Every President from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan styed at the Muehlebach Hotel, which is now one of three buildings that make up the Kansas City Marriott. The hotel was created by George E. Muehlebach, the son of the founder of Kanas City's Muehlebach beer. While President, Harry S. Truman stayed at the hotel so frequently that some referred to the Muehlebach as the far west wing of the White House. The hotel hosted the guests of the 1928 Republican Convention and the 1976 Republican National Convention, an event that saw the nomination of Gerald Ford despite a strong challenge by supporters of Ronald Reagan. Ten years later, the Muehlebach Hotel closed and was vacant for ten years until acquired by Marriott. The grand lobby of the original 1915 hotel has been restored.

The Barney Allis Plaza Fountain was installed in 1985. 

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This large fountain was built in 1985 as part of a redesign of the Barney Allis Plaza, and urban park located above a parking garage at the site of the city's first convention hall which was built to host the Democratic National Convention of 1900. That convention hall was used until the 1930s and today, the plaza where it once stood is a tree-lined urban park that features several statues and is named after the manager of the former Muehlebach Hotel which was located across the street. That historic hotel is now part of the Marriott Hotel. Barney Allis managed the hotel for three decades beginning in 1931. Despite his short stature of 5 foot 3 inches, Allis had a tremendous presence and ran the hotel in a way that left a positive impression on visitors to the city. Allis earned a reputation as a perfectionist and his leadership bolstered the hotel's reputation which compelled a number of celebrities, including the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and future President Harry Truman, to choose to stay at the Muehlebach. The fountain is on the north end of the plaza and features 112 water jets. The plaza was first created in 1956.

Discover the history of Barney Allis Plaza from Dr. Bill Worley

Barney Allis Plaza and Fountain

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Starting with the Jackson County Courthouse and Kansas City's historic City Hall this walking tour makes a quick stop through each of the leading districts of downtown Kansas City, Missouri to include the Financial District, Library District, Garment District, and the Power and and Light District. The tour includes over two dozen highlights of the city including historic buildings, markers and monuments, and several of the city's trademark fountains. 

The 16th Circuit Court traces its origins back to 1826 when it was established as the First Judicial Circuit Court. At first its jurisdiction included half of the State of Missouri, but now only comprises Jackson County. The first courthouse was built in Independence, the Jackson County seat, in 1827. By the 1870s the rapid growth of Kansas City made it necessary to open a branch of the courthouse there to accommodate the increasing demand for court business. In 1872 an unfinished hotel building was purchased on Second and Main Streets and converted into Kansas City’s first courthouse. A tornado badly damaged the courthouse in 1886, creating the need for a new one. A replacement courthouse was built at Fifth and Oak Streets in 1892. By the 1920s it had become too small to suit the city’s needs, and also posed a fire hazard.In 1926 future president Harry S. Truman was elected Presiding Judge of Jackson County, a position he would hold for the next eight years before he was elected to the U.S. Senate. During his judgeship, Truman supported the construction of a new, larger courthouse in Kansas City. In 1931 voters overwhelmingly approved a $40 million bond to pay for what was known as the “Ten Year Plan.” The plan called for the improvement of infrastructure and the construction of several new public buildings. Meant to boost the city’s economy during the Great Depression, the program provided employment to everyone from construction workers to architects. $4 million was set aside for the Jackson County Courthouse. Other public buildings created under the project included the Municipal Auditorium and City Hall.Truman was reported to have traveled across the country, examining various courthouses to find an ideal design for Kansas City. He took a liking to the courthouse in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, and sought to have Kansas City’s courthouse styled similar to it. The architectural firms of Wight &amp; Wight, Keene &amp; Simpson, and Frederick C. Gunn each worked on the structure, designing it in the Art Deco style. The limestone-clad building contained fourteen floors and featured very detailed ornamentation both on the inside and outside. Examples include exterior friezes depicting Contentment, Peace, Mercy, and Law; interior medallions depicting Progress, Authority, Faith, Justice, and Aspiration; marble columnns, and metal plaques. A statue of President Andrew Jackson, the county namesake, was sculpted by Charles Keck and placed in front of the building. The courthouse was dedicated in a ceremony on December 27, 1934 with Harry Truman presiding. When it first opened the courthouse contained county government offices, courts, overnight accommodations for jurors, the county jail, and an execution chamber.Kansas City’s Jackson County Courthouse remains in operation today, and is the seat for the majority of the 16th Circuit Court’s judges. In the early 1980s, renovations to update the courthouse resulted in asbestos being dispersed around the building and exposed to the public. The exposure and threat of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma led to a class-action lawsuit being filed against Jackson County and U.S. Engineering, the company in charge of the renovations, in 2010. An $80 million settlement was agreed to in 2016. The courthouse underwent another series of renovations in 2005, this time to redevelop the landscape and repair the exterior.

The Kansas City branch of the Jackson County Courthouse was established in 1872. The current building was constructed in 1934 under Presiding Judge and future president Harry Truman. The ornate, Art Deco building was one of several structures built during the 1930s as part of a “Ten Year Plan” to sustain economic growth and provide employment in Kansas City during the Great Depression. Today the building primarily houses facilities for both municipal court and the Missouri 16th Judicial Circuit Court.

Jackson County Courthouse, Kansas City

City Hall stands as a monument to Kansas City’s history in the early 20th century, a history that was dominated by the Pendergast family political machine. In 1880, Irish immigrant James Pendergast moved to Kansas City and used his gambling winnings to open a bar. That bar provided a chance to James Pendergast to make political connections, and those connections led to nine straight terms on the city council. The long-serving city councilman developed considerable influence, but that would pake in comparison to the informal network of power developed by his younger brother, Tom, who became chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Club. During their years of influence, the Pendergast brothers and political friends built a machine that controlled prosecutors and police through bribes, had ties to the mafia, and used the government to benefit their private businesses. The Pendergasts used patronage to reward their friends, and given the way that these funds flowed to neighborhood leaders and residents, many Kansas City residents continued to vote for James Pendergast and other politicians that were part of the Democratic political machine. Meanwhile, middle-class reformers and political rivals worked to expose the Pendergasts for political corruption. 1Even before the era of prohibition, Kansas City, Missouri flourished as a spot for taverns while neighboring Kansas City, Kansas saw statewide prohibition enacted in the 1880s. During the years when the Pendergasts exercised influence over the city, Kansas City police and civic officials all but ignored the federally imposed Prohibition resulting from the enactment of the 18th Amendment in 1919. Not only did James Pendergast's bars remain open, but Kansas City Missouri earned a reputation as a "wide-open town" as bars and jazz joints operated without fear of prohibition's enforcement. Kansas City's federal prosecutor was on Pendergast’s payroll, and reportedly, no one in Kansas City Missouri was ever arrested for violating the Volstead Act, the federal law meant to enforce the 18th Amendment.2In 1925, Tom Pendergast benefitted from a vote that changed Kansas City’s government as it went from 32 city councilors in two chambers to 12 council members in one chamber, led by a city manager. The Pendergast machine easily achieved a voting majority and subsequently appointed a weak city manager and the mayor who followed the wishes of Tom Pendergast in exchange for his support in each election.3During the Depression when President Roosevelt routinely provided funds to urban centers for city projects, Pendergast was able to gain more power and wealth through a ten-year plan he conceived building civic structures, most of which were were built with concrete supplied by Pendergast's Ready-Mixed Concrete company and other companies that provided kickbacks to Pendergast. One of those buildings was the City Hall tower that stands today.4Just as this building's tower was near completion, the Pendergast machine was coming to an end. Tom Pendergast pleaded guilty to tax evasion on May 24, 1939, partly due to the Federal Government’s actions towards cleaning up local political corruption.City Hall now offers tours that include a chance to view the city from the observation deck and a statue of Abraham Lincoln reading to his son Tad in the building's south plaza.

Located on a hill, this 29-story skyscraper includes an observation deck that offers some of the very best views in the city. Planning for the building began in 1931 following a special referendum in which Kansas City voters overwhelmingly approved the city's ten year plan for infrastructure and public works development. The building design was heavily influenced by city political boss Tom Pendergast, whose concrete company profited from the city contract, as did other construction firms connected to the Pendergast political machine. This building is not only one of the ten tallest buildings in Kansas City, it is the fourth-tallest city hall in the world.

