The Gateway Arch-ives: Missouri Shows Off
- Ren Gudino
- Sep 22
- 5 min read
From underground wonders of over 7,000 caves to the towering Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri has silently shaped our nation's history, geography, and culture. By saving the French wine industry at the turn of the century and establishing the first transcontinental message system through the Pony Express, the Show-Me State offers a distinctive window into America's story through remarkable achievements. While Missouri's rich soil and diverse landscape provide the foundation for its greatness, it was the state's innovative pioneers who transformed these natural resources into world-changing contributions. Read on to discover the stories, places, and people that make Missouri an essential chapter in America's narrative.
Missouri's Wine Legacy
As early as 1740, French settlers favored southeastern Missouri, where its climate and soil were perfect for winemaking, establishing Ste. Genevieve. Soon after, the Germans followed, settling towns like Hermann, Dutzow, Defiance, and Augusta. After a little more time, Italian settlers also followed suit, making wine in the Rolla, Rosati, and St. James areas. In the mid-1800s, German scientist George Husmann progressed the industry by studying soil types and crossing wild grapes with cultivated vines, creating hybrids to withstand Missouri's weather patterns. Husmann's research, along with entomologist Charles Valentine Riley, saved the French wine industry in the 1870s. While France was suffering from a blight of tiny, aphid-like insects called Phylloxera that was wiping out European vineyards, Riley and Husmann noticed that Native American rootstocks were resistant. Millions of rootstock cuttings were shipped to France and grafted to their vines, saving the French wine industry.
By the 1900s, Missouri was second in the nation for wine production, winning awards for its quality, and producing nearly three million gallons of wine a year. However, all of this was brought to a halt when the 18th amendment passed, starting the era of Prohibition. The death of the industry is described as such: "Vines were pulled from the ground, barrels of wine dumped in the streets, and grand underground cellars reduced to propagating mushrooms."
Thankfully, that wasn't the end. In 1965, Jim and Betty Held reopened and began rebuilding Stone Hill Winery. Five years later, Jim and Pat Hofherr opened St. James Winery. Now there are over 125 wineries and 1,700 acres of vineyards, producing 1.25 million gallons a year.
The Pony Express
Missouri is also home to the famous Pony Express, the first direct means of communication between the nation's coasts before the first transcontinental telegraph (which was established on October 24th, 1861). It was founded by William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Bradford Waddell in just two months during the winter of 1860. They assembled 80 riders, 184 stations, 400 horses, and hundreds of personnel in January and February of 1861.
The 186 Pony Express stations sat approximately 10–15 miles apart along the route. Riders would trade out their horses, eat, and then take only the mail pouch called a mochila (the Spanish word for pouch). Riders couldn't weigh over 125 pounds, were only allowed to carry a water sack and one revolver, with the mochila capable of holding 20 pounds. The riders changed after 75–100 miles, riding day and night, sometimes over 20 hours on a horse. This work was paid for handsomely, at $125 a month, compared to the $0.43–$1 a day that unskilled workers received and $2 a day for skilled workers.
The route started in St. Joseph, Missouri, on the Missouri River, following what is now US Highway 36 to Kansas. Across Nevada and Utah, the route is now US 50, crossing the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada before reaching Sacramento. The alternative route follows today's Interstates 80 and 680, and CA Route 24. Though the Pony Express went bankrupt after 18 months after the telegraph service was established, the routes led to highways and interstates that we use to this day.
The Cave State
Missouri's land holds more than the perfect landscape for vineyards; it's also known as "The Cave State" for having approximately 7,500 recorded caves. Missouri State Parks showcases Onondaga Cave and Cathedral Cave at Onondaga Cave State Park, Fisher Cave at Meramec State Park, and Ozark Caverns at Lake of the Ozarks State Park—the best for public tours. These four caves are open from April through October and closed in the winter to allow the bats to hibernate peacefully.
There's plenty to experience with the main four public caves. Onondaga Cave is not only one of America's most famous caves, but it is the most accessible, with a paved walkway, stainless steel railing, and electric lighting along the way! The other three caves give visitors lanterns to decrease disturbance to the cave creatures. Ozark Caverns features Angel's Shower: a flow of water from stalactites that pours like a "showerhead" into a basin eight feet below. Meramec Valley sits atop complex mineral formations, with rare and unique coloring, which are preserved and visible within the 4.6-mile Meramec Caverns system. After existing for the past 400 million years, the Meramec Caverns now see 150,000 visitors annually.
Under many areas of the state are soluble carbonate bedrock, like limestone or dolomite, that's easily dissolved by water. When slightly acidic rainwater enters cracks in the bedrock, dissolving it away, the groundwater enlarges these passages into caves. Though there are thousands of caves in Missouri, they're identified as either commercial or wild. Commercial caves are accessible to the public and can be toured, whereas wild caves remain in their natural state. For more info on how to locate and learn how to visit any of the public caves, check out this site.
The Gateway to the West
Whenever you hear Missouri, you probably don't think of caves, wine, or the Pony Express. In fact, if Missouri is getting publicity, it's usually for the World's Fair (which we'll cover another time) or the infamous Gateway Arch. Started in 1935 as a memorial to Thomas Jefferson, as a part of the Gateway Arch National Park, the monument would take three decades to complete. In fact, it wasn't until 1947 that a nationwide design competition was initiated, where five final designs were selected out of 170. The win was given to Finnish-born architect Eero Saarinen, whose team consisted of five individuals and was the only group to include a woman. With the design picked, construction on the "Gateway to the West" was ready to begin.
Construction wouldn't start until 1963 on what was then called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Though an unprecedented build, there were zero fatalities during its construction. One of the tallest and most daring monuments in the United States, the Gateway Arch towers at 630 feet with foundations that sink 60 feet into the ground. Tracy Campbell, author of The Gateway Arch: A Biography, says about its construction, "Every single piece was different, smaller, curving, and you have to work inside these in the middle of summer in St. Louis, where the temperatures and the humidity can be pretty brutal."
Workers needed to be precise, unsure if they would succeed in connecting the top of the arch, especially with drastic temperature changes in St. Louis. The arch is made of stainless steel, designed to withstand earthquakes and high winds, and continues to be a modern engineering and sculptural marvel, seeing over 25 million visitors since its opening on October 28, 1965.
Conclusion
Missouri remains a model of American innovation, natural wonder, and historical significance. From saving European vineyards to pioneering communication routes, the Show-Me State has shown how to impact the world. With mineral-studded caverns beneath the rich soil and engineering feats like the Gateway Arch towering over St. Louis, Missouri roots itself in natural heritage and reaches toward the future. Even the short-lived Pony Express led to major routes that are now a part of the country's interstate and highway system—and as you travel along, remember that Interstate Signways made the signs that guided the way.
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