Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Missouri (State)

MISSOURI, a State in the South Central Division of the United States, bounded by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska; admitted to the Union, Aug. 10, 1821; counties, 115; area, 68,735 square miles; pop. (1900) 3,108,665; (1910) 3,293,335; (1920) 3,404,055; capital, Jefferson City.

Topography.— Though the surface of the State presents no considerable elevations, it is greatly diversified. In the S. W. part are the Ozark Mountains, a series of isolated knobs, peaks, and cliffs of sandstone, some reaching an altitude of 1,500 feet. The Mississippi river, forming the E. boundary line, is bordered by highlands in the shape of limestone bluffs, in some cases reaching a height of 350 feet. W. of these highlands the State is high and broken, becoming more and more level till the Osage river is reached. The principal rivers are the Mississippi, having a course of 470 miles along the E. boundary, the Missouri, which forms 200 miles of the W. boundary, and turning E. crosses the State, and flows 250 miles to the Mississippi. The Osage, St. Francis, Black, White, Gasconade, Current, Grand, and Charlton are all navigable for small boats at high water. Among unnavigable streams of importance are the Platte, Sac, Piney, Castor, Salt, South Grand, Nodaway, Fabrus, Meramec, Cuivre, and Niaugua rivers.

Geology.— The geological formations of Missouri are principally of Carboniferous origin, especially in the N. and W. Devonian rocks occur in the N. E. and S. W., extending in a S. direction toward St. Louis. The S. of the State is principally of Silurian formation, and the rocks include shale, limestone, conglomerate, and sandstone. Granite, greenstone, porphyry, and other Eozoic and Archean rocks occur in the S. and S. W.

Mineral Products.— The chief mineral products of the State are zinc and lead, in the production of which it ranks first among the States. The total value of the lead and zinc concentrates produced in 1918 was $37,763,394; the production of lead concentrates was 287,983 short tons, valued at $21,988,567. The quantity of zinc blende concentrate sold from the Missouri mines was 95,555 tons, valued at $4,899,347. The chief production is from the central and southeastern part of the State. Copper is also produced in the State. The production in 1918 was 577,665 pounds, valued at $142,683. The silver production was 46,939 fine ounces, valued at $46,939. The State produces a considerable amount of coal. The production in 1918 was 5,605,000 tons. There were employed in the coal mines of the State about 8,000 persons. Gold is found in small quantities. Other important mineral products are sulphuret of nickel, manganese, wolfram, gypsum, asbestos, bitumen, fire clay, kaolin, hydraulic lime, saltpeter, and mica.

Soil.— The soil is generally fertile, excepting on the hills, where it is mixed with such a proportion of iron oxides as to make it unproductive. The alluvial deposits of the Mississippi and Missouri are exceedingly fertile, and the swamps, when drained, yield enormous crops. The prairies produce tobacco and wheat of the best quality. Only about one-third of the State is cultivated, the remainder being to a large extent densely timbered. The principal forest trees are the elm, ash, oak, sugar maple, hackberry, dogwood, sassafras, sweet gum, black gum, calapa, tupelo, pawpaw, and pecan. Yellow pine grows abundantly around the head waters of the Black, White, and Current rivers, and extensive pine forests extend also along the Arkansas border.

Agriculture.— Missouri ranks among the first of the States in its importance in agricultural products. The production and value of the principal crops in 1919 was as follows: Corn, 155,412,000 bushels, valued at $214,459,000; oats, 38,259,000 bushels, valued at $27,164,000; wheat, 57,868,000 bushels, valued at $120,982,000; hay, 3,794,000 tons, valued at $73,983,000; potatoes, 8,250,000 bushels, valued at $15,180,000; cotton, 60,000 bales, valued at $10,200,000. Other important crops are pear, clover, flax, hemp, garden fruits, and barley. Agricultural and creamery products, such as butter, cheese, barley, sorghum, beeswax, wine, and maple syrup, and molasses, are all developed to a high standard. Much of the territory N. of the Missouri river is covered with blue grass and is finely adapted to stock-raising.