Kansas City Missouri City Hall and Observation Deck

In 1885, a group of twenty Kansas City artists formed the first organized art effort in the city called the Sketch Club. They came together to create and talk about art which helped develop and incorporate the Kansas City Art Association and School of Design a few years later. This led to the establishment of the Fine Arts Institute of Kansas City in 1907, known today as Kansas City Art Institute. According to the 1911 American Art Annual, the Institutes purpose was to secure a fine arts museum to the city, "to collect, preserve and exhibit objects of art; conduct schools for instruction in drawing, painting, modeling, sculpture, illustrations, decorative designing, architecture, and the arts and crafts, and by other appropriate means to further the cause of Art.”The Fine Arts Institute of Kansas City operated at several locations in its time. Around 1911 they moved into offices on the 6th floor of the newly built YWCA Building on McGee. They offered a variety of course instruction and a gallery which held exhibits that would rotate categories by month. From 1914 to 1918 during the first World War, students and faculty helped raise funds for the Red Cross by selling their artwork. They also created posters to promote enlistment for the United States Navy. As early as 1914, the institute started offering public classes on Saturdays. Famed animator Walt Disney, still just a teenager, attended art classes here from 1915 to 1917. The following is the Saturday class schedule from the 1914-1915 Academic Catalog:<blockquote>Saturday Classes. </blockquote><blockquote>Life Class, 11 half days, one term, 11 weeks - - $9.00</blockquote><blockquote>Juvenile Class, 11 half days, one term, 11 weeks - 5.00</blockquote><blockquote>Elementary Class, 11 half days, one term, 11 weeks 5.00</blockquote><blockquote>Matriculation fee of $2.00 must be paid by all new students on entering the school. </blockquote><blockquote>A charge of 50 cents a term is made for rental of lockers. </blockquote><blockquote>Payments must be made in advance. </blockquote><blockquote>--</blockquote><blockquote>Saturday Juvenile Classes. </blockquote><blockquote>Elementary drawing and painting. </blockquote><blockquote>Drawing from life for those who have had a course of elementary work. </blockquote><blockquote>In addition to the formal instruction, pupils are encouraged to visit the gallery and library. Thus their understanding and love of art are unconsciously trained and developed. </blockquote><blockquote>Adults may join the Saturday classes.</blockquote>In 1920, the Fine Arts Institute of Kansas City changed its name to the Kansas City Art Institute. The institution finally found a permanent home in 1927 when businessman and philanthropist Howard Vanderslice purchased and donated a large residence at 4415 Warwick Boulevard. The mansion was home to the late August Meyer, a successful mining engineer and the first President to the Parks Commission (1892). It was renamed Vanderslice Hall and now serves as the school's administrative offices.

This site was once the location of the YWCA Building, constructed in 1911. The Fine Arts institute of Kansas City, now known as the Kansas City Art Institute operated out of this location in offices on the 6th floor for many years. It was here in 1915, that famed animator Walt Disney had his first formal art instruction while attending Saturday art classes. The building was razed for an urban renewal project and is now the site of a surface parking lot.

YWCA and the Fine Arts Institute of Kansas City (1911-1927)

The Pickwick Complex came amidst a high-rise construction boom precipitated by a period of prosperity and growth in Kansas City during the 1920s. Construction on the Pickwick began in 1929, continued despite the beginning of the Great Depression, and was completed in 1930 at a cost of $3.5 million. It was designed by the firm of Wight and Wight, notable for creating buildings such as Kansas City Hall and the Jackson County Courthouse. Made in the Art Deco style, it was designed to be similar to other Kansas City high rise buildings of the day (such as the Power and Light Building) but featured less ornamentation. The building was made of concrete and reinforced steel covered in brick and cut stone. It filled an entire city block between Ninth and 10th Street. The complex was also one of the first mixed-use buildings; in addition to an 11-story hotel, it also contained a six-story office building, a three-story parking garage, a six-story bus terminal, and ground level retail storefront space. The multiple services offered made it an ideal destination for visitors, commuters, and downtown residents.The complex flourished during its first few decades of existence. A penthouse on top of the hotel housed the radio stations KMBC and WHB until 1968. The bus terminal, said to be the largest west of the Mississippi River, managed over 4,400 departures a month at its peak. Thanks to the complex’s close proximity to local and federal government buildings such as City Hall, the Courthouse, Post Office, and Federal Reserve Bank, the hotel was frequently patronized by people conducting business in town. One such visitor was future President Harry S. Truman. During the early 1930s Truman, then a county judge, stayed at the hotel regularly to enjoy the peace and solitude it provided. Truman took the opportunity to write (on hotel stationery) his political views and recollections of his life. These writings later became known as the “Pickwick Papers,” and included an entry from May 15, 1934, the night before Truman announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate.Business began declining at the Pickwick in the 1960s as the city population migrated from downtown to more suburban areas. Many pre-WWII buildings were demolished at this time, but the Pickwick was among a few spared. In 1972, the hotel portion of the Pickwick was converted into subsidized housing and renamed Royal Towers. It provided homes for low income and elderly residents, but occupancy was often low and the building gradually deteriorated. The other portions of the complex became mostly vacant and remained so for years. A fire in 1996 damaged the hotel lobby and destroyed much interior ornamentation. The Royal Towers closed in 2009 and the fate of the entire complex, now in worsening condition, was uncertain.In 2010 the complex was purchased by Gold Crown Properties, led by developers Thomas and Bryan Smith, who announced their intentions to save the Pickwick. Partnering with Helix Architecture + Design, Gold Crown began a two-year project in 2015 to redevelop the Pickwick into new downtown apartments. Renovations were completed in 2017 at a cost of $65 million, including $25 million in historic tax credits. The hotel portion, now known as East 9 at Pickwick Plaza, features 260 affordable apartment units and tenant amenities such as a wine cellar, fitness center, spa, and swimming pool (located in the former bus terminal). The complex also contains a parking garage and 35,000 feet of retail space. The redevelopment effort has been praised by many for being an ideal example of adaptive reuse and for spurring new economic growth in the downtown area.

The Pickwick Complex, also known as the Pickwick Hotel or Pickwick Plaza, is a historic early multi-purpose building in downtown Kansas City. Built in 1929-1930, its location near local and federal government buildings made it a popular place for visitors conducting business. In addition to a hotel, the complex also housed offices, retail space, a parking garage, and a bus terminal. In the early 1930s the Pickwick Hotel was a favorite retreat for future President Harry Truman, who stayed there while writing of memoir of his political thoughts later called the “Pickwick Papers.” The complex went through a period of decline in the latter half of the twentieth century as the hotel was converted into subsidized housing and other portions were left vacant. It was eventually acquired by Gold Crown Properties, and in 2017 was converted into modern apartments following extensive renovations. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Pickwick Complex

The Long-Bell Lumber Company was founded in 1875 in the small southeastern Kansas community of Columbus. The company began as a partnership between Robert Alexander Long, Victor Bell, and Robert White. Long was born in Kentucky in 1850 and moved to Columbus in the 1870s to pursue his career as an entrepreneur. The closing decades of the nineteenth century saw a dramatic increase in construction which fueled demand for lumber in the western prairie states where trees were scarce. By bringing lumber to the area, the Long-Bell Company prospered and in 1891, the company moved operations to Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp;The city was growing rapidly at this time, and the arrival of Long-Bell helped make it a leading distribution site for lumber across the country. As the company expanded it used vertical integration to acquire a role in every stage of the lumber trade. By 1904 Long-Bell owned 61 lumberyards, five sawmills, a railroad network, and owned the timber rights to 229,000 acres of land. The company was also an early supporter of environmental sustainability. In 1910, Robert Long announced that Long-Bell would plant one tree for every tree harvested.

When the Long-Bell Company moved to Kansas City it first had offices in the Keith &amp; Perry Building, but by 1906 it had outgrown this space. Long decided to construct a new office building that would symbolize the growth and influence of his company and the promising future of Kansas City. Henry Hoit was commissioned to design the structure. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hoit was best-known at that time for designing the Palace of Varied Industries Building at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Later in life, Hoit would become part of the notable architectural firm of Hoit, Price,&nbsp;and Barnes, which created many of Kansas City’s most prominent structures.

The R. A. Long Building was planned and constructed in 1906 at the cost of $1.4 million. The fourteen-story, Italian Renaissance Revival Style tower became the first skyscraper in Kansas City to be built with a steel frame, a key feature that allowed for the construction of much taller buildings. At its opening, the building included many new modern features such as water, lighting and heating systems, and six high-speed elevators. It opened to the public on April 25, 1907, with reportedly thousands of visitors in attendance.

