Missouri has a rich history, and works to preserve it. There are more than 2,000 places in Missouri that are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. In addition, one of the greatest ways to preserve Missouri history is through photographs. From the buildings and streets to the people and events, here’s the way it looked a century ago. All pictures are from between 1896 and 1915.

  1. Board of Trade Building, Kansas City, circa 1906.

“Board of Trade Building, Kansas City, Mo. by Unnamed photographer for Detroit Publishing Co. - Detroit Publishing Co. photo, c. 1906.

  1. Liberty Bell - Transferring the Liberty Bell from truck to train at St. Louis after the Exposition, 1905.

“LibertyBell1905” by Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

  1. Public library, Kansas City, between 1900-1906.

“Public library, Kansas City, Mo. - by Uncredited photographer for Detroit Publishing

  1. Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri, about 1909.

“Stl-union-station” by Not credited.

  1. Walnut St., Kansas City, 1906.

“Walnut-street-kcmo-1906” by Detroit Publishing Company

  1. Kellogg Wooden wall phone, early 1900’s.

Flickr/ Master of Telxons

  1. Capital Construction, 1913-1916.

Courtesy of the Missouri State Archives.

  1. Carthage Public Library, 1906.

Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.; Carolyn Trout, Joplin Public Library.

  1. Eight workers at Cook Bros. Carriage Co., 1902-03.

St. Louis Jewish Community Archives.

  1. Southeast Missouri State University Old Normal, 1898.

“Southeast Missouri State University Old Normal”. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikipedia -

  1. Main Street, looking south, Joplin, 1910.

“Main Street, Looking South, Joplin, MO” by Unknown

  1. The Government Building at the 1904 World’s Fair held in St. Louis in Forest Park.

“Louisiana Purchase Exposition St. Louis 1904” by David R. Francis - The Universal Exposition of 1904 (St. Louis: Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, 1905), p. 91.

  1. Child workers in Kirksville, 1910.

“Child workers in Kirksville, MO”

  1. City Hall, St. Louis, 1907.

“City Hall, St. Louis, Missouri” from a 1907 postcard.

  1. Irish immigrants, 1909.

“Irish immigrants 1909” by Deceased family member

  1. Eight year old newsie in St. Louis, 1910.

“Eight year old newsie in St Louis” by Lewis Hine - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress

What do you think of these historical photos?   Do you have any family pictures from this time period you would like to share?  Any stories about the images that were shared? Let me know in the comments below.

“Board of Trade Building, Kansas City, Mo. by Unnamed photographer for Detroit Publishing Co. - Detroit Publishing Co. photo, c. 1906.

“LibertyBell1905” by Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

“Public library, Kansas City, Mo. - by Uncredited photographer for Detroit Publishing

“Stl-union-station” by Not credited.

“Walnut-street-kcmo-1906” by Detroit Publishing Company

Flickr/ Master of Telxons

Courtesy of the Missouri State Archives.

Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.; Carolyn Trout, Joplin Public Library.

St. Louis Jewish Community Archives.

“Southeast Missouri State University Old Normal”. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikipedia -

“Main Street, Looking South, Joplin, MO” by Unknown

“Louisiana Purchase Exposition St. Louis 1904” by David R. Francis - The Universal Exposition of 1904 (St. Louis: Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, 1905), p. 91.

“Child workers in Kirksville, MO”

“City Hall, St. Louis, Missouri” from a 1907 postcard.

“Irish immigrants 1909” by Deceased family member

“Eight year old newsie in St Louis” by Lewis Hine - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress

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