharon Romeo holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Iowa. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta. She is the author of "Gender and the Jubilee: Black Freedom and the Reconstruction of Citizenship in Civil War Missouri."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Christopher Phillips discusses Nathaniel Lyon, Claiborne Fox Jackson, and the Civil War on the American Middle Border. Episode Image: Home Guard drilling during the Civil War, St. Charles, Missouri, ca. 1860s [John J. Buse Collection (S1083), SHSMO] About the Guest: Christopher Phillips holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Georgia. He is the John and Dorothy Hermanies Professor of American History and University Distinguished Professor in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. He is the author of "The Rivers Ran Backward: The Civil War and the Remaking of the American Middle Border," "The Civil War in the Border South," "The Making of a Southerner: William Barclay Napton's Private Civil War," Missouri's Confederate: Claiborne Fox Jackson and the Creation of Southern Identity in the Border West," "Damned Yankee: The Life of General Nathaniel Lyon," and "Freedom's Port: The African American Community of Baltimore, 1790-1860." He is the co-editor of "The Union on Trial: The Political Journals of Judge William Barclay Napton, 1829-1883."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Antonio F. Holland and Gary R. Kremer return to discuss their memories of Lorenzo Greene and their years at Lincoln University. Episode Image: President’s Office at Lincoln Institute, Jefferson City, Missouri, ca. 1903 [Lincoln University Photographs (P1096), SHSMO] About the Guests: Antonio F. Holland holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Missouri. He is Professor Emeritus in History at Lincoln University. He is the author of "Nathan B. Young and the Struggle over Black Higher Education" and "The Soldiers’ Dream Continued: A Pictorial History of Lincoln University of Missouri." He is a co-author of "Missouri's Black Heritage." Gary R. Kremer holds a Ph.D. in History from American University. Presently, he is the Executive Director of The State Historical Society of Missouri. Previously, he taught at Lincoln University and William Woods University, as well as serving as Missouri State Archivist. He is the author of several books, including "James Milton Turner and the Promise of America: The Public Life of a Post-Civil War Black Leader," "George Washington Carver: A Biography," and "Race and Meaning: The African American Experience in Missouri." He is a co-author of "Missouri's Black Heritage."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, William Parrish discusses his writings on Missouri's Civil War and Reconstruction history, the origins of the multi-volume "Missouri: The Heart of a Nation" and "A History of Missouri," and the evolution of scholarship over his sixty-plus year career. Episode Image: Missouri House of Representatives Chamber, 1899 [Missouri State Capitol Photograph Collection (P1118), SHSMO] About the Guest: William Parrish holds a PhD in History from the University of Missouri. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Mississippi State University. He is the author of several books, including "David Rice Atchison of Missouri, Border Politician," "Turbulent Partnership: Missouri and the Union, 1861-1865," "Missouri Under Radical Rule, 1865-1870," and "Frank Blair: Lincoln's Conservative."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, William Foley discusses his publications on Missouri history as well as his memories of Lewis Atherton, John Francis McDermott, and Perry McCandless. Episode Image: Choteau Mansion in St. Louis County, Missouri, date unknown [John J. Buse Collection (S1083), SHSMO] About the Guest: William Foley holds a PhD in History from the University of Missouri. He is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Central Missouri. He is the author of several books, including "The First Chouteaus, River Barons of Early St. Louis," "The Genesis of Missouri: From Wilderness Outpost to Statehood," "Missouri: Then and Now," and "Wilderness Journey: The Life of William Clark."