For the next few decades, the R. A. Long Building served as the headquarters for the Long-Bell Lumber Company. From 1914 to 1921 the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City was also housed there before the Federal Reserve Building was completed. In 1934 the City National Bank &amp; Trust Company began leasing offices in the building. In 1956, the Long-Bell Lumber Company merged with the International Paper Company, now the largest paper and pulp company in the world. Two years later it sold the R. A. Long Building to City National Bank, which later became the UMB Financial Corporation. The building served as the headquarters for UMB until the construction of a new facility adjacent to the old building in 1986. The R. A. Long Building remains in the possession of UMB and continues to house some of its offices. &nbsp;

The R. A. Long Building was constructed by Robert Alexander Long in 1906 as the headquarters for the Long-Bell Lumber Company. At this time, Long-Bell was one of the largest lumber companies in the nation and Kansas City was a growing city and a distribution center. The construction boom in Kansas City, Omaha, and surrounding cities also made this an important market for the lumber industry. The Italian Renaissance building was designed by Henry Hoit and was notably the first steel frame tower in Kansas City. In 1956, the Long-Bell Lumber Company merged with the International Paper Company and two years later, the R. A. Long Building was purchased by what is now the UMB Financial Corporation. UMB continues to use this building for its offices and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

R. A. Long Building, Kansas City 

In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. It called for the creation of a decentralized national bank to safeguard the economy from financial distress and limit the power of private banks. Under the law, twelve separate districts were established nationwide, each with its own Federal Reserve Bank. Kansas City was chosen to be the home of the bank for district 10-J, which included Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Missouri. The city’s strong growth in the 1910s, economic influence, and good transportation network made it an ideal location. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City opened in 1914. For its first seven years, the bank was housed in the R. A. Long Building while plans were made for a permanent headquarters.The new bank building site was chosen at 925 Grand Boulevard, and construction began in 1920. The George A. Fuller Company built the bank using the Classical Revival style plan developed by Chicago architectural firm Graham Anderson Probst and White. The 21-story structure was built with reinforced steel clad in a limestone exterior. The exterior features several examples of ornamentation at the base and cap; the most notable are two stone panels on the west side of the base with depictions of the Spirits of Industry and Commerce. Construction was completed, and the Federal Reserve Bank relocated to the building in 1921. It was the tallest building in Missouri until 1926.When it originally opened, the Federal Reserve Building contained a three-story lobby, an employees’ café, lounges, a gymnasium, an auditorium, medical and dental offices, four bowling alleys, high ceilings for natural lighting, and eight spare floors rented as commercial space. It also featured a large underground vault with six and a half feet thick walls and a 50-ton door. Over the years, the building underwent multiple updates and renovations to modernize it; in the 1930s, it became the first completely air-conditioned office building in Kansas City. In 1965, a four-story annex was built to the east of the building to house a parking garage and an expanded underground vault. In 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas moved out of the building and into a new headquarters in Penn Valley Park. Since then, the building on 925 Grand Boulevard has remained vacant. The building was purchased by Townsend Inc., which originally sought to redevelop it into luxury condos. After the Great Recession hit, the company modified its plans and turned the building into a hotel instead. The plans never advanced, and in 2013, Townsend lost ownership of the building over issues with its lenders. Colorado developer Delta Quad Holdings LLC then acquired it. The developer plans on converting the Federal Reserve building into an Embassy Suites hotel while keeping some of the structure’s historic features. Commencement of the project has been delayed several times due to trouble obtaining financing from lenders. Renovations were expected to be completed in 2020 at the cost of more than $100 million, but as of 2023, the developers are still working to secure financing.

This historic downtown Kansas City building was constructed in 1921 as the home of the new Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, one of twelve Federal Reserve banks established nationwide as part of the 1913 Federal Reserve Act, which created a central bank system. For four years, Harry Truman had a post-presidential office in Room 1107 until the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum was completed in 1957. The building housed the bank until 2008, when it moved to a new headquarters in Penn Valley Park. The building has been vacant since then, but plans have been made to convert the former central bank branch into a hotel. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Kansas City Federal Reserve Building (1921-2008)

The origins of Commerce Bank date to 1865 when Francis R. Long founded the Kansas City Savings Association with $10,000. The business grew quickly and became one of Missouri's largest financial institutions. In 1881 Dr. William Stone Woods acquired the business and reorganized the company as the National Bank of Commerce. By 1900, the bank had become one of the largest financial institutions west of Chicago. In 1898, the bank moved into the former Kansas City Journal building on the corner of 10th and Walnut Streets. Future President Harry S. Truman also worked in that building between 1903 and 1905.In 1906, Woods created a second bank, Commerce Trust Company, and announced plans for the construction of a shared headquarters for the two banks. The former Kansas City Journal building was demolished, and work on this structure began in November 1906. Noted Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt was commissioned to design the building, and the George A. Fuller Company was contracted for the construction. The fifteen-story building was designed in the Beaux Arts style and was made with granite, Brazilian brick, and terra-cotta. The second skyscraper in Kansas City, the building was constructed with structural steel and was the tallest in Kansas City when it was completed in 1908. The exterior featured elements such as a three-part vertical block scheme and ornamental lion heads. In 1953 a 3,300 pound, cast bronze and copper clock made by IBM and the Livers Bronze Company was installed on the southeast corner. Both companies shared the building; the National Bank of Commerce operated from the lobby facing Walnut Street, while the Commerce Trust Company operated from the 10th Street side.In 1921, the two banks formally merged and operated under the name Commerce Trust Company. The bank continued to grow, introducing services such as the first 24-hour transit department. In 1965 the company built the nearby Commerce Tower Office Building as part of an effort to redevelop the downtown Kansas City area. Today, Commerce Bank is a subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares which has headquarters in St. Louis and Kansas City and remains the largest banking group in Missouri with hundreds of branches across the Midwest. Commerce continues to utilize the building on 10th and Walnut Street. In 2004, the building underwent a $48 million series of renovations and restorations.

Designed by Jarvis Hunt, the Commerce Trust Building was constructed between 1907 and 1908 by the George A. Fuller Company. The fifteen-story building has maintained most of its historic features, such as its large bronze and copper clock. The building served as headquarters for Commerce Bank of Kansas City, which dates back to 1865 when Francis Reid Long arrived with $10,000 to invest in the growing city. The timing of the bank's founding after the Civil War was ideal as the city was chosen as the terminus of several railroads and included the first railroad bridge connecting this area with Missouri. The bank grew rapidly, and its founders determined to create a new headquarters building in the heart of Kansas City’s growing business district. In 1965, the company constructed the 30-story Commerce Tower at 9th and Main Street and later moved its Kansas City headquarters to 10th and Walnut.

Commerce Trust Building; Commerce Bank of Kansas City

The fountain was dedicated in 1999 to honor William T. Kemper (1865-1938) and Charlotte Crosby Kemper (1866-1956). The fountain's location between Commerce Bank, a leading business established by the Kemper family, and the Kansas City Public Library, an institution led and supported by multiple generations of Kemper family members, was selected to reflect the family's commitment to both commercial and civic improvement in Kansas City.

Artists Lori Doolittle and Alvin Holm designed this unique downtown Kansas City fountain to resemble the ancient stone bowl which is on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The fountain was dedicated in 1999 in honor of the Kemper Family and their commitment to Kansas City. The artists added features that preserve energy as part of their effort to reflect themes of conservation, art, and technology into the design of the fountain. The artists also worked to blend aspects of the fountain to match the architecture of nearby buildings, including the Commerce Bank headquarters.

William Thornton and Charlotte Crosby Kemper Memorial Fountain

The Land Bank Building was created in the wake of the 1916 Federal Farm Loan Act, a law that was aimed to provide relief to the farming community from decades of dealing with exceedingly high interest rates on loans. Several variables led to the substantial increase in agricultural development and resultant commodification of the soil (farming for profit) west of the Mississippi during the late nineteenth century. Some factors include railroad expansion, the 1862 Homestead Act, and a myth that "the rain follows the plow" (a belief that cultivation of soil increased rainfall by moistening the soil and thus the local atmosphere). Similar to most commercial enterprises (including agriculture) that arose during the rapid western expansion of the nineteenth century, proximity to the railroad proved necessary for success. The closer a farm was to a railroad, the more expensive the land. Farmers also had to buy farm equipment and materials which also increased in price as they increased in complexity and size. As a result of changes in farming, current and prospective farmers relied on loans. In many cases, the only collateral they could offer banks involved their land, but farmers hoped to use their future crops as collateral, something banks recognized was a risk. As a result, farmers struggled to obtain the loans they needed to expand operations. The result was both an increase in average yield per acre during the late nineteenth century and a decline in the total number of families engaged in farming. The country was becoming increasingly urban each decade, and a financial crisis shortly before the turn of the twentieth century forced some to close farms which threatened stability in agriculture. Given the equal representation of every state regardless of population in the U.S. Senate, there was support in Congress to do something to help ease the financial plight of farmers. Woodrow Wilson signed The Federal Farm Loan Act in 1916, which led to the creation of a dozen Land Banks throughout the country. The government chose to place one of the banks in Kansas City because of the city's connection to agriculture and because of its growth into a major financial center with an established banking system.Architects Keene and Simpson dually catered the building design to meet the needs of the banking community and fit on a narrow lot. The slim, tall building included mezzanine levels (intermediate floors located between main floors) on the first and twelfth floors, used by banking tenants. In addition to tackling the challenges connected to function, they successfully addressed the building's form with a highly regarded Italian Renaissance design. Other touches included tall windows that allowed for ample natural lighting, mahogany and marble finishings, Venetian blinds, unique furniture, and a filtered and cooled drinking water system. The combination of all their efforts resulted in the architects receiving the 1924 Business District's Gold Medal.While the Land Bank program across the nation largely enjoyed success, a scandal in 1927 resulted in the Federal Courts placing the Kansas City Land Bank being placed in a Federal receivership because of its mismanagement by the Land Bank's first president, Walter S. Cravens. In addition to his role at the Land Bank, Cravens served as president of the Missouri Joint Stock Land Bank, director of the Safe Deposit Company of Kansas City, director of the Denver Joint Stock Land Bank, and the director of the American Underwriting Company. Cravens parlayed his business assets into nearly five million dollars, but his nefarious loan dealings led to his eventual federal indictment, the bank being placed in federal receivership, and the bank's eventual sale in 1931. The Land Bank operated until 1945 before transitioning to various commercial and business uses tied to several ownership changes. Similar to many other downtown buildings, the structure now serves as apartment lofts.

