Missouri State Archives
Missouri Supreme Court Historical Database
Supreme Court of Missouri: A Brief History
The Supreme Court of Missouri was created in 1820, with the adoption of the state's first constitution. As members of the state's highest court, Supreme Court of Missouri judges review important and often controversial legal issues that affect the lives of the state's citizens.
Originally, Missouri's Supreme Court had only three judges: Matthias McGirk, John D. Cook, and John Rice Jones. In 1872, the court expanded to five judges and again in 1890 to the current seven judges. The 20th Century saw more cases brought before the judges. In response to the heavier caseload, the Court was authorized to appoint four commissioners to assist with hearing cases and drafting opinions. Commissioners continued to assist Supreme Court judges until 1970, when a constitutional amendment brought the practice to an end.
For its first fifty-four years, the Court held session in various cities, rotating between St. Louis, St. Charles, Jackson, and Franklin. At various times, the Court also sat at Fayette, Bowling Green, Boonville, Palmyra, Potosi, Lexington, Columbia, Hannibal, Cape Girardeau, and St. Joseph. The 1875 Constitution provided for a permanent seat in Jefferson City. The current red-brick Supreme Court building was completed in 1907.
For its first fifty-four years, the Court held session in various cities, rotating between St. Louis, St. Charles, Jackson, and Franklin. At various times, the Court also sat at Fayette, Bowling Green, Boonville, Palmyra, Potosi, Lexington, Columbia, Hannibal, Cape Girardeau, and St. Joseph. The 1875 Constitution provided for a permanent seat in Jefferson City. The red-brick Supreme Court building was completed in 1907.
The Missouri State Archives holds over 6,350 cubic feet of Supreme Court records, which include legal files of cases argued before the Court during the territorial period, after statehood, and now into the 21st Century.
The files and opinions of the Court are informative in what they reveal about the history of Missouri. Included among the cases are documents such as transcripts from lower courts, briefs prepared by the attorneys or interested parties, depositions, summonses, and opinions of the Court. From fur traders and slavery to contested election results and trust-busting, the Court played a pivotal role in the state's history. It continues to do so today, sometimes attracting national attention, with its decision in cases involving issues ranging from segregation to the “right to die.”
Supreme Court of Missouri Records : Project History
In 1999, the Missouri State Archives and the Supreme Court of Missouri Historical Society began working together to provide access to the Supreme Court of Missouri case files. The Supreme Court of Missouri Historical Society was established in 1983. One of its purposes is to enable research into the Court’s historical role and make that knowledge available to the public. To that end, the Supreme Court of Missouri Historical Society underwrites an annual summer internship and fellowship program at the Missouri State Archives.
Upper level undergraduate and graduate students process the historical records, then enter information such as appellant, respondent, year, cause of action, as well as an interpretation of the case into a database, easing access to records for researchers. The goal is to create a complex index for case files to the present. Currently, most cases up to 1868 are included in the index.
The first step in processing the records is cleaning and basic conservation of the documents. Any bindings, tape and metal are removed for the future protection of the paper pages. Next, the documents must be flattened. Court papers from the 1800s were usually tri-folded to fit into cabinets, making them very resistant to flattening.
After processing the records, interns compose database entries that will provide an online overview of the case. Often interns discover that cases involve prominent Missourians, like Daniel Boone or Claiborne Fox Jackson, or intriguing topics, such as the construction of gunboats by James Eads.
The cases reveal much about Missouri’s history and its people, both famous and unknown. Among the cases heard by the antebellum Supreme Court judges were those dealing with disputed land claims, freedom from slavery, and steamboat explosions. Post-Civil War legal actions included women’s suffrage, civil rights, and anti-trust laws.