On February 21, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: Zebulon Pike’s expedition, launched from St. Louis to explore the southern Louisiana Purchase, continued its winter journey through the Arkansas River region, with no specific Missouri event noted, likely due to the season’s quiet pace.
• 1856: During the “Bleeding Kansas” conflict, Missouri’s pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” sustained raids on Kansas anti-slavery settlers, clashing violently to control the territory’s slavery outcome in late February.
• 1861: Union General Henry W. Halleck, based in St. Louis, strengthened Missouri’s federal hold, while Confederate guerrillas in rural areas escalated winter attacks, fueling the state’s deep Civil War divides.
• 1864: Confederate General Sterling Price’s forces, including Missouri units, regrouped in Arkansas after their failed Missouri campaign, focusing on winter planning with little activity in Missouri.
• 1888: The Missouri Pacific Railroad’s expansion in southeast Missouri, tying Cape Girardeau to national markets, drove local trade, with operations active as winter neared its end.
• 1929: Missouri’s cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, faced the Great Depression’s toll—mass unemployment and business closures—while local relief groups worked to ease winter struggles.
• 1941: Post-Pearl Harbor, Missouri’s St. Louis and Kansas City surged in World War II mobilization, with factories churning out military goods and enlistment drives gaining momentum.