May 5th This Day in Missouri

On May 5, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: St. Louis traders continued spring fur trade expeditions, a key Missouri economic driver, though no specific event is documented.
• 1856: Missouri’s pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” intensified raids into Kansas during “Bleeding Kansas,” clashing with anti-slavery settlers in early May.
• 1861: Union General Henry W. Halleck, based in St. Louis, strengthened federal defenses, while rural Confederate guerrillas escalated spring raids, deepening Civil War divides.
• 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, serving Cape Girardeau, boosted trade, with early May freight traffic surging.
• 1929: The Great Depression deepened Missouri’s economic woes, with Kansas City and St. Louis struggling, while spring relief programs focused on job creation.
• 1941: Missouri’s St. Louis and Kansas City ramped up wartime production, with early May enlistment campaigns targeting skilled defense workers.