One of the cornerstone buildings of Kansas City's Financial District, this structure was completed in 1924 for the Kansas City Joint Stock Land Bank, the nation's fifth to receive a Charter under the 1916 Federal Farm Loan Act. This law provided guaranteed loans to farmers in recognition of the growing expenses farmers faced as agriculture became more reliant on advanced equipment and larger landholdings, as well as the unique challenges farmers faced when they tried to secure loans compared to other businesses. The building's design was recognized with the 1924 Business District's Gold Medal for architecture. For many years, Rothschild's department store was located east of this building while the New England National Bank remains to the west. The former bank across the street is now home to the Kansas City Public Library.

Land Bank Building

The Kansas City Public Library dates back to 1873 when the public school system allowed citizens to browse its only encyclopedia and borrow books from a single shelf of circulating titles. The city's first dedicated library opened in 1889 at 8th and Oak Street. In 1960, the library operated branches through the city and opened a new central library that included the first special collections department and reading room.By the 1980s, the library's collections and programming exceeded the capacity of its 1960 facility. In 1999, a commitment of $50 million in public funding and private donations allowed the Central Library to renovate and move into its present location, the former headquarters of the First National Bank in 2004. The move included a multi-year effort to renovate and restore the bank to its original grandeur while converting it into an ideal facility for library programming. The remodel also funded updates and modern conveniences such as custom designed tables that offer power outlets for portable computers. The library maintains a special collection of videos and a small theater in the former bank vault. It also maintains a small café that offers food and drink from local vendors. The First National Bank building was constructed in three separate building campaigns (1904-1906, 1926, and 1964). The concrete and steel building features elements of the Neo-Classical and Chicago School. The original Wilder and Wight three-story building, dominated by colossal Ionic columns and highly embellished double-leaf bronze doors at its main façade, was modified in 1926 when a fourth floor was added, and a four-story annex to the east was constructed. The marble-sheathed, five-story expansion to the north occurred in 1964. Edward T. Wilder and Thomas Wight studied architecture under the firm of McKim, Mead and White (the architects of the neighboring New York Life Building). Subsequently, Wight became one of Kansas City's most influential architects. The building was later purchased by Boatman's Bank, prior to it becoming the Central Library in the Kansas City Public Library system.

Located in the historic former headquarters of First National Bank, the Central Library serves as the major resource library for the Kansas City Public Library system. Offering breathtaking galleries and reading rooms, and an ingenious parking garage that looks like a bookshelf, the Central Library is consistently included in lists of the most beautiful public libraries in the United States. The former bank vault is now home to the Stanley H. Durwood film collection, while the old bank's 35-foot ceilings add grandeur to the main reading room. Located on the fifth floor of the Central Library, the Missouri Valley Room is the premiere collection of rare books and one-of-a-kind historical records related to the history of Kansas City. Patrons may use the reading room to view archival and genealogical materials that do not circulate beyond the library.

Central Library, Kansas City Public Library

<h4>History of the New York Life Building</h4>The New York Life building represents one of the high points in the growth and development of Kansas City. Throughout the 1880s, the city was experiencing unprecedented growth in terms of trade, production, industry, population, and real estate transfers. Therefore, Kansas City was attracting a lot of attention in that time as an area for investment potential. Commissioned by the New York Life Insurance Company, who felt that Kansas City was to be the future center of western commerce, the New York Life building was designed in 1885 by the New York City architecture firm of McKim, Mead &amp; White. When completed in 1890, it was the city’s tallest and largest building and represented the city’s transition from “cow town” to a city of importance. Along with the building was substantial downtown development.1 The building was in use until 1988, when it was abandoned. Fortunately, in 1996, a $35 million restoration gave the building modern energy, environmental, and communications features. In 2010, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph purchased the building and renamed it the “Catholic Center.”2<h4>Transcription on the Historical Marker</h4>Architects: McKim, Mead and WhiteConstructed: 1887-90This Neo-Renaissance Style office building symbolizes the faith of the moneyed East in Kansas City during the unprecedented prosperity of the 1880s. The bronze eagle was cast in the studio of Augustus Saint Gaudens. The barrel-vaulted, skylighted lobby, mosaic floors and lavish use of marble and cherry-wood characterize the fine design. Entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.3

The New York Life building is a high-rise in the Library District of Kansas City. Built in a Neo-Renaissance style between 1887-90 by famous New York City architects McKim, Mead and White, it was a symbol of Kansas City’s prosperity in the late 19th-century as well as its reliance and faith in the money coming from the East, as Kansas City stood as a gateway to the West. The New York Life building is also considered to be Kansas City’s first skyscraper. The building mirrored the potential and investment coming to the area from all over the country, and it was the first manifestation of this prosperity. Today, the New York Life building is a centerpiece of the Library District neighborhood, and in 1970, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

New York Life Building of Kansas City

Bunker was born in New Hampshire in 1847 but moved with his family to southern Minnesota at the age of seven. In 1865, at the age of eighteen, he purchased a half interest in a local flouring mill and proceeded to run it successfully for nearly three years before moving to St. Paul and attending a business college. At the college, he took charge of the bookmarking department of the institution, which he managed until he received a more lucrative offer from the Second National Bank of St. Paul in 1870. Finally, seven years after taking that job, he resigned and moved to Kansas City. In Kansas City, he formed a business partnership firm that founded the first "ready print" or "auxiliary" publishing house (Western Newspaper Union) west of the Missouri river; Bunker served as president and general manager. They furnished sheets printed on one side to more than one hundred weekly newspapers in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Colorado. The Western Newspaper Union soon developed into one of the largest chains of similar printing establishments in the United States, owning not less than ten houses of this kind. In 1878, his firm also purchased a controlling interest in the Kansas City Journal. Still, he devoted most of his attention to the ready print business, which grew so successful that in June 1880, it merged with the Iowa Printing Company. Mr. Bunker eventually sold his interest in the Journal (1881) while maintaining his management of the Kansas City house. Bunker began looking for land in 1880 to house his Western Newspaper. Construction on his new property began in 1880 and opened in 1881 at a time during the late nineteenth century when Eastern U.S. and local capital started to pour into Kansas City as speculators believed in Kansas City's prospect for growth. Bunker, too, thought highly of Kansas City's potential to evolve into a large, influential city. Kansas City supported 55,000 residents in 1880, but by the decade's end, the population had soared to 132,000, making it the nation's tenth largest city. The city benefited from its growing stockyards, bustling railroad traffic, and its role as a launching point for the Santa Fe Trail. During the 1880s, Kansas City enjoyed expansive downtown construction, including buildings, roads, and infrastructure. This rapid transition during the nineteenth century from a village to a significant urban center attracted an array of architects; the Bunker Building survives as a reminder of that robust building boom.Bunker also ran a real estate business, which he operated from an office in the new Bunker Building. In 1890, Bunker formed a new business partnership and subsequently purchased the Kansas City Journal (again). In contrast to Bunker's first association with the paper, he took an active role as president and general manager. In 1896, Bunker left the Journal and focused on his real estate business before also partaking in politics. Bunker served in the city's Upper House in 1906 and then County Assessor from 1921 through 1924. During that time as an Assessor, in 1922, Bunker's presence in the Bunker Building finally ceased when he decided to no longer maintain his real estate offices.

Walter A. Bunker managed the Kansas City chapter of the Western Newspaper Union. Its success led Bunker and his partners to erect the now-historic Bunker Building in 1881. Bunker felt it prudent to build in the downtown region because he believed in Kansas City's potential to become a meaningful urban center, a view shared by speculators from the eastern part of the country. Investors, architects, and workers came to Kansas City in droves during the 1880s, resulting in a downtown building boom and a doubling of the city's population.

