Admin

Before automobiles and air travel were easily accessible by the average American, railroads were the vital routes through which people moved across the country. After the east and west coasts were connected by rail, Kansas City became a hub for both passenger and freight service. Union Station was constructed as an aspirational monument to represent Kansas City to these travelers, and no portion of the building bore more witness to the rise and fall of its fortunes than the Grand Plaza.At the height of rail travel in the United States, Union Station handled 72,000 trains annually with a high-water mark of x in 19xx. During this time, Union Station’s Grand Plaza was as busy as any of our modern airports with a dozen different rail lines delivering people to points all across the country. Soldiers going to two world wars traveled from Union Station to be deployed overseas.  After World War II, productive war-time manufacturing provided innovation in automobiles and air travel, including massive efforts to develop the interstate system. These factors contributed to the decline of rail travel and eventually led to the last passenger train leaving Union Station in 1985 before its current, renovated incarnation. Still, standing in the majesty of the Grand Hall is a humbling experience that makes imagining a different time quite easy.

Rainwater From a Leaky Ceiling Fills the Abandoned Plaza

Website

Saturday Evening Post - The Golden Age of Rail Travel

A Brief History of Railroads in Kansas City

For decades, Union Station’s Grand Plaza was the first and last glimpse of Kansas City travelers saw as they arrived and departed by train. This earned the sprawling room, and the station as a whole, the title of “Kansas City’s Front Porch.” Following the restoration of Union Station, the Grand Plaza has become one of the most sought-after event spaces in town.

Grand Plaza, Union Station

Contributor

My selections from the first 40 picklists/screens.

The Kansas City Public Library system and the school board share a common history, as efforts to construct the first public library were led by Superintendent James Greenwood. The Public School Library of Kansas City was established in 1873 with a small collection on a single bookshelf that included a set of encyclopedias. The first library facility opened in 1889 at 8th and Oak. That simple store-front facility was replaced less than ten years later with a stately building at 9th and Locust that featured a grand rotunda. Constructed at a cost of $200,000, the new library ushered in the turn of the century with several reading rooms and a collection that grew almost as quickly as the city it served.After serving the city for over five decades, it was clear that more space was required than the building at 9th and Locust could offer, and formal plans to build a new library began in 1952. Edward W. Tanner was chosen as the architect for the new structure that would be built at this location. Tanner was already renowned for his work throughout the city, including Linda Hall Library, KU's Danforth Chapel, and parts of Country Club Plaza. His work usually followed traditional patterns, but his design for the new library building marked a break from this pattern as library leaders hoped for a modern design that reflected the optimism of the "Space Age." The $6 million structure was intended to support the needs of both the library and school with a design inspired by Mies van der Rowe and his work on the Modern Movement of architecture. From this point onward, Tanner spent his career exploring a balance between modern and traditional architecture, seeking to blend the two in his future projects.The new structure was completed in 1960. The finished product consisted of eleven stories, the first five of which were occupied by the library, and a two-level basement. The first floor opened in a way that it could be seen from the second story, and balconies from the second story overlooked the bottom level. Levels 1 and 2 were mostly devoted to shelving the hundreds of thousands of books finding their home in the new library. Level 3 combined more shelving with office space, the Art and Music Department on the east side, and the Local History department on the west. Stacks on Level 4 were dedicated to film. Meanwhile, the Board of Education was housed in levels 6 through 10.The Kansas City Library moved out into its current downtown location in 2003. The Board of Education remained in the McGee building until 2016 when they moved to another location on Troost Avenue. After a deal with Drury Hotels failed to go through, real estate agency Copaken Brooks purchased the empty property in 2019. According to director Jon Copaken, while the overall structure was in good shape, the building faced "a host of environmental issues," including major problems with the HVAC system and deteriorating windows. This caused it to be deemed irreparable and slated for demolition. Sadly, it would seem that while the former library was impressive when it was built, it was not meant to last long-term. The architecturally significant building was demolished the following year in cooperation with an area redevelopment proposal. Before the building was torn down, Copaken was involved in operations to save the ceramic tile mosaic, designed by local artist Gabriella Polony, that had lived in the foyer of the old library.

