Jefferson County Library - Genealogy

Did you know the St. Louis area played a key role in one of the most important public health studies of the Cold War?

A massive research project collected more than 300,000 baby teeth from children in the region to measure how radioactive fallout from above-ground nuclear weapons testing was being absorbed by the human body.

The findings provided powerful evidence of the dangers of nuclear fallout and helped build support for the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which was signed in 1963.

The following article, published in a Jefferson County newspaper, describes this study and its lasting impact.

Want to learn more? Jefferson County Library - Northwest Branch, in partnership with Missouri Humanities, is hosting a film viewing of Silent Fallout followed by a Q&A with Dr. Luke Ritter on Friday, July 17th. Details and registration for this free event can be found here: https://jeffcolibrarymo.libcal.com/calendar/17659/Silent_Fallout_film

-- Daily News-Democrat Tuesday, December 23, 1958 page 3

Baby Teeth Needed For Scientific Tests
St. Louis -- A drive was underway today to collect 50,000 baby teeth annually for study by dentists to provide a record of the absorption of strontium 90 by St. Louis area children.

The Greater St. Louis Citizens' Committee for Nuclear Information, which is sponsoring the campaign, said there has been a yearly increase in the amount of strontium 90 in soil and food since nuclear tests began about 10 years ago.

Tests in five areas have shown that milk from the St. Louis milkshed contains the highest strontium 90 levels for 1958.
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Then and Now: from Shoes to Sheet Metal, this building has provided a home to industry in De Soto for generations.

B&W image: JCL Genealogy and Local History digital archives # 2014.004.437
Color image: Google Maps search

Your Genealogy and Local History research team will have a table at this event on Saturday! Come by and visit us, and the many other regional history organizations who will be there! Rain or shine and free to attend.

Found in the wild!
One of our staff recently spotted this commemorative plate from St. Martin UCC’s 125th anniversary on a thrift store shelf and brought it in to add to our archives.

We are always excited to grow our archives with pieces of local history. Do you have anything that may be suitable for our collection? Let us know! If you aren’t familiar with the archives, take a look at the digital collection located here: https://jeffcolib.catalogaccess.com/