Bunker Building

The Kansas City building boom of the late nineteenth century led to the growth of the acclaimed architectural firm of Hoit, Price, and Barnes. The history behind this company begins in 1901 when Chicago-born and MIT-trained Henry Ford Hoit (1872-1915) moved to Kansas City and joined the firm of Van Brunt and Howe. Before moving to Kansas City, Hoit worked as an architect in Boston. Hoit's friend and Kansas City architect, William Cutler, employed by Van Brunt and Howe, convinced Hoit to come to the Midwest. His words to Hoit demonstrate the building boom occurring in Kansas City during the late nineteenth century; Cutler told Holt that the firm was overwhelmed with job opportunities and needed help to avoid turning down high-paying commissions. Shortly after Hoit took the job in Kansas City, Van Brunt passed away (1903). Consequently, the company made Hoit a partner in the firm, along with William H. Cutler. Of the many projects completed by newly-formed Howe, Hoit, and Cutler, they designed one of Kansas City's first skyscrapers in 1906: the R. A. Long Building. By 1909, both Cutler and Howe had died. Thus, within eight years after taking the job, Hoit stood as the firm's principal architect. Hoit worked independently for four years until 1913, when his draftsman, Edwin M. Price (1885-1957), became a partner. In 1919, Alfred E. Barnes, Jr. (1892-1960) joined the firm as a partner, completing the eighteen-year evolution of the firm that became Hoit, Price, and Barnes in 1919.The firm went on to build numerous celebrated buildings. Hoit, Price, and Barnes contributed to the design of the Bell Telephone Building, which stood as the city's tallest building (twenty-eight stories) when finished in 1929. The firm then designed the even taller thirty-four-story Kansas City Power and Light Building in 1931, making it Missouri's tallest building, a title it held until 1976.The Baker-Vawter building was one of the first major projects and is for a building architectural historians generally describe as a fusion of commercial and industrial styles. While the windows and doors exude industrial design, the main facade's terracotta veneer was atypical for the exterior of a utilitarian, commercial structure in that era. The plan likely speaks to the needs of the company. Although it operated primarily as a factory, the building sat in Kansas City's central business district, where the company served a national client base. Indeed, Baker-Vawter, a company that manufactured perpetual ledgers, loose-leaf and manifold order systems and handled steel filing equipment, maintained offices in Benton Harbor, Michigan; San Francisco, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Holyoke, Massachusetts. This building's design dually served the company's pragmatic and aesthetic needs.The Remington-Rand Corporation purchased the Baker-Vawter company in 1935 and subsequently occupied the now-historic building in Kansas City for about fifteen years. In 1950, Remington-Rand sold the property to the Sosland family of Kansas City, Missouri, who used the facility to consolidate their family businesses: Sosland Envelope Company, Sosland Press, Inc., and the Southwestern Miller publication; the building became locally known as the Sosland Building. A major renovation took place in 2005, allowing the building to transform into a multi-unit housing (lofts) complex. It's one of many commercial structures built during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that have been converted into residential buildings.

The Baker-Vawter Company, a national producer of steel filing cabinets and other office-supply products, hired a Kansas City architectural firm in 1920 to design its "Western Office and Factory" facility in Kansas City. The architectural firm of Hoit, Price &amp; Barnes went on to design numerous buildings in Kansas City, from skyscrapers to residential buildings, many of which survive today as historical landmarks. The Baker-Vawter Building stands as one of the firm's earliest projects and continues to serve as a representation of the firm's contributions to the area's industrial architecture. The Sosland family of Kansas City acquired the building in 1950 and used it for their growing publishing company which began in 1922 with the publication of a weekly magazine for area flour mills. Similar to many other buildings in the area, The historic structure is now home to loft apartments.

Baker–Vawter Building; Sosland Building

From 1880 to 1890, Kansas City's population grew from 55,000 to 132,000. By the decade's end, Kansas City ranked as the nation's tenth largest metropolitan center. The city benefited from the opening of the stockyards (1870), the arrival of the railroad, and the city's role as a launching point for the Santa Fe Trail. During the 1880s, Kansas City enjoyed expansive downtown construction and the robust growth of cable roads (trailing only San Francisco and Chicago in numbers), indicating the number of workers moving through downtown Kansas City. One of the buildings that emerged during that time was the Old New England Building, which stood as the home to the New England Mutual Life Insurance Co. of Boston; the New England Safe Deposit &amp; Trust Co. and the New England National Bank rented space in the building, as well. The New England building existed as one of numerous Kansas City buildings built during the 1880s financed by Eastern U.S. businesses. Further demonstrating the building's connection to New England, the unique architectural design includes ornamental carved stone seals of five New England states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The most recognized feature of the late nineteenth-century Renaissance Revival commercial structure involves its two-story high oriel bay window, but its most significant feature might be its likely place as Kansas City's first fireproof building.In 1944 the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company sold the building. One of the companies that leased office spaces was Trans World Airlines (TWA), which used it as a training school and for offices. For a time, the federal government's Social Security department leased offices in the building. Today, it functions as a residential building (lofts) known as "The New England."

The Old New England Building was the tallest building in Kansas City when it was completed in 1888. The last few decades of the 19th century were a time of immense population growth and the area saw an influx of investors, architects, and builders who had previously created some of the leading buildings in cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago. The completion of buildings like this signaled Kansas City's growth into a regional powerhouse. The building was the original home of the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company and featured fifty-seven fireplaces, two elevators, and two walk-in safes on each floor. The architectural design includes a two-story high oriel bay window and five unique ornamental carved stone seals of five New England states. The building was later used by Trans World Airlines and now serves as residential loft-style apartments.

Old New England Building

The Savoy Hotel and Savoy Grill was constructed in four phases between 1890 and 1906 and featured a neoclassic design. The building was initially completed as a five-story structure, with a sixth story added along with rear extensions. From 1905 to 1906, a western addition was added, reaching seven stories. In the earliest years, the Savoy Grill was only open to male patrons while the hotel's dining room was open to all guests. Harry S. Truman was a frequent patron of the Savoy Grill when he operated a nearby clothing store prior to his entrance into politics, a career that was initially aided by Tom Pendergast. Truman ate at the Savoy so often that a plaque was later placed in booth number four, designating the preferred table of the former haberdashery owner who went on to become President of the United States.The Savoy Grill maintained a turn of the century feeling up throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The hotel and grill have passed through many different owners, including the Savoy Investment Company which bought the building in 1962. Donald F. Lee purchased the restaurant in 1960 and acquired the hotel five years later. The Savoy Grill was the oldest restaurant in the city and the longest continuously-operated restaurant in the western half of the United States until a 2014 fire led to its closure. In 2016, work on renovating and reopening the historic hotel began under the auspices of the 21c Museum Hotels group and the historic dining room reopened in 2018. In that same year, the museum added a work by artist Brad Kahlhamer within the Savoy Grill that was inspired by Native American dream catchers and intended to help balance the historic murals that celebrate European-American expansion.

This historic Kansas City building was home to the Savoy Hotel starting in 1888. Five years later, the hotel added the Savoy Grill, the longest-operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River. The restaurant and hotel closed following a 2014 fire, but the building was later renovated and reopened by the 21c hotel chain to include a contemporary art museum along with many tributes to the history of the former historic establishment. Soon after the hotel reopened, the former dining room of the Savoy Grill reopened as the Savoy at 21c Restaurant. Visitors to the restaurant can sit in a booth that was the preferred location of Harry S. Truman and view a series of historically significant murals that were created as part of the restaurant's 1903 opening. These murals by Edward Holslag depict early Kansas City history from pioneers departing Westport on the Sante Fe Trail to the arrival of steamboats on the Missouri River. A short hallway connects these historical works to a contemporary art museum that is open to the public 24 hours a day within the new hotel's lobby. A virtual tour of the hotel's art gallery and restaurant, including the murals by Edward Holsalg, is available within this entry.

Savoy Hotel and Savoy Grill (1888-2014); The Savoy at 21c and 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City

Missouri was heavily divided at the beginning of the Civil War, with significant support present for both the Unionists and secessionists. A convention of delegates from all over the state assembled to debate whether or not to secede and ultimately chose to declare neutrality in the conflict. Governor Claiborne Jackson was a Confederate supporter, however, and as the war began in April 1861 he began making moves to seize federal property in Missouri. One of the governor’s main opponents was Kansas City Mayor Robert T. Van Horn, who was a staunch Unionist. Jackson ordered Van Horn to resign, and on April 30 a group of pro-secessionists in Kansas City raised a Confederate flag at Second and Main Streets. Van Horn refused to back down and, fearful that Confederates would take over the city, requested assistance from the U.S. Army.On June 14, 1861, Union troops from Ft. Leavenworth were dispatched to occupy and defend Kansas City. Led by Capt. W. E. Prince, the force consisted of two infantry companies and five cavalry companies. With the immediate threat subsiding, Van Horn organized a local volunteer reserve battalion, referred to as the Home Guard, to assist the Union troops. The battalion consisted of three companies led by Van Horn himself, who had requested and received a commission as a major in the U.S. Army. The battalion was briefly headquartered on Walnut Street, before moving to a new location around the corner of East and Central Streets. This was the future site of the Coates House Hotel, originally known as the Broadway Hotel. Construction of the building began in 1857, but work was halted for the duration of the war. The troops built an encampment on the site named Camp Union, also known as Fort Union. A 200-square-foot breastwork was erected around the site, and the unfinished hotel foundation was converted into a stable for the cavalry horses. Two howitzers and a single cannon from the Bleeding Kansas conflict were installed to defend the camp. Along with the camp, there were also quartermaster’s stables on the opposite side of Tenth Street; a commissary warehouse on the riverbank; and a hospital in the Farmer’s Hotel on Grand Avenue.Thanks to the quick and early intervention of Union troops, Kansas City remained largely safe throughout the war. However, the surrounding area was plagued by secessionist guerilla raids, which harmed business in the city. In October 1864 Confederate General Sterling Price led his Army of Missouri into the modern-day boundaries of Kansas City, before being defeated in the Battle of Westport. It was the largest battle in the Western theater of the war. Price’s defeat led to the virtual collapse of the Army of Missouri and ended any chance of bringing Missouri into the Confederacy. It was the last time that Kansas City faced any serious threat during the war.At the end of the Civil War, Camp Union was dismantled and construction on the Coates Hotel was completed. In 1957 a historical plaque commemorating Camp Union was installed on a nearby parking garage by the Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City, a local preservationist group.

