Missouri was the 24th state in the USA; it became a state on August 10, 1821.
State Abbreviation – MO
State Capital – Jefferson City
Largest City – Kansas City
Area – 69,709 square miles [Missouri is the 21st biggest state in the USA]
Population – 5,595,211 (as of 2000) [Missouri is the 16th most populous state in the USA]
Name for Residents – Missourians
Major Industries – farming (corn, soybeans), mining (zinc, lead), aircraft equipment, cars, beer

Presidential Birthplace – Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar (near Joplin) on May 8, 1884 (he was the 33rd US President, serving from 1945 to 1953).

Major Rivers – Mississippi River, Missouri River, Osage River
Major Lakes – Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake, Clearwater Lake, Lake Wappapello
Highest Point – Taum Sauk Mountain- 1,772 feet (540 m) above sea level
Number of Counties – 82
Bordering States – Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee

Origin of the Name Missouri – Missouri was named for an Algonquian Indian word that means “river of the big canoes.” State Nickname – The Show Me State
State Motto – “Salus populi suprema lex esto ” – The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law
State Song – Missouri Waltz

In 1947-1948 their was a nationwide competition to design a monument in St. Louis honoring western pioneers. The architect Eero Saarinen (August 20, 1910 – September 1, 1961) won the contest with his sleek arch.

Construction began on February 12, 1963, and was finished on October 28, 1965. It was opened to the public on July 24, 1967. (after one of the trams was completed). It cost about 13 million dollars to build. The two bases are equilateral triangles (triangles with three 54 foot-long sides). At the top of the arch, the triangle is only 17 feet long on each side. Visitors enter the arch from an underground visitors center and can travel to the observation deck at the top in a 40-passenger tram that runs inside the arch.

The arch has 60-foot deep foundations. The arch is very stable and was built to withstand high winds and earthquakes. The structure sways about one inch in a 20 mph wind; it is designed to sway up to 18 inches in 150 mile per hour winds.  If you’ve ever been in the structure on a windy day, you’ll appreciate all the work that went into it’s safety.