Gateway Arch on the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. Photo by David / Flickr (use permitted with attribution).
Unofficial State Nickname of Missouri
Missouri's most well-known nickname is; "The Show-Me State." Although the nickname has not been officially recognized by Missouri's Legislature, it can be seen on Missouri license plates. All State Nicknames
There are several stories concerning the origin of the "Show-Me" slogan. The most widely known story gives credit to Missouri's U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver for coining the phrase in 1899. During a speech in Philadelphia, he said:
"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."
The phrase is now used to describe the character of Missourians; not gullible, conservative, and unwilling to believe without adequate evidence.
