April 1st This Day in Missouri

On April 1, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: St. Louis traders launched spring fur trade expeditions with Native American tribes, a cornerstone of Missouri’s early economy, though no specific event is noted for this date.
• 1856: Missouri’s pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” intensified raids into Kansas during “Bleeding Kansas,” clashing with anti-slavery settlers to control the territory’s slavery future.
• 1861: Union General Henry W. Halleck, based in St. Louis, strengthened federal control, while Confederate guerrillas in rural Missouri began spring raids, escalating Civil War tensions.
• 1864: Confederate General Sterling Price’s Missouri units in Arkansas planned spring campaigns, with Missouri under Union control and minimal Confederate activity.
• 1888: The Missouri Pacific Railroad’s southeast Missouri network, linking Cape Girardeau to markets, boosted trade, with early April freight traffic surging.
• 1929: The Great Depression deepened Missouri’s economic crisis, with Kansas City and St. Louis facing unemployment, while spring relief programs focused on job creation.
• 1941: Post-Pearl Harbor, Missouri’s St. Louis and Kansas City ramped up World War II production, with early April enlistment drives targeting defense industry workers.