
Here Are 5 Odd Random Facts About The State of Missouri
You've probably heard the quote, "There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them." The quote is from the 1948 film "The Naked City", and speaks to the idea that everyone has a story. States have stories too, and Missouri is no exception. Here are five of the ones that are a little bit odd and random.
Missouri Is Home To Two of the Oldest Universities West of the Mississippi.
The University of Missouri is the first public university west of the Mississippi River, as well as the first university in Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase territory. St. Louis University is the first university founded west of The Mississippi River after it received a formal charter from The State of Missouri in 1832.
There's a Museum in St. Joseph Dedicated to the History of Jesse James
Jesse James was shot and killed on April 3, 1882, in his St. Joesph home by Bob Ford. Ford killed James to collect the $10,000 reward offered by Governor Tom Crittenden.
Today the home is a museum dealing with the life and death of James, and the home has been moved three times, mostly to make it a more attractive or visible tourist attraction. Today the home is on the grounds of the Patee House Museum.
Missouri is the only state with two Federal Reserve Banks
Missouri is the only state that has two Federal Reserve Banks, one in Kansas City and another in St. Louis. Legend has it that the state got two banks because of its political influence. Yet, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the committee selected sites for Federal Reserve banks solely on economic criteria that included existing banking and business ties, transportation and communication infrastructure, as well as the convenience and preference of member banks.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is also home to the Economy Museum at the St. Louis Fed.
The First Parachute Jump from a Moving Plane Happened In St. Louis
Pilot Albert Berry made the first parachute jump from a plane in 1912 near the Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. Smithsonian Magazine said Berry looked to the pilot of the plane, Tony Jannus, and after spotting an insane asylum prior to his jump remarked to him "That's where we both belong."
Tony Jannus, by the way, would find his own fame as the first airline pilot and held the first federal airline license. This is according to the International Air Transport Association.
The Gateway Arch Is America's Tallest Monument
The Gateway Arch is one of the newest monuments in the National Parks System, and it's definitely the tallest. Its 630-foot height is 75 feet taller than the Washington Monument, and twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty. The heads carved on Mount Rushmore are designed to the scale of men who would be 465 feet tall, a height that would allow those giant men to walk between the legs of the arch.
There you have it, five, odd, random facts about Missouri. If you're not careful you may have learned something by reading this.
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