History comes alive over the lunch hour this fall as the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) presents a new season of History on Elm, a free monthly program series exploring the people, places, events, art and stories that have shaped Missouri and the nation.
Special thanks to Central Bank | Central Trust and Shortwave Coffee, which helps support this series.
The programs are held at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia, 12-1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month from September through June. The noon series offers the public an opportunity to discover something new while connecting with historians, authors, artists, and other experts. The fall 2026 lineup includes a celebration of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a look at a pivotal Revolutionary War battle in St. Louis, an exploration of contemporary Osage art and culture, and the 100-year history of Route 66 and Spencer, Missouri.
Fall 2026 History on Elm Programs:
Tuesday, Sept. 8, noon – Tom Sawyer at 150: Celebrating Mark Twain’s Enduring Classic
This year marks the 150th anniversary of one of Mark Twain’s most beloved novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Although it was not Twain’s bestselling work during his lifetime, the novel has never gone out of print, has been translated into more than 70 languages and continues to offer readers a vivid glimpse into frontier Missouri life and small-town childhood. Through stories and images, Megan Rapp, executive director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, will explore the novel’s history, enduring appeal and relevance today. Attendees also will learn how the museum in Hannibal, the inspiration for the novel, continues to preserve Twain’s legacy.
Tuesday, Oct. 13, noon – The Battle of St. Louis during the American Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was fought not only in the East but also along the Mississippi River, where control of the West played a pivotal role in shaping the future United States. On May 26, 1780, a British-led force of approximately 1,000 men attacked St. Louis, the administrative center of Spanish Upper Louisiana, while American-held Cahokia faced a simultaneous assault. Stephen Kling, a practicing attorney and author in St. Louis who has written extensively about the American Revolution in the West, will examine the battle and the broader campaign to drive American and Spanish forces from both sides of the Mississippi River. The failure of the coordinated attacks helped preserve American and Spanish control of the Mississippi Valley and influenced the nation’s eventual Western expansion.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, noon – Osage Artists Today: Art, Culture, and Connection to Place
Osage artist and educator Norman Akers will explore the work of contemporary Osage artists and how art serves as a bridge between history, cultural practices and the present. The program will consider how forced removal from Missouri and Arkansas in the early 1820s and subsequent settlement on the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma affected Osage cultural traditions and connection to place. For many contemporary Osage artists, however, art remains a way to engage with ancestral lands, including the Ozark region. Artwork by Norman Akers also will be on display during fall 2026 in the William Guitar Little Missouri Gallery of Art inside SHSMO’s Center for Missouri Studies.
Tuesday, Dec. 8, noon – Spencer Station: 100 Years in the Making
As Spencer and Route 66 celebrate their centennial year, a once-forgotten stretch of the Mother Road is experiencing a remarkable revival. Located 24 miles west of Springfield in Webster County, Spencer draws visitors from around the world to explore its historic buildings and roadside landmarks. Owner Ed Klein will share the story of restoring the historic “town,” including the layered history of Spencer, its original 1926 concrete roadway and the 1923 Johnson Creek steel truss bridge located nearby. Together, these landmarks reveal how Spencer was shaped by Route 66 – and how the community was built for the highway that transformed a generation of American travel.