LibGuides: Crimes and Unsolved Mysteries of Missouri: Bloody Island

Bloody Island's History of Duels

Lincoln's Avoided Duel
One of the most surprising stories of Abraham Lincoln’s life is the time that his razor-sharp wit almost got him tangled up in a duel.
The Forgotten History of Bloody Island
St. Louis history has been closely intertwined with American history since the founding of the city. But St. Louis is also connected with another, often overlooked, part of history, and that is the deadly practice of dueling, which often took place on a small strip of land in the middle of the Mississippi River.
A Look Back: A History of Duels on Bloody Island
Bloody Island, a sandbar in the Mississippi River, was a popular site for deadly duels in the 19th century.
A History of Bloody Island
Illinois State Museum: Bloody Island seems to have been expressly created for duelists. The island appeared during the era when formal dueling was incorporated in the American gentleman's code, and disappeared when swords and pistols ceased to be the conventional means of settling differences.

Notorious Missouri by Vicki Berger Erwin; James W. Erwin
ISBN: 1467146692
Publication Date: 2021-04-12
From the duel on Bloody Island to the "Missouri Miracle'? kidnapping and recovery of Shawn Hornbeck, Missouri has seen its share of notorious crimes. The Show-Me State was home to the first Western gunfight on the town square between Wild Bill Hickok and Dave Tutt. The three trials of the alleged murderer of Colonel Thomas Swope, the founder of Kansas City's Swope Park, enveloped the state. Residents also saw the killings within a few blocks of each other that inspired the songs "Stagger Lee'? and "Frankie and Johnny.'? Vicki Berger Erwin and James W. Erwin explore crimes, criminals, and victims from the violent history of the last two hundred years in the Show-Me State.