Missouri, one of the central states, and the fifth in order of population, of the American Union, lies between 36° and 40° 30' N. lat. and between 89° 2' and 95° 51' W. long., and occupies a commanding position in the Mississippi valley. It is 280 miles long from north to south, and gradually increases in width from 208 miles in the north to 312 miles in the south. Area, 68,735 sq. m., or nearly that of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The Missouri River divides the state into two unequal sections, designated 'North Missouri' and 'South Missouri' respectively. That part of the state lying north of the Missouri River is generally level or slightly undulating, consisting of rolling prairies and level bottom lands, diversified with a luxuriant growth of timber along the streams. The southern section has a more diversified surface, deriving its distinctive features from the Ozark Mountains, which cover about one-half of this division. These mountains enter the state from north-western Arkansas, and extend across the state to the Mississippi River; throughout the greater part of their length they may very properly be classed as tablelands, reaching their highest altitude (1500 feet) in Greene and Webster counties, and gradually breaking up into narrow ridges, spurs, knobs, and peaks farther east. The entire eastern limit of the state is washed by the Mississippi River, with a water front of 560 miles, while the Missouri River forms the boundary from the extreme north-west corner to Kansas City, and thence across the state to the Mississippi, with which it unites just above St. Louis. Many smaller tributaries flow into these two majestic rivers—into the Mississippi the Fabius, Salt, Cuivre, Meramec, St. Francis, Current, and Black; and into the Missouri the Nodaway, Platte, Grand, and Chariton on the north, and the Osage and Gasconade on the south. The general drainage of the surface is indicated by long gentle slopes toward the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, except in the extreme south-west, where the streams flow into the Arkansas. The climate is genial, agreeable, and healthful. All the extremes of heat and cold peculiar to this latitude are experienced; but the mean annual temperature is about 54°, and the mean average rainfall is 41 inches.
Missouri is pre-eminently an agricultural state. Of the 44,000,000 acres of her land surface more than 42,000,000 are adapted to agricultural and horticultural purposes. The soils are rich, deep, and unsurpassed in variety and productiveness. The principal crops are Indian corn (200,000,000 bushels), oats (30,000,000 bushels), wheat (28,000,000 bushels), potatoes, rye, barley, hemp, flax, cotton, sorghum, buckwheat, and hay (1,600,000 tons). Of tobacco a fair crop is 15,000,000 lb.; and orchard products are grown in great abundance. In the decade 1880-90 there was a great increase in the number of grazing animals, though sheep are not largely raised. The immense quantities of dressed beef and pork shipped annually to home and foreign markets are constantly increasing.
The mineral resources of Missouri are exceedingly rich, comprising extensive coalfields, that cover more than 20,000 sq. m.; also vast deposits of iron ore, lead, and zinc; while copper, cobalt, nickel, fireclays, fine marble, granite, and limestone of excellent quality abound in different localities. The coalfields are capable of yielding 100,000 tons of bituminous coal a day for several thousand years. The supply of iron ore is excellent in quality and inexhaustible in quantity; but the richest deposits yet worked are confined chiefly to two counties in the south-east—Iron and St. François. Yet the iron belt south of the Missouri River, and extending from the Mississippi River on the east to Osage River on the west, covers an area of 25,000 sq. m. Excellent transportation facilities are afforded by the Mississippi River along the eastern border of the state, and by the Missouri River across the state; and the railroads are nearly 7000 miles in length.
Missouri returns two senators and 14 representatives to congress. The general assembly (34 state senators and 140 representatives) meets every two years. The public-school system is very complete and very efficient, embracing the state university, the school of mines, four state normal schools, and city, town, village, and country schools. All public schools are supported by state appropriations, local taxation, and interest on the state, county, and township school funds. Missouri has
Copyright 1891 in U.S.
by J. B. Lippincott
Company. a larger permanent school fund than any other state of the American Union. The corps of teachers number 15,000. In addition to the state system of education there are 30 private academies, seminaries, denominational colleges, and universities, several of which are of a high order of excellence.
The metropolis of Missouri is St Louis (pop. 460,357), one of the greatest railroad, manufacturing, and commercial centres in the entire country. Next come Kansas City (132,043), St Joseph, Springfield, Hannibal, Sedalia, Chillicothe, Mexico, Moberly, Booneville, Nevada, Marshall, Kirksville, Carrollton, Lexington, and Carthage, all thriving cities. Pop. (1820) 20,845; (1840) 140,455; (1860) 1,182,012; (1880) 2,168,380; (1890) 2,679,184.
History.—Missouri was first explored by De Soto in 1541-42, and in 1673 Marquette and his followers visited its eastern border. It formed part of the 'Louisiana Purchase' (see LOUISIANA), the northern portion of which in 1805 was organised as the 'District of Louisiana.' It was not till 1812 that a part of this territory took the name of Missouri. In 1821 Missouri was admitted into the Union, but the present limits of the state were not established till 1836. Its admission was preceded by a long and bitter political controversy between the representatives of the North and South, the former resisting its entrance as a slave-state. The discussion resulted in the famous 'Missouri Compromise,' under which compact it was agreed that slavery should be for ever excluded from all that part of Louisiana north of 36° 30' lat., except Missouri. During the four years of the great civil war the citizens of Missouri suffered terribly. The people were nearly equally divided in sentiment, and both sides prepared for the conflict. The state furnished 109,111 men for the Union army, and about three-fourths as many for the other side. Death and the destruction of property everywhere prevailed. But when the war ended the people commenced to build up the waste places; improvements were extended in all directions, bitter feelings soon died away, and the state entered upon an era of singular prosperity.