Manufactures.— The industrial establishments are centered chiefly in the larger cities, St. Louis and Kansas City. There were, in 1914, 8,386 manufacturing establishments with an average number of 152,182 wage earners. The capital invested amounted to $522,548,000. The amount paid in wages was $89,197,000. The value of materials used was $388,715,000, and the value of the products $637,552,000.

Banking.— On Oct. 31, 1919, there were reported 137 National banks in operation, with $45,995,000 in capital, $7,669,136 in outstanding circulation, and $22,311,850 in United States bonds. There were also 1,325 State banks, with $41,323,000 capital and 24,464,000 surplus; 6 private banks, with $65,000 capital and $168,000 surplus; and 82 trust and loan companies, with $22,423,000 capital and a surplus of $19,477,000. The exchanges for the year ending Sept. 30, 1919, at the United States clearing house at St. Louis and Kansas City amounted to $19,101,774,000.

Education.— There were, in 1919, 721,752 children enrolled in the public schools. Of these 528,455 were an average daily attendance. The number of teachers was 20,208. with an average monthly salary of $69.19. The total amount expended for schools was $17,780,426. Compulsory education was provided by the legislature in 1909. Agriculture is taught in the high schools. Enrolled in the high schools are about 50,000 pupils. There are five normal schools. Among the institutions for higher learning are Washington University at St. Louis, University of Missouri at Columbia, St. Louis University at St. Louis, Missouri Wesleyan College at Cameron, Christian University at Canton, Central College at Fayette. There are several colleges for women.

Churches.— The strongest denominations in the State are the Roman Catholic; Regular Baptist, South; Disciples of Christ, Methodist Episcopal, South; Methodist Episcopal; German Evangelical Synod; Cumberland Presbyterian; Lutheran, Synod, Conference; Regular Baptist, Colored; Presbyterian, North; African Methodist; Presbyterian, South.

Finance.— The receipts for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 1919, amounted to $25,062,337 and the disbursements to $23,233,925. The balance on hand at the end of the year was $5,791,823. The State debt amounted to about $6,500,000.

Railways.— The railway mileage in 1919 was 9,382. The longest roads within the State were the St. Louis and San Francisco, and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy.

Charities and Corrections.— The State Board of Charities and Corrections has supervision of the charitable and correctional institutions, which include hospitals at Fulton, St. Joseph, Nevada, and Farmington. There is an industrial school for boys at Booneville and schools for the deaf, blind, and epileptic.

State Government.— The governor is elected for a term of four years. Legislative sessions are held biennially beginning on Wednesday after the first Monday of January, and are unlimited as to length of session. The legislature has 34 members in the Senate and 142 in the House. There are 16 representatives in Congress. The State government in 1920 was Democratic.

History.— Missouri was first visited by the whites, under De Soto in 1541, and under Marquette in 1673. Early in the 18th century a brisk trade in furs between the French and the Indians led to French settlement. St. Louis, St. Genevieve, and other towns were founded about the middle of the century, but in 1762, after the conquest of New France by the English, this country was transferred to Spain. It was restored to France in 1800, and purchased by the United States in 1803, as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1812, a portion of Louisiana was set aside as the Territory of Missouri, and in 1821 it was admitted into the Union as a State. The question of its admission gave rise to a long and bitter political controversy in the halls of Congress, the South wishing to make of it a slave State and the North vigorously resisting. The dispute was at length settled by a compromise offered by Henry Clay, to the effect that slavery should be permitted in Missouri, but forever excluded from all other parts of the Louisiana Purchase N. of lat. 36° 30', In 1836 Missouri was reduced from its Territorial to its present State limits. On the outbreak of the Civil War the people of Missouri were divided in sentiment, and both sides took up arms. Many conflicts took place in the State, but the activity of the Union party saved it from secession. After the war bitter feeling died away, improvements began, and the State entered upon a career of prosperity which has since continued.

Copyright, L. L. Poates Eng. Co., 1921