March 10th This Day in Missouri

On March 10, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: St. Louis traders, vital to Missouri’s early economy, likely began spring fur trade expeditions with Native American tribes, though no specific event is documented for this date.
• 1856: In “Bleeding Kansas,” Missouri’s pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” continued raids on Kansas anti-slavery settlers, driving violent clashes as spring brought renewed territorial conflict.
• 1861: Union General Henry W. Halleck in St. Louis fortified Missouri’s federal control, while Confederate guerrillas in rural areas prepared for spring attacks, deepening Civil War tensions.
• 1864: Confederate General Sterling Price’s Missouri units in Arkansas planned spring campaigns, with Missouri itself remaining under Union authority and seeing little Confederate action.
• 1888: The Missouri Pacific Railroad’s southeast Missouri lines, connecting Cape Girardeau to national markets, spurred economic activity, with mid-March freight traffic thriving.
• 1929: Missouri’s Kansas City and St. Louis reeled from the Great Depression, with mass unemployment prompting spring relief efforts focused on public works and food aid.
• 1941: Post-Pearl Harbor, Missouri’s St. Louis and Kansas City intensified World War II efforts, with factories boosting military production and recruitment drives expanding in mid-March.