Dedicated by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas City in 1957, this marker commemorates Camp Union, a small fort built by U.S. troops at this location in 1861. It consisted of barracks and service buildings surrounded by a 200 square foot earthwork. Various companies of the U.S. Reserve Corps were stationed here to protect Kansas City from Confederate attacks beginning in June 1861. Troops would remain here for the duration of the war.

Historical Marker: Camp Union 

Real estate developer, civic visionary, and philanthropist Phil Kirk (1937-2014) is best known for his advocacy in the revival of downtown Kansas City and for his role financing a capital campaign to renovate the First National Bank into the Central Branch of the Kansas City Public Library. The building at this location, 1015 Central, was Kirk’s first downtown real estate investment purchase, as well as the site of his last charitable act. In 1983, Kirk purchased this decrepit building to renovate for use as his business offices. While working with DST Realty for over 30 years, and serving as President for some time, he championed the revitalization of downtown Kansas City, including the acquisition of land for the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts and redevelopment initiatives such as Quality Hill and the South Loop. As a benefactor for the Kansas City Public Central Library, Kirk supported a partnership with Crossroads Academy, a newly proposed charter school. It was agreed that the academy would rent 1015 Central from DST for $1 per month and opened in the fall of 2012. Since then, Crossroads Academy has expanded to include a second elementary location and a high school preparatory school.Mr. Kirk was named the Kansas Citian of the Year in 2013 and passed away the following year. With much respect and appreciation, Crossroads Academy installed a historical marker in dedication to Kirk’s advocacy, as well as to show the building's historical significance. <h3>Kansas City Slide Company</h3>The Kansas City Slide Company was established in 1910 by Arthur Vern “A. V.” Cauger and moved to this location in 1913, around the time it was incorporated. At that time, KC Slide Co. produced glass slide advertisements for local businesses during the “Silent Era” in the film industry. These ads were hand drawn illustrations that were photographed and transferred to small glass slides, or drawn on the slides directly. The 3 ¼ inch by 4 inch slides would be run through developing fluid and washed before being hand colored, then once complete, a second piece of glass was set on top to protect the image. The slides would then be projected anywhere with a screen, typically movie theaters and screened before films like modern day movie trailers or during intermissions.In 1915, the Slide Company started advancing their techniques to produce moving advertisements in the form of stop-motion, pioneered by Cauger himself. The business continued to grow and the Slide Company became a thriving mail order operation with clients from across the nation. To keep up with demand, on January 29, 1920 the Kansas City Star ran a help-wanted ad for the Slide Co.. It read: “ARTIST Cartoon and Wash Drawings: First Class Man Wanted; Steady, Kansas City Slide Co., 1015 Central.”Walt Disney, an amateur at the time, had recently opened up Iwwerks-Disney Commercial Artists with his partner Ubbe Iwwerks. Though the studio had only been running for a month, they were becoming successful. However, knowing that a commercial studio wasn’t necessarily the career they envisioned, Walt responded to the help-wanted ad for the KC Slide Company. He went downtown and introduced himself to Cauger, with hopes to land himself and Ubbe a job. While impressed with his portfolio, A. V. only had room for one on his staff and offered the job to Walt alone for $40 per week. Shortly after hiring Disney, the Kansas City Slide Company moved to a new location and started operating under the name Kansas City Film Ad Service. This name change was important to reflect the new advertising expectations as moviegoers were previously accustomed to still-picture ads. Ubbe continued to run the Iwwerks-Disney studio, but the business soon began to struggle and he was hired by Cauger in March.

Constructed in 1908, this building is historically known as the location of the Kansas City Slide Company, where famed animator Walt Disney worked as a cartoon artist. The Kansas City Slide Company occupied this site from 1913 to 1920, moving locations shortly after Disney was hired. In 1925 the building was expanded, but like many structures in the area, deferred maintenance caused the building to become dilapidated. As a champion for downtown Kansas City revitalization, local real estate developer Phil Kirk purchased and renovated the building in 1983. Years later, Kirk leased the building at $1 per month for a newly established charter school, Crossroads Academy, which continues to occupy the site since 2012.

Kansas City Slide Company (1913-1920); Kirk Building, Crossroads Academy

Organized firefighting began in Kansas City in 1858 when a volunteer fire brigade was established. When there was a fire, church bells were rung to call the volunteers who met at the scene of the fire. Two years later, a volunteer company was created. In 1869, the McGee Hook and Ladder Company, named after former Mayor Milton McGee, was established but it was not enough to serve the growing city. As a result, in August 1871, the city established the first salaried fire department. Six years later, the city built the first fire department headquarters, which also housed House Company No. 2.The city approved the construction of the present fire station building in 1905 after many years of planning. The city's fire chief traveled to Chicago and New York City to study their fire department facilities. Fire Station No. 2 cost $70,000 to build and the city asked local architects Albert Turney and Samuel E. Edwards to design it to be "...the most imposing public building in Kansas City." Construction was finished in late summer of 1906. Some of the stone slabs of the building weigh 15 tons and were the largest stones used in a building in the city up to that point.The first floor housed fire apparatuses, horse stalls, harness rooms, and lounging rooms. There were up to 12 pieces of fire apparatus in the station which was the largest number housed in a fire station in the country at the time. The second floor contained the dormitory (for up to 62 firefighters), offices, lockers, showers, operators' room, and offices of the fire chief and other fire department officials. A gym (the largest in a fire station at the time), the fire alarm system, and the newspaper reporters' room were located on the third floor.Central Exchange, A Kansas City organization dedicated to empowering women acquired the building in 1984 and completed a renovation of the historic structure in 1998. In 2020, the Central Exchange moved to the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Completed in 1906, this stately structure served as the headquarters for the Kansas City Fire Department and was known as Fire Station No. 2. Considered one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the city, the building features a grand temple facade composed of four square pedestal bases, three ornamental stone saucers, four large, ribbed Doric columns supporting an entablature, and recessed arched windows. Not only did the building offer a grand appearance, it was also one of the best-equipped and most efficient fire stations in the country at the time of its construction. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. From 1984 until 2020, the building was home to Central Exchange, a women's leadership organization that was established in 1979 by Beth Smith and Marjorie Powell Allen.

Kansas City Fire Department Headquarters; Central Exchange

<h4>History of the Folly Theater</h4>First known as the “Standard Theater,” this extraordinarily designed building opened on September 23rd, 1900. In its early years, the theater showcased vaudeville and burlesque performances, and due to a fire at the nearby Coates Opera House, the theater soon produced opera and comic opera performances as well. By 1902, the theater changed its name to the “Century” and, in addition to vaudeville and burlesque, featured prizefighting and wrestling (including the likes of Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey). The theater closed in 1922 and reopened a year later, renamed the “Schubert's Missouri.” It was during the roaring ‘20s in Kansas City that the theater featured major dramatic productions, but unfortunately, in 1932, the theater closed once again.1The theater reopened in 1941 as the Folly Theater, and during this time, the theater showcased a new form of burlesque, the striptease. Famed striptease artists such as Tempest Storm, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Cherry Smash performed during this time. Many other types of shows were performed at the theater, ranging from singers to clowns and jugglers. Eventually, the entertainment at the theater became seedier, leading to a raid in 1963 for allowing total nudity and an attempted bombing (a stick of dynamite in a nearby drain pipe) in 1969. The Folly Theater closed in 1973 and was set to turn into a parking lot, but after being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the theater was purchased and renovated. In 2014, the entire archives of the Folly Theater were handed to the Kansas City Public Library.2

The historic Folly Theater is Kansas City’s oldest theater and entertainment venue, dating back to 1900. It still operates as a functional theater today (showing live theater, jazz performances, national touring shows, and other programs) and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Although the Folly Theater is seen as a place of quality, family entertainment, the theater’s origins were based in vaudeville, burlesque, and, later, striptease performances, showcasing nationally acclaimed artists such as Gypsy Rose Lee and Tempest Storm. In the 1920s, however, the Folly Theater (then named the "Shubert's Missouri”) produced dramatic productions and even featured the Marx Brothers and a young Humphrey Bogart. After falling into disrepair in the 1970s, the KCMO community took up the cause and saved the Folly Theater, and it is now one of the most important theatrical and historical sites in the downtown area.