This is the former site of Kansas City's Central Library and the headquarters of the Board of Education, which opened in 1960. Edward Tanner designed the new building for the "Space Age," taking inspiration from the modernist movement in architecture at that time. The multistory building was an important public fixture for the rest of the century until the library moved to the former First National Bank building in 2004. The Board of Education relocated in 2017, and the empty building was marked for demolition due to the cost of maintenance and required updates for ventilation and air conditioning systems. The building was torn down in 2020.

Kansas City Public Library and Board of Education Building (1960-2020)

Residents and visitors should call in advance to make sure that the observation deck is open. After passing through security and asking for directions to the observation deck, visitors will exit the elevator on the 28th floor and then climb the stairs to access the outdoor observation deck. At the time of this article's publication (November 2021) the observation deck has been closed to the public owing to the ongoing global pandemic.

City Hall is 29-stories tall and offers an outdoor observation deck above the top floor that offers panoramic views of Kansas City. The tallest building in the city at the time of its construction, City Hall remains one of the tallest in the city and it is located at one of the highest points of the downtown area. When the observation deck is open, visitors and residents may request the opportunity to enjoy this view without charge.

City Hall Observation Deck

The historic 12th Street Reno Club was once located here near the northeast corner of 12th and Cherry. Today this location is home to a parking lot, but in the 1930s, it was home to the legendary Reno Club where Jazz Greats such as Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Hot Lips Page, and Mary Lou Williams performed. In 1935, Count Basie first performed with the orchestra that would become the world-famous Count Basie Orchestra and in 1936 experimental radio broadcasts took this Kansas City sound worldwide.Count Basie recalled “The Reno was not one of those big fancy places where you go in and go downstairs and all that. It was like a club off the street. But once you got inside, it was a cabaret, with a little bandstand and a little space for a floor show, and with a bar up front, and there was also a little balcony in there. There were also girls available as dancing partners. It was a good place to work. I liked the atmosphere down there. There was always a lot of action because there were at least four other cabarets right there on that same block, and they all had live music and stayed open late.”The Reno Club also had a complicated relationship with the law. The club was owned by the notorious Pendergast family and there was a space behind the club where Pendergast and his associates would meet. The club was also a location for Pendergast associates to deal in drugs and prostitution. As recorded in Nathan Pearsons book, Goin' to Kansas City, John Hammond, the record producer who discovered Basie said of the club, "I'll never forget the first night, I went to the Reno...There was a whorehouse upstairs...and there wasn't enough money for liquor so obviously it would be, everybody grew pot in the backyard in Kansas City. This is how the band was able to exist."In 1939, the Pendergast Era ended, and reforms swept through the city. Many historic jazz venues were shut down or died out without the support of Pendergast associates, including the historic Reno Club, which shut its doors shortly after Pendergast was arrested for tax evasion. Today, the Kansas City jazz tradition of the 1920s and 1930s continues with numerous venues throughout the city. The Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum and Lonnie's Reno Club in the Ambassador Hotel include regular tributes to Count Basie, Charlie Parker, and other musicians who performed here.

Now a parking lot for the Kansas City Police Department, this was the site of one of the 12th Street Reno Club which was operated by Tom Pendergast. One of Kansas City's leading jazz clubs of the 1930s and home to influential bands like the Count Basie Orchestra, this was one of the most successful jazz clubs during the era when Kansas City's jazz scene thrived under the "protection" of the political machine that dominated the city. When "Boss" Tom Pendergast was sent to prison and reform elements took control of Kansas City, the club closed. But starting in 1931, patrons could see jazz legends such as Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Hot Lips Page, and Mary Lou Williams perform. This was also the location of experimental radio broadcasts that shared the unique form of Kansas City jazz with audiences nationwide. Like many other establishments in the city, the Reno Club was segregated, with the main floor being reserved for white patrons while African Americans were seated in the balcony.

12th Street Reno Club (1930s)

The Hall of Fame focuses on those who have significantly contributed to college basketball and compliments the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

In 2006, the NABC honored around 180 players, coaches, and other notable contributors to college basketball by inducting them into the founding class of the Hall of Fame. Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, John Wooden and the family of Dr. James Naismith were selected to represent the first class. Since 2006, over 70 players, coaches, and teams have been inducted into the hall of fame including famous players such as Shaquille O’Neal, “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, and Patrick Ewing.Both the College Basketball Experience and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame have received rave reviews since 2006 and owners say that the response from fans has been overwhelming. The CBE has hosted college basketball players and coaches, and even these “experts” have been impressed by the facility.

