Missouri through our lens.

This is the Mighty Mo, the genesis of many townships that spawned on its shore. Jefferson City was no different. At the time the Mississippi was mapped and named, the Missouri was still an unknown river. At the confluence of the two rivers just above St. Louis, the Missouri is the bigger river; its flow is greater and its length is greater than the entire length of the Mississippi.

This is the Union Station in Kansas City. In 1996, residents in five counties throughout the metropolitan area in both Kansas and Missouri approved the so-called "bi-state tax", a 1/8th of a cent sales tax, part of which helped to fund just under half of the $250 million restoration of Union Station. Renovation began in 1997 and was completed in 1999. The remaining money was raised through private donations and federal funding.

Union Station made headlines on June 17, 1933, as four unarmed FBI agents were gunned down by gang members attempting to free captured fugitive Frank Nash. Nash was also killed in the gun battle. The "Kansas City Massacre" highlighted the lawlessness of Kansas City under the Pendergast Machine.

The interior of Union Station which houses restaurants, movie theaters, etc.

The Pierponts Restaurant and high end dinner house famous for seafood and steaks.

Jefferson City, Missouri, the state´s capital, was named for Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. Jefferson´s vision for the expansion of US territories led to the Louisiana Purchase. Missouri was part of that purchase. Jefferson City is located on the Missouri River near the geographic center of the state, and is dominated by a beautiful domed Capitol, rising from a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.

The Missouri Capitol is widely recognized for its architectural elegance and artistic excellence. The sculpture and statuary that decorate the outside of the building and the sculpture and paintings that decorate the interior make Missouri's Capitol unique. It is literally a museum of public art, remarkable not only for its quality and abundance, but as a faithful reflection of the themes, events and people of Missouri.

The rotunda and dome is one of the most beautiful that we have seen on our travels.

In the rotunda area there are displayed bronze busts of individuals who have contributed to the history of Missouri, included are T.S. Eliot, Samuel Clemens (better known as "Mark Twain"), Robert Heinlein, Lamar Hunt, Charlie Parker, Walt Disney. Calamity Jane, Josephine Baker, Chuck Berry, Harry S. Truman, Stan Musial, John J. Pershing, Omar N. Bradley, and George Washington Carver. Missouri was also home to some infamous citizens such as Frank and Jesse James.

John Pershing, General of the Armies of the United States. Pershing is the highest ranking military officer in the history of the United States along with George Washington.

This portion of the Capitol houses the National Museum. Aren’t the arches simply elegant?

Governor’s office

Gov. Jay Nixon a native of the small town of Desoto, Mo.. Gov. Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, the 55^th Governor of Missouri, was raised in a family of public servants. His mother, the late Betty Wilson Nixon, was a teacher and served as president of the local school board. His father, Jerry Nixon, was elected Mayor of Desoto and was a police judge for the community.

In December of 1936, Thomas Hart Benton finished what is possibly his most famous and most seen works ever. It is The Social History of the State of Missouri in the Missouri state Capitol.

The south wall portrays the city life in Missouri. On the left side, he shows St. Louis's two main industries, shoe manufacturing and brewing. In the background is the Union Railroad Station tower. To the right of the door is the life on Kansas City. The stockyards that made Kansas City famous are portrayed as are different steps of the meat processing procedure. Just past the stockyard is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art representing the cultural life of the city. Three men huddle around the fire in the metal bin to serve as a reminder of a city scene during the Depression. Further in the background is the Liberty Memorial Tower and the Power and Light building. In the foreground is a business dinner with prominent citizens such as Tom Pendergast. The chemistry lab in the foreground to the left of the Kansas City panel indicates the research and progress of the area.

Over the three doors in the Missouri House of Representatives lounge, Benton illustrated the legend of "Frankie and Johnny." This barroom scene is a memorial to the famed lover's quarrel in the late 1880's in St. Louis that ended in murder. It was later immortalized in the folk song "Frankie and Johnny". Frankie, in the red dress, found her husband Johnny on a date with another woman and fatally shot him.

The panel above the door portrays a story from one of the most well known authors to ever come out of Missouri. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and his friend Jim are seen here enjoying the good fishing along the river. In the background on the Mississippi River a paddleboat can be seen with the name "Sam Clemens" written across the side. This is the first of three panels in the mural showing the legends of the state.

Pioneer Days

The Social History of the State of Missouri reads like a story that wraps around the room. It starts with the Pioneer Days. On this section, Benton portrays pioneers heading to Missouri by river and by land. One of the first things that had to be done was till the soil and raise log cabins. The sport of turkey shooting was very popular at this time, and it also has a place in the mural. Missouri was the starting point of many trails that led pioneers westward. Trading whiskey for furs from an Osage Indian is another event that may have occurred at this early stage in Missouri history. Continuing on to the right side of the door is Benton's representation of the early settlements. To represent the first true construction in Missouri, Benton has placed a man swinging his axe and another hoisting a timber. Next to them is a blacksmith forging a much needed wheel. Several building that were built early on in the St. Louis area can be seen in the background. Along with all of the other hard workers building the communities, slaves were very prevalent in early Missouri days and bidding on them was no rare sight.

House of Representatives Chambers

The Battle of Westport

Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition had changed course from St. Louis and Jefferson City to Kansas City and Fort Leavenworth. As his army neared Kansas City, Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis’s Army of the Border blocked its way west, while Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton’s provisional cavalry division was closing on their rear. Price decided that he needed to deal with the two Union forces and decided to attack them one at a time. With Pleasonton still behind him, Price chose to strike Curtis at Westport first. Curtis had established strong defensive lines and during a four-hour battle, the Confederates hurled themselves at the Union forces but to no avail. The Rebels could not break the Union lines and retreated south. Westport was the decisive battle of Price’s Missouri Expedition, and from this point on, the Rebels were in retreat.