Every city gives its own unique gifts to the rest of the nation. St. Louis is a city full of rich history and firsts. Here are 15 facts about St. Louis you never knew were true:
1. Pork steaks were invented in St. Louis. People outside of Missouri don’t even know what a pork steak is!
2. Built in 1897 by Louis Sullivan, the Wainwright Building at 709 Chestnut in downtown St. Louis was one of the first skyscrapers in the world at just 10-stories high.
3. Peanut Butter was invented in St. Louis during a visit from George Carver.
4. The first kindergarten in the United States was invented by Susan Blow in St. Louis.
5. St. Louis offers more free major visitor attractions than any place outside of the nation’s capital.
6. At the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair the ice cream cone was invented when an ice cream vendor ran out of cups and asked a waffle vendor to help with rolled up waffles! (It’s so St. Louis to run out of food!)
7. Iced tea was also invented at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 when Richard Blechyden served tea with ice in it.
8. And...at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 Dr. Pepper and 7 Up were invented! What a busy year for awesome beverages!
9. St. Louisans’ consume more barbeque sauce per capita than any other city in the United States.
10. In 1917 Clara Bell Walsh threw the first cocktail party at her father-in-law's house.
11. The Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales were originally a gift from August Busch to his father to celebrate the end of prohibition.
12. St. Louis Union Station was once the largest and busiest passenger rail station in the world.
13 The St. Louis Muny is the first and largest outdoor musical theater in the United States.
14. An independent taste test commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Mayors declared that the Gateway City has "The Best Tasting Tap Water in the Nation."
15. The St. Louis Zoo has won the 2017 USA Today Readers’ Choice for "Best U.S. Zoo." In 2016, USA Today named the zoo "Best Free Attraction" in the United States.
In St. Louis we take many attractions for granted that hold extraordinary stories and are rated number one in the United States. Do you know any other facts about St. Louis we missed?
Click here to read about The Bizarre Day In History When One Missouri City Went From Spanish To French American.
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