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Capital CountryA field guide to Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City, Missouri

History

How a river bluff became the capital, and the two fires that shaped the skyline.

  1. The Benton Mural in the House Lounge

    In 1936 Thomas Hart Benton painted Missouri's story on four walls of the Capitol, outlaws and all. Not everyone in the building liked it.

    Painted 1935 to 1936

  2. How Jefferson City Became the Capital

    Missouri chose an almost empty bluff in the middle of the state. The reasons were geography and politics, in that order.

    Site chosen 1821

  3. The Capitol Fires of 1837 and 1911

    Two capitols burned before the present one went up. The second was hit by lightning on a February night in 1911.

    First fire 1837