March 13th This Day in Missouri

On March 13, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: St. Louis traders, central to Missouri’s fur trade, began spring expeditions, though no specific event is documented for this date.
• 1856: During “Bleeding Kansas,” Missouri’s pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” clashed with Kansas anti-slavery settlers, escalating violence as spring campaigns intensified.
• 1861: Union General Henry W. Halleck, stationed in St. Louis, maintained Missouri’s federal hold, while rural Confederate guerrillas planned spring raids, deepening Civil War strife.
• 1864: In Arkansas, Confederate General Sterling Price’s Missouri units focused on spring strategies, with Missouri under Union authority and minimal Confederate action.
• 1888: The Missouri Pacific Railroad’s southeast Missouri network, connecting Cape Girardeau, drove commerce, with mid-March freight traffic supporting local economies.
• 1929: The Great Depression hit Missouri’s urban centers, Kansas City and St. Louis, hard, with spring relief programs focusing on food distribution and job aid.
• 1941: Missouri’s St. Louis and Kansas City, key to World War II, increased military production, with mid-March enlistment efforts expanding to meet wartime needs.