State Historical Society of Missouri

shsofmo Coffee and Conversation with the Curator is back Enter May 15—June 15 One randomly drawn winner—and up to five friends—will take a private tour with SHSMO Art Curator Joan Stack. Learn how works of art are cared for, displayed, and preserved, then enjoy coffee and conversation in a small-group setting designed for questions, stories, and connection. ------- THE DETAILS: From May 15 through June 15, 2026, anyone who joins or renews their SHSMO membership will be entered into a drawing for this exclusive experience at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm Street, Columbia. ------- Don't miss the chance for an insider experience that offers a deeper look at SHSMO art and history. The winner will be notified on June 20. ------- #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #shsofmo #missouriart

On our Route 66 road trip, we met Chris and Dora Nichols from Van Buren, Arkansas, traveling Route 66 the same week we were. We actually ran into them in Springfield later in the week as well. They talked about what traveling means to them, and why riding is better than driving in a car, despite the storms we experienced that day. ———- Follow us for more from our Route 66 roadtrip. Explore our Route 66 collections at SHSMO.org/collections/photographs ———- #shsofmo #route66roadtrip #vfwpost #route66missouri #strobertmissouri

Coffee and Conversation with the Curator is back Enter May 15—June 15 One randomly drawn winner—and up to five friends—will take a private tour with SHSMO Art Curator Joan Stack. Learn how works of art are cared for, displayed, and preserved, then enjoy coffee and conversation in a small-group setting designed for questions, stories, and connection. ------- THE DETAILS: From May 15 through June 15, 2026, anyone who joins or renews their SHSMO membership will be entered into a drawing for this exclusive experience at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm Street, Columbia. ------- Don't miss the chance for an insider experience that offers a deeper look at SHSMO art and history. The winner will be notified on June 20. ------- #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #shsofmo #missouriart

People standing in line to buy tickets to see the movie "Showboat" at Loew's State Theater on Washington Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri. The theater, which was opened in 1924, was demolished in the 1980s to make way for the America's Center Convention Complex. ------- "People Buying Tickets to Movie, Showboat, Loew's State Theater at 715 Washington Avenue," 1951, Arthur Whitman, Arthur Whitman Collection, (S0732). See more photos of the theatre here: /LoewsStateTheaterSHSMO ------- #shsofmo #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #MissouriHistory #stl #stlouis #loewstheater

Route 66: Then... and Now The Diamonds Restaurant, Villa Ridge, Missouri Built in 1928, a fire destroyed the original Diamonds in 1948. Owners Louis Eckelkamp and Nobel Key rebuilt a new state-of-the-art Streamline Moderne style restaurant the next year. They also added a truck stop with sleeping rooms and showers to cater to commercial drivers. I-44 bypassed the restaurant in the 1960s, prompting the business’s relocation to a new building on the interstate. The old restaurant continued to operate as the Tri-County Truck Stop before it finally closed in 2006. The building was listed on Missouri Preservation’s “Most Endangered” list of historic properties starting in 2012. It suffered significant damage in a March 14, 2025, tornado. ------- Top image: John F. Bradbury, Jr. Postcard Collection (R1551). Bottom: the building in 2026. ------- #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #shsofmo #MissouriHistory #route66missouri #route66roadtrip #route66centennial #route66 #streamlinemoderne

By 1917, there were roughly 300,000 vehicles operating on Missouri's Highways. Each year, more and more Missourians began purchasing automobiles. Pictured are men and women sitting at a gas station who were driving the car from Flint, Michigan, where Buick automobiles were made, to Higginsville, Missouri, where it would be sold. The group drove the new Buick cars to Higginsville because of a railroad freight car shortage. ------- "Delivering 12 Buick Automobiles to Missouri," 1917, G. Houston George Photographs (P0073). View more photos from this journey from Flint Michigan to Missouri here: /BuickAutomobiles ------- #shsofmo #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #MissouriHistory #buick #flintmichigan #higginsvillemo #earlycars #earlyautomobiles

Congratulations to our colleague, Library Information Assistant Peter McCarthy, for earning the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award for Research and Technical Professions. Peter is one of only six staff members at MU winning a COSA award. Members of the award committee surprised him here at our Columbia headquarters, where Peter will hit a milestone anniversary of 30 years in November. Peter's work is essential to running our research centers across the state and we're grateful for his contributions and institutional knowledge. Well deserved! ------- #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #shsofmo #research #libraryresearch #archive

