On March 3, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:
- 1806: St. Louis, a growing outpost, supported early U.S. territorial governance in the Missouri region, with no specific event noted, likely due to routine early spring trade activity.
- 1856: Missouri’s “Border Ruffians” continued their raids into Kansas during “Bleeding Kansas,” clashing with anti-slavery forces to control the territory’s slavery outcome.
- 1861: Union forces under General Henry W. Halleck in St. Louis fortified Missouri’s federal hold, while Confederate guerrilla plans for spring offensives grew in rural areas.
- 1864: Confederate General Sterling Price’s Missouri troops, stationed in Arkansas, prepared for potential spring campaigns, with Missouri itself seeing little direct Confederate activity.
- 1888: The Missouri Pacific Railroad’s network in southeast Missouri, serving towns like Cape Girardeau, expanded trade, with March marking a surge in agricultural shipments.
- 1929: The Great Depression strained Missouri’s economy, with Kansas City and St. Louis seeing business closures, while early spring relief efforts focused on food distribution.
- 1941: Missouri’s St. Louis and Kansas City, key to World War II efforts, saw factories increase output of military supplies, with early March recruitment drives targeting skilled workers.