Folly Theater, Kansas City

Following World War II, gay men and lesbians in communities throughout North America began organizing as part of an effort they referred to as the Homophile Movement. Believing that gay men and lesbians could and should form communities and work to counter the discrimination they faced, the Homophile Movement was an important step within the larger history of gay rights that occurred in an era when many needed to continue to "wear the mask," a phrase of the early and mid-20th century referring to the need to keep one's sexual orientation private. The movement at this time explored ways to emphasize their common humanity and reduce attention away from the sexual aspect of their identities as a way of countering negative images and replacing those stereotypes with more accurate portrayals of life. Emphasizing basic human rights, community, and safety through unity, the movement of the 1950s and 1960s took on what may appear to be a conformist approach. The meetings that occurred in Kansas City were inspired by the Modern Civil Rights Movement led by Black Communities, but also demonstrate continuity with the post-war efforts to create community while working to counter negative images and discriminatory laws in an era when most gay Americans still had to hide their sexual orientation for fear of losing their livelihood or enduring violence.Across the country, homophile movements were created in the 1950s and 1960s. Individual organizations worked within their own communities until February 1966, when fifteen different homophile organizations sent out representatives to meet for two days in Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting included the creation of a national defense fund and plans for demonstrations for equal rights. This meeting also included the creation of a national organization known as the North American Conference of Homophile Organizations (NACHO).Following the National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations (NPCHO), another homophile organization that began in Kansas City in March of 1966 called The Phoenix Society for Individual Freedom. The organization was founded by Drew Shafer, an openly gay man who served as the organization’s first president. He made it the organization’s goal to improve gay men and lesbians' status in the economic, legal, and social spheres.The Phoenix Society also made declared its mission to bring local and national homophile organizations together. After an NPCHO meeting in San Francisco, the Phoenix Society was tasked with publishing magazines, pamphlets, and newsletters of homophile organizations across the country so that they could reach a wider national audience.Alongside this activism, they were also known for creating a magazine entitled The Phoenix (the first LGBT magazine in the Midwest) thanks to Shafer’s access to his father’s printing press. In 1968, the Phoenix Society opened the first LGBT community center in Kansas City. As other organizations that mirrored their goals increased membership, the Phoenix Society of Individual Freedom officially disbanded in 1971 but its creation and the 1966 meetings in Kansas City commemorated by this marker remain an important milestone in the history of civil rights.

This historical marker commemorates the 50th anniversary of the first National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations. Dedicated on October 12, 2016, at the corner of 12th and Wyandotte in Kansas City, the marker shares the history of one of the early LGBT civil right organizations in Kansas City, Missouri, The Phoenix Society for Individual Freedom, and its founder, Drew Shafer. The marker was created with the help of community members, historians, activists, and the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America, which is housed at the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri - Kansas City.

The North American Conference of Homophile Organizations / Phoenix Society for Individual Freedom Historical Marker

Kansas City has long been a stopping point given its location at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers. The Santa Fe trail, which was a major transportation route in the 1800s, passed through the city as well. As such, hotels were needed to provide temporary lodging to travelers. The number of hotels rose over time and by 1922, there were 86 in the city. Several more, including the Aladdin, were built in the remainder of the 1920s.By then, the city was in direct competition with large east coast cities in attracting conventions. Hotel developers spent tens of millions of dollars to provide the best accommodations and amenities including air conditioning, central public address and radio, large meeting rooms, cocktail lounges, and restaurants. Aesthetics were just as important too. Well-known architects were hired to design the hotels in a variety of architectural styles. As a result of these efforts, the city landed a number of major conventions, including the Republican National Convention in 1929. The city also chose to build its municipal auditorium in the area in 1935 because the seven hotels were located close to each other.The Armour Building Company, which was headed by insurance executive and builder C.O. Jones and his partner W.B. Weaver, built the Aladdin Hotel in 1925. It included an enclosed roof garden and retail spaces on the first floor along the north wall. In a contest for new buildings sponsored by the Business District League in 1925, the hotel won third place. A number of celebrities stayed at the hotel including baseball player Mickey Mantle and actress Greta Garbo (mob bosses apparently stayed here as well). The Aladdin was remodeled in 1980 and then again 2006. The building closed in the Spring of 2020, but new ownership has plans to reopen the building.

When it opened in 1925, the Aladdin Hotel was the tallest building in Kansas City. The 16-story building was designed by architect Phillip T. Drotts in the Italian Romanesque style, with architectural highlights that included a white limestone facade on the first through third floors with arches and terra cotta detailing, ten-story brick pilasters topped with life-size terra cotta female figures, sets of five arched, recessed windows on the 16th floor, and a pyramidal roof. The Aladdin is architecturally significant but also serves as a reminder of the city's prosperity during the early 20th century when grand hotels helped attract major conventions, a critical part of the local economy, and a source of civic pride. As of August 2022, the hotel is closed but its current owners acquired it in December 2021 and plan to redevelop the historic hotel. The Aladdin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Downtown Hotels in Kansas City, Missouri district, which consists of seven hotels and numerous other structures.

Aladdin Hotel

The process of building the hotel started in 1929 when Charles E. Phillips, president of the hotel company, commissioned the architectural firm of Boillot &amp; Lauck to design the hotel to replace the Glennon Hotel. Hotel Phillips had several modern and elegant features, such as having a radio receiver in every room, which could broadcast music from any of Kansas City's four stations in operation in 1931. Meanwhile, sculptures, paintings, and other artwork could be found in the lobby and dining rooms, and black glass ceilings adorned the lobby to give an impression of space. Several dining rooms operated within the hotel, with the Pioneer Room as its largest. Indeed, the hotel used the Pioneer Room for large dinners and meetings as it could seat 300 people. The dining halls speak to the goal of the hotel's builders, who hoped to attract visitors from the city's successful convention business. Phillips did not own the hotel; he leased it from Louis Oppenstein of the Oppenstein Brothers Firm. The unusually long ninety-nine-year lease ran from January 22, 1929, to January 31, 2021. After Phillips died in 1955, the lease transferred to his three sons, Charles Jr., Robert L., and Richard, followed years later by Robert's two sons. But, the Philips Hotel finally closed in 1971. After the hotel ceased operating, the Oppenstein Firm decided to spend more than a year and a half and $500,000 renovating and remodeling the hotel. In 1976, the Oppenstein Brothers Charitable Foundation gifted the hotel to Rockhurst College. The college continued to provide guest facilities in the hotel and used the facility to host evening courses and seminars. Still, low attendance and occupancy forced the college to sell the property in the fall of 1977. From the 1980s until the present, the hotel has been renovated twice and operated under the umbrella of multiple national hotel chains such as Radisson, Marcus, Wyndham, and, most recently, Hilton.

Established in 1931 by Mr. Charles E. Phillips, a long-time Kansas City hotel and apartment builder, this historic hotell was once the tallest building in town, standing 20 stories high. This was the first hotel in Kansas City to have radios in each guest room. This location had previously been home to the Glennon Hotel which for a short time housed a haberdashery operated by President Harry S. Truman. Today, the hotel honors that history with the historically-themed Truman Suite on the top floor. Full of European-influenced Art Deco opulence, this hotel was the place to see and be seen in the 1930s and helped to propel Kansas City's image. Throughout the years, Hotel Phillips housed many dignitaries and celebrities, from Dwight D. Eisenhower and Tina Turner to The Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, and LeBron James.

