On March 4, the following notable historical events related to Missouri occurred:

• 1806: St. Louis traders prepared for spring fur trade expeditions, a vital Missouri economic activity, though no specific event is documented for this date.
• 1856: In “Bleeding Kansas,” Missouri’s pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” intensified raids on Kansas anti-slavery settlers, escalating violence as spring campaigns took shape.
• 1861: Union General Henry W. Halleck, based in St. Louis, strengthened Missouri’s federal defenses, while Confederate supporters in rural areas plotted spring guerrilla actions.
• 1864: Confederate General Sterling Price’s Missouri units in Arkansas focused on spring planning after their failed campaign, with Missouri remaining quiet under Union control.
• 1888: The Missouri Pacific Railroad’s southeast Missouri lines, connecting Cape Girardeau to broader markets, supported regional growth, with early March freight traffic rising.
• 1929: Missouri’s Kansas City and St. Louis grappled with the Great Depression’s impact, with early spring seeing local governments expand relief programs for the unemployed.
• 1941: Post-Pearl Harbor, Missouri’s industrial cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, boosted World War II production, with March marking increased factory shifts for military goods.