Churchgoers at Olive Chapel, an African Methodist Episcopal Church in Kirkwood, Missouri. This photograph is from the George Davis Family Papers Collection which documents the lives of the Davis Family, an African American family that resided in Kirkwood, Mo. for nine generations. View the digitized materials of this collection here: /GeorgeDavisPapersSHSMO ------- "Olive Chapel AME Church," George Davis Family Papers, (S0606) ------- #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #shsofmo #MissouriHistory #kirkwoodmo #stlouis #AfricanAmericanHistory

"The US at 250: A View From the United Kingdom," presented by Lawrence Goldman, Kinder Institute Senior Fellow and St. Peter's College (Oxford) Emeritus Fellow in History. Tuesday, May 12th, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. 📍Tiger Hotel, 23 S. 8th Street, Columbia MO ------- To celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, @mudemocracy , in partnership from the State Historical Society of Missouri, is bringing scholars from around the globe to Columbia to share thoughts on the nation’s semi-quincentennial anniversary from an international vantage point. The program begins at 5 p.m. with a reception to follow. Seating will be available on a first-come basis. Arrive early to secure your spot. This series is free and open to the public. We encourage anyone who plans to attend to register using the RSVP link below: /events/2026/america-250-view-united-kington ------- "Standard Atlas of Callaway County, Missouri," pg. 51, ca. 1919, The State Historical Society of Missouri. ------- #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #shsofmo #america250 #mudemocracy #Mizzou #discoverthedistrict #vocoTheTigerHotel

Route 66 Roadtrip Wagon Wheel Motel, Cuba, Missouri We learned earlier this week that Connie Echols, longtime owner of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba passed away over the weekend. New owner Roamin Rich posted this, "If you’ve ever traveled Route 66, you know the Wagon Wheel isn’t just a place to stay—it’s a place you feel. That didn’t happen by accident. Connie poured her heart into that property for years, preserving not just the buildings, but the spirit of what Route 66 is supposed to be. She kept the doors open, the lights on, and the welcome warm for travelers from all over the world. At a time when so many historic places have faded away, Connie stood her ground. Because of her, the Wagon Wheel remained a cornerstone of Cuba and a must-stop along the Mother Road. She wasn’t just running a motel—she was protecting a piece of American history." ------- We had a wonderful conversation with Connie just a couple of weeks ago. We added the bit at the end of this reel because she told us she was a huge fan of the Oak Ridge Boys and loved it when they would stay at the motel. ------- #shsofmo #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #route66roadtrip #wagonwheelmotel #route66centennial #route66 #route66missouri

The Lookout Point & Skylift located in Clarksville, Missouri, was a popular tourist attraction in the second half of the twentieth century, offering scenic overlook views of the Mississippi River. In the 1990s it was shut down after Native American burial sites were discovered on the property. View more digitized photographs from Pike County, Missouri, here: /PikeCountyMo ------- "Greetings from Clarksville Mo." 1964, John F. Bradbury, Jr. Postcard Collection (R1551). ------- #shsofmo #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #MissouriHistory #clarksvillemissouri #pikecountymo #mississippiriver

Then... and Now The Phillips 66 Space Station and Satellite Cafe opened in the mid-1950s along Route 66 in Lebanon, Missouri. Owner LeRoy Hawkins used three Route 66 hallmarks to attract the attention of travelers: a space-age theme; an oversized roadside gimmick in the form of a 20-foot rocket, and a Googie neon sign. Gas was not the only thing you could fill up on. Next door to the gas station, the Satellite Cafe specialized in fried chicken and homemade pies. The cafe building burned down in the 1990s, but travelers can still see the rocket and original sign along the route. ------- "Satellite Cafe," ca. 1955, John F. Bradbury Jr. Postcard Collection (R1551). Learn more about the Phillips 66 Space Station and Satellite Cafe as well as other historic places along Route 66 in Missouri here: /interactives/route66 ------- #shsofmo #statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri #MissouriHistory #route66roadtrip #route66missouri #route66 #route66centennial #1960s #lebanonmissouri