Hotel Phillips

The Muehlebach Hotel was constructed in 1915 by local businessman George E. Muehlebach (1881-1955). Son of the famous brewer George Muehlebach (1833-1905), George E. Muehlebach expanded beyond his father’s brewery enterprise and into the real estate business. Under the banner of the Muehlebach Estate Company, he purchased a plot of land on the corner of 12th Street and Baltimore Avenue, at the site of the former First Baptist Church, in 1914. Muehlebach demolished the church and began construction of a 500-room hotel building. The twelve-story building was designed in the Beaux-Arts Classicism style by the Chicago architectural firm of Holabird and Roche. The hotel opened in May 1915 and immediately garnered attention for its level of elegance and luxury. The Muehlebach boasted restaurants, a banquet hall, a ballroom, a tearoom, a music room, a drawing room, and a professional staff with experience in hotels around the world.The hotel flourished over the next several decades and hosted numerous parties, meetings, and other social gatherings both for local and national groups. It attracted a number of celebrities; guests included Babe Ruth, Ernest Hemingway, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Helen Keller, and every U.S. president from Theodore Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter. Harry Truman reportedly spent so much time at the Muehlebach during his administration that it was nicknamed the “White House West.” It was at the hotel’s Presidential Suite that Truman and his staff awaited the results of the 1948 presidential election. Other historic events took place at the Muehlebach as well. In the hotel’s Plantation Grill on December 5, 1922, the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra became the first band to perform regularly over the radio. In March 1938, O. C. Cash met Rupert Hall at the Muehlebach; after discovering that they shared a passion for barbershop quartet singing, they went on to form what is now the international Barbershop Harmony Society.In 1931, prominent local hotel operator Barney Allis became owner and manager of the Muehlebach. His strict management, high expectations, and demand for outstanding quality kept the hotel afloat during the Great Depression and made it one of the most reputable hotels in the world. Under Allis the hotel expanded twice in the 1950s. An eleven-story addition was built to the west of the original building in 1952, followed by an eighteen-story addition, known as the Muehlebach Towers, in 1957. A five-story hotel convention center was also later built in 1965. Allis sold the hotel in 1962 and passed away just months later. The Muehlebach was eventually purchased by Radisson Hotels in 1976 and became its flagship property.After peaking in popularity in the 1950s and 60s, the Muehlebach began to decline in the 1970s and 80s as business shifted away from the downtown portion of Kansas City. Radisson closed the hotel in 1986. It remained vacant until 1996 when it was purchased by Marriott Hotels, which incorporated it into the nearby Kansas City Marriot Downtown hotel. The Muehlebach Towers was demolished in 1998 and replaced with a new hotel tower connected to the original Muehlebach with a sky bridge. Marriott also renovated and restored the hotel’s lobby and public spaces, which it continues to rent out for events. The hotel rooms have remained closed since 1986. In 2018 it was announced that Platform Ventures would be converting the Muehlebach’s hotel rooms into a 117-unit apartment complex at a cost of $26.5 million.

From the time of its construction in 1915 to mid-century, the Muehlebach Hotel was one of the centers of Kansas City social life. The luxurious hotel was built by the son of the city's famous brewer and hosted celebrities, famous athletes, and even presidents and foreign dignitaries. The hotel is also the site of the first band performance to be broadcast over the radio, the birthplace of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and the place where Harry Truman stayed while waiting for the 1948 presidential election results. The Muehlebach, along with several other downtown hotels, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. After closing in 1986, the Muehlebach was acquired by Marriott Hotels and incorporated into the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. In 2018 it was announced that Platform Ventures will convert the historic hotel into an apartment building.

Muehlebach Hotel

As the population of Kansas City rapidly grew in the 1880s, so too did the city’s elite business class. Eventually a group of these local businessmen decided to organize a social club, similar to ones that existed in other major cities. The Kansas City Club was formally incorporated in 1882 with 42 members, including Abia A. Tomlinson, Charles E. Hasbrook, and C. S. Wheeler. Membership, which was fairly restrictive and included an annual fee, quickly increased. To accommodate this growth, the club built a five-story clubhouse on the corner of Twelfth and Wyandotte. Expansion continued, and by the 1910s it was clear that the club would need larger facilities. In 1915, the Kansas City Club purchased property on the northwest corner of Thirteenth and Baltimore for $100,000 for a new clubhouse.Construction on what became known as the Kansas City Club Building first began in 1917. Lack of funding from the club (total costs reportedly reached $2.5 million) coupled with a wartime shortage of building materials slowed progress, and substantial work was delayed until after the end of World War I. Architect Charles A. Smith and the firm of Smith, Rea, and Lovitt were commissioned to design the new building. The fourteen-story building was designed in the Gothic Revival style, and had a steel structure with a brick and limestone exterior with terra cotta ornamentation. The interior was decorated with features such as plaster, carved stone, and hand-hewn walnut wood. The building was completed and opened in 1922. It originally contained a multitude of facilities available for members of the Kansas City Club: guest rooms, meeting rooms, bars, lounges, athletic facilities, a swimming pool, a banquet hall, and a rooftop terrace.The Kansas City Club flourished for several decades following the opening of the clubhouse. Its members included prominent locals such as Tom Pendergast, Robert A. Long, and national figures such as Presidents Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and General Omar Bradley. Membership reached a peak of 2,000 in the 1980s, and then began a precipitous decline, a trend seen in city clubs nationwide. In 2001, with membership below 900, the Kansas City Club merged with the University Club, sold this building, and moved into the University Club’s building at 918 Baltimore Avenue. In 2002, the former clubhouse was converted into an apartment complex called Baltimore Lofts. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Club continued to see declining membership at its new location and eventually shuttered in 2015. That same year, the Kansas City Club Building was purchased by Platform Venture, which renovated some of the building’s facilities into luxury event spaces called the Brass on Baltimore.In 2018, Platform Ventures announced a $59.5 million project to convert the building's apartments into a 144-room hotel. It was part of a larger plan by Platform to redevelop the historic 18th &amp; Vine District into a major commercial and residential center. The new hotel opened in 2020 as the Hotel Kansas City, part of the Hyatt chain. The hotel was designed with a 1920s aesthetic and retained much of the building's original features, such as stained glass windows, murals, chandeliers, and woodworking.

Now home to Hotel Kansas City, this historic structure Gothic Revival-style building served as the headquarters for the prestigious Kansas City Club for nearly 80 years. The Club was first formed in 1882 to provide a place for the city’s business class to socialize. In 1922, the organization celebrated the completion of this building which offered numerous amenities for club members, including guest rooms, meeting spaces, athletic facilities, and a banquet hall. With declining membership reflecting trends in other cities, the club sold the building in 2001, and most of the structure was converted into apartments. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. In 2020, Hyatt Hotels converted the building into Hotel Kansas City, preserving its historic features such as the two-story stained glass mural in the main ballroom crafted by Ronald Neill Dixon.

Kansas City Club Building; Hotel Kansas City

The Kansas City Power &amp; Light Company (originally known as the Kawsmouth Electric Light Company) was established in 1882 when it opened the first electric power plant in Kansas City. The company struggled to compete against multiple rival electric companies in the area in its early years but survived thanks to its work to provide consistent power to the city’s growing system of electric trolley lines. The company began to prosper after building the Northeast Power Station in 1921. Today the KCP&amp;L services over 18,000 square miles in Kansas and Missouri, providing electricity to 800,000 residents. Originally the company’s offices were scattered in various locations around the city. In 1930, KCP&amp;L President Joseph Franklin Porter decided to consolidate all the offices together by building a single company headquarters.The popular architectural firm of Hoit, Price, and Barnes was commissioned to design a building for the KCP&amp;L. The firm was noted for designing multiple structures in Kansas City during the 1920s and 1930s, including the R. A. Long Residence (now the Kansas City Museum) and the Fidelity Nation Bank &amp; Trust Building. Construction of the KCP&amp;L Building began in 1930 and was completed in 1931 by the Swenson Construction Company. It was built in the new Art Deco style that included Indiana limestone and elaborate ornamentation on the exterior. It also notably featured a six-story lantern tower on the top. A series of color-changing copper floodlights illuminated the building at night and gave it the appearance of a flickering candle.At 32 stories and 479 feet tall, the KCP&amp;L Building was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until 1962, when the Space Needle was built in Seattle. It remained the tallest building in Missouri until 1976. KCP&amp;L occupied the first nineteen floors of the building and rented out the remainder to various tenants in the early years. In 1957, the company sold the building but leased thirteen floors for continued use. In 2002, the KCP&amp;L Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.The KCP&amp;L Company left the building for good in 1991 and relocated its headquarters elsewhere. In 2014, the building lost its last tenant, and this was not the only massive building that was vacant prior to downtown's ongoing revival. Soon afterward, NorthPoint Development Co. purchased the building for $10 million, announcing a $70 million project to convert the building into a luxury apartment complex. Renovations were designed by NSPJ Architects and completed in 2016. Now known as Power &amp; Light Apartments, the building includes over 200 apartment units and a plethora of amenities for tenants. The original exterior floodlights were replaced with LED lighting as part of the refurbishments. The old floodlights were refurbished into light fixtures for the Beacon Lounge bar.

The Kansas City Power &amp; Light Building is a leading historic landmark in the city’s Power &amp; Light District. The building was constructed in 1931 and served as the headquarters for the Kansas City Power &amp; Light Company for six decades. The building’s Art Deco style and ornate rooftop lantern quickly made it a Kansas City icon, and to this day, the lantern appears as a symbol within logos for the Power &amp; Light District. KCP&amp;L occupied the first nineteen floors of the building's thirty-six stories when their new headquarters was complete, renting the other half until 1957, when they sold the property and became a tenant. The company continued to rent space here until 1991. In 2014, the KCP&amp;L Building was sold after its last tenant left. The historic office tower underwent refurbishments and reopened in 2016 as a luxury apartment complex. The building was the tallest in Missouri for nearly fifty years and remains the fourth-tallest in the city.

Downtown Kansas City History Walking Tour

Barney Allis Plaza and Fountain

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information