Here Are The Oldest Photos Ever Taken In Missouri And They're Incredible

Missouri became a state in 1821 and at the time most of Missouri was still largely unsettled. In 1823 St. Louis became an incorporated city and by the 1860’s St. Louis became the 4th largest city in the nation. In 1853 Missouri officially Incorporated the “City of Kansas” and the estimated population was about 2,500. Missouri’s population continued to swell during the late 1800’s as the state became the launching point into westward expansion. These photos from the State Historical Society of Missouri were taken around the turn of the century and show what life was like all across the Show Me State. While there are some earlier photographs that survive, many of them are portraits or photos of recently constructed buildings that no longer exist today. Here are a few of the interesting examples from the turn of the century that we could find: