Paul Armstrong. [University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs, JWS16554]

Paul Armstrong, a journalist and playwright, was born in Kidder, a small town in Caldwell…

Noah Beery Sr. as Captain Wolf Larsen in The Sea Wolf, 1920. [University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs, JWS19510]

Noah Beery Sr., a film actor, was born on a Clay County, Missouri, farm several miles…

Wallace Beery during his time with the Essanay film studio. [New York Public Library Digital Collections, Billy Rose Theatre Collection Photograph File, 81128]

Standard reference works list film actor Wallace Beery’s birthplace as Kansas City,…

Peter Hardeman Burnett, circa 1860. [University of California, Berkeley, Bancroft Library]

Born on November 15, 1807, in Nashville, Tennessee, Peter Hardeman Burnett was the eldest son of George and…

Jeffrey Deroine (second from right) with Ioways. [State Historical Society of Missouri, Robert Wright Photograph Collection, P0011]

Jeffrey Deroine (pronounced Der-oh-NAY…

A portrait of Alexander Doniphan, painted by George Caleb Bingham around 1850

Born on July 9, 1808, in Mason County, Kentucky, Alexander William Doniphan was the son of…

Edmond J. Eckel. [Elwood L. McDonald, History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Missouri, 1915]

Born on June 22, 1845, in Strasbourg, France, Edmond Jacques Eckel demonstrated an early…

A publicity photo of Gordon “Wild Bill” Elliott. [Find a Grave / William Bjornstad]

Gordon “Wild Bill” Elliott was one of the film industry’s top moneymakers in westerns…

Aerial of Fort Osage

Established in 1808 under the superintendence of

Josiah Gregg. [Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 4316.5964]

From his father, Wheelwright Harmon Gregg, Josiah Gregg inherited a roving spirit that…