L. L. Owens
books for children and young adults
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Uniquely Missouri Uniquely Missouri is available in paperback (PB) and reinforced library binding (RLB) editions. Heinemann Library, 2004; 48 pages; PB ISBN 1-4034-4510-9; RLB ISBN 1-4034-4495-1. To order the book, please call 1-888-454-2279. Excerpt from Chapter 3: "Famous Firsts"St. Louis World's Fair Firsts There was much to see and do at the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904. About 20 million people from all over the world visited this six-month-long event in Missouri. They saw exhibits of art, technology, culture . . . and many famous firsts. For example, iced tea was served at the World's Fair before it was served anywhere else in the world. Nobody was interested in buying hot drinks during the hot summer months of the fair. So Richard Blechyden of the Far East Tea House decided to serve the tea over ice. His invention quickly became the most popular drink at the fair. Another big first at the fair was the first Olympic Games ever held in the United States. Events at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics included swimming, running, and rock throwing. Athletes from all over the world competed, including the first African Americans ever to take part in the games. Also, it was the first Olympics at which gold, silver, and bronze medals were given to the top three athletes in each event. The ice-cream cone also made its first appearance at the fair. Teenage ice-cream vendor Arnold Fornichou ran out of the paper dishes he used to serve his ice cream. He needed to solve his problem, and fast! While watching Syrian vendor Ernest Hamwi make wafer-thin waffles, Fornichou figured out what to do. Soon, with Hamwi's help, he was serving his ice cream in rolled-up waffles. These were the world's first ice-cream cones. Excerpt from Chapter 6: "Westward, Ho!"The Pony Express In the mid-1800s, news traveled slowly. In 1845 it took six months for a message from Washington, D.C., to reach California. In April 1860, a new mail service was born—the Pony Express. Riders on horseback carried mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, and back again. A one-way trip took ten days—this was a big improvement! Riders and horses were changed often. There were about 100 stations along the route west, 80 riders, and 500 horses. The Pony Express went out of business after just 18 months. The system worked well, but there was not enough money to keep it going. Excerpts © 2004 Heinemann Library. All rights reserved. |
