Before Fairgrounds Park became a place for picnics and recreation, it was the site of one of the Union Army’s most vital Civil War installations: Benton Barracks.

In this episode of Show Me History, we uncover the rich and largely forgotten story of the 150-acre military complex built just outside of 1860s St. Louis. Learn how it became a training ground for thousands of soldiers, a hospital for the wounded, and a place of transformation for newly freed African American troops following the Emancipation Proclamation.

From its strategic construction and sanitation innovations to its commanding officers and post-war legacy, Benton Barracks played a key role in the Western campaign—and in the evolving story of Civil War America.

All research, editing, and production by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

📬 Reach us at: podcast@showmehistorystl.com
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▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowMeHistorySTL
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Thank you for listening, and until next time… we’ll see you in the Lou.

Before the Blues and the football Cardinals, there was the St. Louis Hawks — a powerhouse NBA franchise that brought the city its only professional basketball championship in 1958.

In this episode of Show Me History, we take you courtside for the rise and fall of the Hawks, tracing their journey from Buffalo to the Tri-Cities, Milwaukee, and finally St. Louis. You’ll hear about legendary players like Bob Pettit, nail-biting playoff rivalries with the Celtics, and how the Hawks helped pave the way for St. Louis to become a multi-sport city — only to be pushed out by the very teams they made possible.

Packed with drama, civic pride, and court-side controversy, this is the story of the last pro basketball team to call St. Louis home — and the complex reasons they left for Atlanta in 1968.

🏀 Rivalries. Racism. Relocation. The story of the Hawks is one St. Louis shouldn’t forget.

All research, editing, and production by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

📬 Reach us at: podcast@showmehistorystl.com
🌐 showmehistorystl.com
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowMeHistorySTL
🟦 Bluesky: showmehistory.bsky.app
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/showmehistorystl
🐦 X: x.com/ShowMe_History

💬 Please take a moment to comment and rate the show on your favorite platform. Every interaction helps us grow!

Thank you for listening — and as always, we’ll see you in the Lou.

Did you know that St. Louis has a virus named after it?

In this episode of Show Me History, we uncover the forgotten public health crisis that struck St. Louis during the sweltering summer of 1933: an outbreak of what would come to be known as St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV). With over 1,100 reported cases and at least 200 deaths, the city found itself at the center of a medical mystery - one eventually linked to the tiniest and deadliest of culprits: mosquitoes.

Learn how local doctors and scientists, including a pioneering female pathologist, cracked the case and helped give the virus its name. We’ll also explore what this illness looks like today, who’s still at risk, and why it continues to resurface across the U.S.

It’s a chilling chapter in medical history — and yet another reason to keep swatting at mosquitoes.

All research, editing, and production by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

📬 Reach us at: podcast@showmehistorystl.com
🌐 showmehistorystl.com
🟦 Bluesky: showmehistory.bsky.app
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/showmehistorystl
🐦 X: x.com/ShowMe_History

💬 Please take a moment to comment and rate the show on your favorite platform. Every interaction helps us grow!

Thank you for listening — and as always, we’ll see you in the Lou.

Long before rail yards and highways, there was a sandbar in the Mississippi that became a stage for honor, bloodshed, and survival.

Bloody Island.

In this episode of Show Me History, we uncover the dark and fascinating history of this lawless strip of land between St. Louis and Illinois. From high-society duels and political showdowns to early engineering feats (including a young Robert E. Lee’s involvement!), discover how Bloody Island became infamous — and why it ultimately disappeared from the map.

You'll meet notorious figures like Thomas Hart Benton, Charles Lucas, and Benjamin Gratz Brown, and witness how politics, pride, and pistols shaped the early days of Missouri.

All research, editing, and production by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

Reach us at: podcast@showmehistorystl.com
Website | Bluesky: showmehistory.bsky.app
Facebook: facebook.com/showmehistorystl
X: x.com/ShowMe_History

Please take a moment to leave a comment or rating on your favorite podcast platform. Every interaction helps!

Dueling, deception, and the death of a river island — it all happened here.

What if St. Louis had its very own Disneyland? In this episode of Show Me History, we uncover the incredible, nearly-forgotten story of Walt Disney’s Riverfront Square — a bold and imaginative plan to build a Disney theme park in the heart of downtown St. Louis.

From the rediscovery of lost blueprints in 2015 to the city's ambitious redevelopment dreams of the 1950s and 60s, we explore the political, cultural, and financial drama that brought Disney to Missouri — and ultimately led him to walk away. Learn how a clash over beer, control, and creative vision turned a promising partnership into a missed opportunity.

You’ll hear about the attractions that never were, the park that could have been, and how these unrealized dreams influenced the creation of Walt Disney World. It’s a whirlwind tour through urban planning, corporate ambition, and hometown pride — with a dash of Missouri mystery.

Website: showmehistorystl.com
Twitter: @ShowMe_History
Facebook: ShowMeHistoryStL

BlueSky: @ShowMeHistory.bsky.app

All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

Please take a moment to drop us a comment and rate us on whatever platform you're listening on. Every interaction helps! Thank you for listening!

Tune in and discover the Disney park St. Louis almost had — and why it never came to be.

A day that was meant to be a celebration of technological advancement turned into a day of devastation.

The Gasconade Bridge Disaster killed upwards of 30 people, injured hundreds and became a dark day in St. Louis history.

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All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at podcast@showmehistorystl.com, on Bluesky at ShowMeHistory.bsky.app, on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on X at X.com/ShowMe_History.

Please take a moment to drop us a comment and rate us on whatever platform you're listening on. Every interaction helps! Thank you for listening!

St. Louis’s downtown area didn’t always look the way itdoes now. A nice slow incline towards the riverfront, no obvious hills, or large mounds. At one time, the entire city was speckled with large hills, the remnants of Native American tribes who once lived in the area. 27 mounds intotal were gradually removed from the landscape to make way for a growing city.

This week's episode, entitled Big Mound, is about the Native American mounds that dotted the metro St. Louis area, their history, and their unfortunate removal.

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All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at podcast@showmehistorystl.com, on Bluesky at ShowMeHistory.bsky.app, on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on X at X.com/ShowMe_History.

Please take a moment to drop us a comment and rate us on whatever platform you're listening on. Every interaction helps! Thank you for listening!

A private street in north St. Louis, Lewis place was an elite white-only street, now is it the only place in the United States where African Americans own 3 continuous blocks of land.

This week's episode in on Lewis Place (the street, not the whole neighborhood).

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All research, editing, and production done by River City Productions for Show-Me History.

We can be reached at podcast@showmehistorystl.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/showmehistorystl, or on X at x.com/ShowMe_History.

Please take a moment to drop us a comment and rate us on whatever platform you're listening on. Every interaction helps! Thank you for listening!