Missouri history

After they first began arriving in Missouri in the 1830s, German immigrants helped shape the state's culture in myriad ways, as detailed in the book “Explore Missouri's German Heritage” and the documentary it inspired.

Kansas City Chiefs fans are considered among the most loyal in football. But for some, that loyalty comes with big moral questions about the team's imagery and traditions. Plus: Digital archivists are busy scanning hundreds of thousands of photos that capture more than a century of Kansas City history.

The Neck neighborhood was in the center of historic Independence, Missouri, and housed the biggest Black community in the city. When the Harry S. Truman Library was built to honor the president, urban renewal policies he put in place destroyed the neighborhood.

The Neck neighborhood was in the center of historic Independence and housed the biggest Black community in the city. When the Harry S. Truman Library was built to honor the president, urban renewal policies he put in place destroyed the neighborhood.

The images document celebrations, parades, and dedications, and archivists' painstaking work is revealing the history of a growing city in the Midwest.

Missouri’s Ozark Mountains are known for their lush wilderness and popular tourist destinations. But what about the food? Like much of Ozark culture, the cuisine remains deeply misunderstood and shrouded in stereotypes. From deep in the forest to upscale restaurants, these food lovers are preserving the Ozarks' past and charting its future.

Missouri’s Ozark Mountains are known for their lush wilderness and popular tourist destinations. But what about the food? Like much of Ozark culture, the cuisine remains deeply misunderstood and shrouded in stereotypes. From deep in the forest to upscale restaurants, these food lovers are preserving the Ozarks' past and charting its future.

Missouri is home to more black walnut trees than any other place in the world. Its wild nature and distinct flavor means the black walnut often gets passed over for more popular European varieties — the kinds you normally see in grocery stores and restaurants. But these Missourians are making sure that the state’s native nut, and its importance to the culture of this region, gets its day in the sun.

Is there any other regional pizza in the country that elicits as much debate and shame as St. Louis-style? A square-cut, thin-crust pie topped with ooey, gooey Provel cheese, this unconventional pizza is the result of decades of St. Louis ingenuity — and yet, even many locals apologize for their unique creation.

Once a Democratic stronghold, the northeast Missouri-based 18th District turned to Republicans thanks to national realignment and perhaps conservative media.

At 224 pages and just over 69,000 words, the current Missouri constitution is the fourth in the state's history. November's ballot will ask if voters want a new one.

If you love a haunted house and learning our region's history, this list of Kansas City ghost tours and paranormal investigations is for you.