Latest News & Announcements

The State Historical Society of Missouri has released a new book with a vivid account of the tense Missouri-Arkansas border region during the Civil War. “My Own Commander”: The Civil War Journal of J. J. Sitton, 1863–1865 recounts the experiences of a young Confederate soldier from Washington County, Missouri, who traveled the Ozarks as a military recruiter and then rode with General Sterling Price on a last-ditch effort to capture Missouri for the South.

The State Historical Society of Missouri’s History on Elm noon series will close out the year with a presentation by SHSMO executive director Gary Kremer, who will connect the past to the present in his latest book, This Place of Promise: A Historian's Perspective on 200 Years of Missouri History.

The State Historical Society of Missouri will host its 5th Annual Holiday Open House Saturday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia. Visit more than a dozen booths featuring gift items created by local and regional artisans while strolling through the festively decorated Center for Missouri Studies. Refreshments will be served, and the event is free to the public. Books and Missouri-themed gifts will also be available for purchase in the bookstore with extended hours that day.

The public is invited to a free program Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m., by author and musician Howard Marshall, who will perform music and talk about his latest book Keep it Old-Time: Fiddle Music in Missouri from the 1960s Folks Music Revival to the Present. The event will be held at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia.

The public is invited to a reception and free film screening that examines the important contributions by Black Americans who helped to develop and grow the region of Southwest Missouri. “Generations: African American Experiences in Springfield and the Ozarks” is a new documentary produced by Ozarks Public Television.  The film will be shown at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia, on November 14 from 6-8 p.m.

The State Historical Society of Missouri, in collaboration with the Missouri School of Journalism, invites the public to view a new exhibit, Small Towns, Big Stories, open now through February 10, 2024, at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia. A public reception with the curators will be held Sat. Nov. 4 from 1:30-3 p.m.

David Steward will be the featured speaker in the State Historical Society of Missouri’s annual My Missouri Lecture on Sat. Oct. 28, 1 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia.  Steward is the founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, the largest Black-owned company in the United States. The civic and business leader will be in conversation with Gary Kremer, executive director of the State Historical Society, about how Steward’s upbringing in Clinton, Mo.

The State Historical Society of Missouri received the Excellence in Genealogy & Local History Award at the Missouri Library Association Annual Conference held Oct. 4-6 in Columbia. The award recognizes the State Historical Society’s efforts to provide free public access to more than 9.5 million pages of digitized online Missouri newspapers.

 As part of its educational outreach mission, the State Historical Society of Missouri continues to expand the Historic Missourians website, a freely available resource that features notable people who influenced the Show-Me State. The biographies include images, artifacts, and primary sources that can be studied by students, educators, and the general public.

History on Elm begins a second season of free, public programming sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri. The series will be held the second Tuesdays of the month from noon to 1 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia. The fall season begins with a film and presentation, titled “Exploring Missouri’s German Heritage” September 12.