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Antonio F. Holland and Gary R. Kremer discuss Lorenzo Greene, Lincoln University, African American History, and the origins of their book, "Missouri's Black Heritage." Episode Image: African American couple in their garden, St. Charles County, Missouri, date unknown [John J. Buse Collection (S1083), SHSMO] About the Guests: Antonio F. Holland holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Missouri. He is Professor Emeritus in History at Lincoln University. He is the author of "Nathan B. Young and the Struggle over Black Higher Education" and "The Soldiers’ Dream Continued: A Pictoral History of Lincoln University of Missouri." He is a co-author of "Missouri's Black Heritage." Gary R. Kremer holds a Ph.D. in History from American University. Presently, he is the Executive Director of The State Historical Society of Missouri. Previously, he taught at Lincoln University and William Woods University, as well as serving as Missouri State Archivist. He is the author of several books, including "James Milton Turner and the Promise of America: The Public Life of a Post-Civil War Black Leader," "George Washington Carver: A Biography," and "Race and Meaning: The African American Experience in Missouri." He is a co-author of "Missouri's Black Heritage."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Diane Mutti Burke discusses her award-winning book, "On Slavery’s Border: Missouri’s Small-Slaveholding Households, 1815-1865," as well as historiographical interpretations of slavery in Missouri. Episode Image: Ridge Airy in Arrow Rock, Missouri, date unknown [Saline County, Missouri, Photograph Collection (P1137), SHSMO] About the Guest: Diane Mutti Burke is a professor of history and director of the Center for Midwestern Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She holds a Ph.D. in History from Emory University. Her first book, "On Slavery’s Border: Missouri’s Small-Slaveholding Households, 1815-1865," won the Missouri Conference on History Book Award in 2010. In addition to her award-winning book, she has also co-edited three anthologies on the Missouri/Kansas border region, including "Kansas City, America’s Crossroads," co-edited with John Herron; "Bleeding Kansas, Bleeding Missouri: The Long Civil War on the Border," co-edited with Jonathan Earle; and "Wide Open Town: Kansas City during the Pendergast Era," co-edited with John Herron and Jason Roe.

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Alison Clark Efford discusses her book, "German Immigrants, Race, and Citizenship in the Civil War Era," and explains how the immigration experiences of Germans in Missouri shaped their views on political, racial, and social issues. Episode Image: Fiftieth Anniversary of the German Catholic Benevolent Society at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, St. Charles, Missouri, 1910 [John J. Buse Collection (S1083), SHSMO] About the Guest: Alison Clark Efford holds a PhD in history from Ohio State University. Presently, she serves as Associate Professor of History at Marquette University. She is the author of "German Immigrants, Race, and Citizenship in the Civil War Era," and the co-editor of the forthcoming, "Radical Relationships: The Civil War–Era Correspondence of Mathilde Franziska Anneke."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, Virginia Laas discusses her book, "Bridging Two Eras: The Autobiography of Emily Newell Blair, 1877-1951," and highlights the unique challenges of editing the writings of the noted feminist, suffragist, and political leader. Episode Image: Emily Newell Blair at the Democratic Women’s Regional Conference, 1939 [Bernard Dickmann Photograph Collection (S0555), SHSMO] About the Guest: Virginia Laas holds a PhD in history from the University of Arkansas. She is Professor Emerita of History at Missouri Southern State University, and presently serves as the President of the Board of Trustees for the State Historical Society of Missouri. She has authored, coauthored, and edited five books, including "Love and Power in the Nineteenth Century: The Marriage of Violet Blair" and "Bridging Two Eras: The Autobiography of Emily Newell Blair, 1877-1951."

In honor of the state's 200th birthday, Our Missouri will feature a series throughout 2021 entitled "Bicentennial Book Club," which highlights influential books related to Missouri and examines how scholars, historians, and authors dissect major topics in the state's history. So, join the "Book Club" to hear about award-winning publications that detail the state's diverse history, as well as the stories behind the stories featured within their pages. In this episode, host Sean Rost explores the life of "Mr. Missouri"—Floyd Shoemaker—and examines how his scholarship shaped interpretations of Missouri history throughout the early-to-mid 20th Century. Episode Image: J. Christian Bay and Floyd Shoemaker viewing a book from the J. Christian Bay Collection, Columbia, Missouri, 1942 [State Historical Society of Missouri Photographs (P0137), SHSMO]