November 28th This Day in Missouri

On November 28, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: Zebulon Pike’s expedition, dispatched from St. Louis to explore the southern Louisiana Purchase, continued its journey westward, mapping uncharted territories, though no specific Missouri event is recorded for this date.
• 1856: Amid the “Bleeding Kansas” conflict, pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” from Missouri intensified raids into Kansas, attacking anti-slavery settlements to manipulate territorial elections, contributing to escalating violence along the border.
• 1861: During the Civil War, Union General Henry W. Halleck fortified St. Louis as a key Union stronghold, while Confederate guerrillas conducted sporadic raids in rural Missouri, deepening the state’s internal divisions.
• 1888: The Missouri Pacific Railroad advanced its network through southeast Missouri, linking towns like Cape Girardeau to broader markets, fostering regional trade and economic development.
• 1929: The Great Depression gripped Missouri, with cities like Kansas City and St. Louis experiencing severe economic downturns, marked by widespread business failures, bank closures, and soaring unemployment rates.
• 1933: A white mob of approximately 7,000 lynched 18-year-old Black man Lloyd Warner in St. Joseph, Missouri, in a public spectacle, highlighting the state’s history of racial violence during the Jim Crow era.
• 1963: Missouri communities in St. Louis, Kansas City, and beyond held memorial services and vigils to mourn President John F. Kennedy, assassinated six days prior, reflecting the state’s shared national grief.