Show me pride

Earlier this week some friends and I were discussing the lack of pride in our community.

It’s evident when you look at the condition of some lawns, homes, and business fronts in the area.

Granted, we have took some hits lately, but there are still areas that we can be proud of.

Our schools, churches, and some of the finest people you’ll ever meet.

In fact, Missouri as a state has much to be proud of.

Here are a few interesting facts about our state.

The first successful parachute jump to be made from a moving airplane was made by U.S. Army Captain Albert Berry in St. Louis, in 1912.

Sliced bread was offered for sale for the first time ever in Chillicothe. The bread slicer was invented in Iowa,but a Chillicothe baker took a chance on the invention and on July 7, 1928, he put the first loaves of sliced bread up for sale in Chillicothe grocery stores.

St. Louis hosted the first Olympic Games ever held in the U.S. in 1904 for the Summer Olympics.

At the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, Richard Blechyden, served tea with ice and invented iced tea.

Missouri’s oldest community, Saint Genevieve, was founded as early as 1735.

In 1889, Aunt Jemima pancake flour, invented at St. Joseph, Missouri, was the first self-rising flour for pancakes and the first ready-mixed food ever to be introduced commercially.

St. Joseph was also the starting point of the famed Pony Express.

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is the tallest man-made national monument in the United States. It stands 630 feet tall.

Missouri has more than 6,000 known caves.

Many celebrities are from Missouri including John Goodman, Rusty Wallace, Dennis Hopper, Redd Foxx, Bob Barker, and Kennett’s own Sheryl Crow.

There’s a lot for us to be proud of.

Hopefully this column will spark a renewed interest in our state and the history, as well as the accomplishments of our area.

Hometown pride matters.

It can encourage others, not just to survive as a community, but to flourish and grow.

We’ll attract more to our area if we share the positives, instead of shuffling around in despair discussing all we’ve lost.

Show me pride.

See you out there.