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Missouri has long been known as the Show Me state, but the origins of that nickname aren’t entirely clear. Perhaps the best-known story involves a Missouri representative named Willard Duncan Vandiver.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The name Missouri originates from the native American Sioux of the state called the Missouris. All State Name Origins. The Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology states that Missouri means town of the large canoes.
- The Show Me State
- The Cave State
- The Lead State
- The Bullion State
- Mother of The West
- The Iron Mountain State
- The Puke State
- Pennsylvania of The West
This most widely recognized nickname for Missouri was in use in the late 1890s. It's not known exactly where or how this nickname originated. The most popular story regarding this nickname revolves around remarks made by United States Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver who served as a member of the U.S. House Committee on Naval Affairs. Mr. Vandiv...
This nickname references the thousands of caves found in Missouri. Over 5,600 caves have been registered and more are discovered each year. At least 20 of these caves are public "show" caves. Show caves are open to the public with guided tours.
Missouri's lead production has been second to none in this country. The "Old Lead Belt," located in the eastern Ozark Mountains helped Missouri achieve its status as the premier lead mining area of the world. Cities named Leadington, River Mines, Old Mines and Leadwood reflect the influence of lead mining in Missouri. Missouri's official State Mine...
It is said that this nickname originated with Thomas Hart Benton. The first Missouri Senator, Mr. Benton was elected for five terms becoming the first man to serve 30 years in the U.S. Senate. Senator Benton steadfastly supported hard currency; gold and silver. Because of his opposition to banks and paper money, a political stance against monopolie...
This name and "The Gateway to the West" have been used to refer to Missouri's location and its historical base for western expansion. The Oregon and Santa Fe trails both begin in Missouri. The Pony Express and the Butterfield Overland Mail Route both originated in Missouri. The 630 foot Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, pays tribute to Missouri's role in...
This nickname comes from Iron Mountain, so named because of the very large veins of iron ore that were found there.
This distasteful name is said to refer to the large gathering of Missourians in 1827 at the Galena Lead Mines. According to George Earlie Shankle, PhD, in State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols, 1938, "...so many Missourians had assembled, that those already there declared the State of Missouri had taken a 'puke.'"
This name may have originated because of the similarity of Missouri's and Pennsylvania's mining and manufacturing economies.
Some believe the "show-me" title actually originates from a derogatory reference to Missouri miners who worked in Leadville, Colorado. Men from Joplin, Missouri, went to work in Colorado during that state's miner strike in the early 1900s.
- Michelle Konstantinovsky
The history of Missouri begins with settlement of the region by indigenous people during the Paleo-Indian period beginning in about 12,000 BC. Subsequent periods of native life emerged until the 17th century.
Missouri's most well-known nickname is; "The Show-Me State." Although the nickname has not been officially recognized by Missouri's Legislature, it can be seen on Missouri license plates. All State Nicknames. There are several stories concerning the origin of the "Show-Me" slogan.
Missouri (/ m ɪ ˈ z ʊər i / miz-OOR-ee) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it borders Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to the south and Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to the west.
