This Month in St. Louis History

June was bad month for Winnebago Indians

The Winnebago Indians had a bad time in St. Louis on June 3, 1816. That's when they signed treaty with the U.S. that was a very bad deal for the Indians.

But, there were some more up-beat items of local history in past Junes. Among them:

Each month, Young Saint Louis.com publishes This Month in St. Louis History with assistance from the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. YSL.com and the History Museum want to introduce kids to the breadth and variety of local history.

The Winnebago Indians were a powerful tribe before the westward migration of French, British and Americans began.

Before 1800, the Winnebago had identified Americans as an enemy. But, they were a distant one.

Then came the America's Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and the War of 1812.

The Louisiana Purchase put the Winnebago territory right in the middle of what would be a massive westward migration. And, in the War of 1812, the Winnebagos sided with the British, not the Americans.

The whole situation resulted in the Treaty of June 3, 1816, in St. Louis. That's when the Winnebago signed over all land claims and put themselves under control of the U.S. government.

Signers of the treaty for the U.S. were William Clark (of Lewis&Clark fame), Ninian Edwards and Augustus Chouteau, one of the founders of St. Louis.

For a fuller Winnebago history, visit www.winnebagotribe.com/history2.htm

 

Josephine Baker born in June 3, 1906

Josephine Baker was born Freda J. McDonald in the Female Hospital in St. Louis.

At the age of 8, she was "rented" to a family of traveling musicians. By 1921, she was a chorus girl on Broadway. By 1925, she was lured to Paris, France, as a dancer at the famous Folie Bergere.

She became the first female sex symbol with her dancing and provocative lifestyle. She was a star for 50 years.

During World War II, she helped in the French underground against the Germans. After the war, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor.

She died in Paris on April 12, 1975.

She has been honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. You can learn more about the Walk of Fame by visiting www.stlouiswalkoffame.org.

 

Cabanne House in St. Louis

The Cabanne House is now a nice place for families to visit. But, it has had a long history and actually involves two houses.

Joseph Charless Cabanne built his first home in 1819 on the family's large homestead. The house was the first brick farmhouse built west of the Mississippi. The building remained until the 1880s when it was torn down.

By that time, the current Cabanne House was built in a wooded site near the Union Avenue entrance to Forest Park. That home was completed in June, 1875. It's that home that is now open as a tourist attraction.

For more, visit stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark/history/cabanne.html.

 

State fossil, tree and song named in June

Past Junes have been popular for naming state symbols.

On June 30, 1949, the "Missouri Waltz" was adopted as the state song.

On June 20, 1956, the flowering dogwood was picked as the official state tree.

And, on June 16, 1989, the legislature adopted the crinoid as the official state fossil.

The "Missouri Waltz" was first published in 1914 but didn't sell well. By 1939, it was beginning to gain in popularity.

But, the big boost came when Missouri-born President Harry S. Truman said the song was his all-time favorite.

The flowering dogwood isn't a big tree but it is colorful, with flowers that include a tiny greenish-yellow center with four white petals surrounding.

The state fossil was named after an unusual campaign led by Lee's Summit school students. A crinoid is a mineralization of an animal related to the starfish and sand dollar.

The fossils are found because the crinoid lived in Missouri when oceans covered the state.

If you'd like to learn about fun Missouri facts, visit www.50states.com/facts/mo.htm.