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 Missouri State Nicknames

Missouri State Nicknames
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 7 to 9
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.99

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    galena, flattering, congressman, conservative, senate, official, premier, mining, heading, slogan, widely, credit, mineral, concentration, origin, public
     content words:    Me State, Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, Cave State, Lead State, Lead Belt, Iron Mountain State, Iron Mountain, Thomas Hart Benton, Because Missouri, Bullion State

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Missouri State Nicknames
By Joyce Furstenau 		  
1     The official nickname for the state of Missouri is the "Show Me State." There are several versions of how this nickname came to be. The most widely known version gives credit to U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver. Vandiver served in the House of Representatives from 1897 to 1905. It is reported that while attending a banquet he questioned the previous speaker's comments with these remarks:
 
2     "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."
 
3     There are other versions of this nickname that might be considered less flattering. Regardless of its origin, the slogan is now used to indicate the sturdy, conservative, and not easy to fool character of Missourians.
 
4     Another of Missouri's nicknames, "The Cave State," refers to its unique geology. This nickname refers to the over 5,600 caves that are registered in the state. Twenty of them are public "show" caves that are open to the public with guided tours.
 
5     "The Lead State" is another of Missouri's nicknames. The Lead Belt is a lead mining district in southwestern Missouri. Missouri's official state mineral is galena, which is a major source of lead ore. This area is reported to contain the highest concentration of lead metal on our planet. This would make Missouri the premier lead mining area in the world.

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