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, occupies about one-third of the College Basketball Experience at the Sprint Center. This hall of fame compliments the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame by recognizing coaches, players, and teams that have made significant contributions to college basketball. Visitors can honor college basketball legends and learn about the history of the game by not just observing but by experiencing college basketball for themselves. 

National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

Kansas City's Midland Theatre was built in 1927 by theater chain company Loews Incorporated. Founded by Marcus Loews, the company built and operated theaters in several major cities. At one point it even acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. In 1924, local businessman Herbert M. Woolf approached Loew with a proposal to build an opulent theater in Kansas City modeled after ones in Chicago and New York City. Construction of the theater began in 1926 and was completed only a year later at a cost of $4.5 million.Popular architect Thomas Lamb was commissioned to design the theater, with assistance from Robert Boller. It was built in the Renaissance Revival style and included elements of French and Italian Baroque. The building’s interior in particular was noted for its extravagant décor. It included five million square inches of silver and gold leafing, massive hand-cut Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers, and various artworks. With originally over 4,000 seats, the Midland was the third-largest theater in the United States at the time of its completion. It was also reportedly the first theater with a heating, cooling, and air ventilation system.The Midland Theatre had a lavish grand opening on October 28, 1927, with speeches, an orchestral performance, and a screening of the movie The Road to Romance. The theater originally presented silent films and live shows, but soon upgraded to screen sound films as well. From 1952 to 1971, the headquarters for the NCAA was housed in the building’s office space. After 33 years of operating as a Loew’s theater, the Midland closed in 1961. Months later it was converted into a bowling alley and housed the National Bowling League’s short-lived Kansas City Stars team. After the team and the bowling alley folded, the building was reconverted into a multi-screen movie theater in 1962.After changing hands several times in the early 1960s, the theater was purchased by AMC in 1966. In 1981 it removed the movie screens and the venue began featuring only live shows. In 2008, in conjunction with the development of the Power &amp; Light entertainment district, AMC oversaw a $28 million dollar renovation of the Midland Theatre. The refurbishment included the restoration of many historic elements, the remodeling of seating to create a space for tables or standing room, and the addition of several bars and lounges. In 2012 AMC ended its association with the Midland after closing its Kansas City headquarters. The following year Arvest Bank purchased the naming rights to the theater, which was renamed the Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. It continues to host a number of concerts, plays, ballets, and other live performances.

The Midland Theatre is a historic entertainment venue in the Power &amp; Light District of Kansas City. It first opened in 1927 as Loew’s Midland Theater; at the time it was the third-largest theater in the United States. It became well known for its opulent interior, which included features such as gold leafing, hand-cut crystal chandeliers, and other ornamentations. After the original theatre closed in 1961, it was acquired and operated by AMC for a number of years. It underwent extensive renovations and restorations in 2008. Today the theatre is sponsored by Arvest Bank, and is formally known as the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. It hosts a number of live shows and performances throughout the year. The theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

The Midland Theatre

This past exhibit, titled Harry S. Truman: Kansas City’s Commander in Chief, was created in partnership with the Truman Presidential Library and Museum. The show ran from September 6 - October 25, 2019, during the institution's major remodel project.

This past exhibit, titled Harry S. Truman: Kansas City’s Commander in Chief, was created in partnership with the Truman Presidential Library and Museum. The show ran from September 6 - October 25, 2019.On April 12, 1945, Missouri-born Vice President Harry S. Truman unexpectedly became president in the final months of World War II. President Truman went on to lead our nation through eight of the most explosive years in history—establishing postwar peace, desegregating the military, recognizing the state of Israel, and entering the Korean War. Harry S. Truman: Kansas City’s Commander in Chief explores the challenges Truman faced, the decisions he made to shape our democracy, and the milestones that sealed his place in history as one of our nation’s greatest Presidents. Discover Truman’s life in Kansas City through photographs, documents, and a downtown walking tour, and preview the renovations currently underway at the Truman Presidential Library and Museum.

Harry S. Truman: Kansas City’s Commander in Chief (Sept.6  - Oct. 25, 2019)

Hi there. I’m Nathaniel, and I’m thrilled to get to be your guide through Quality Hill, the oldest residential neighborhood in Kansas City. The journey you’re about to take is not a straight line. It will bounce around, between the 19th century and the 21st, as it attempts to trace a weary line through the city’s past. The winding is intentional. As much as Kansas City is its own unique place, with its own particular history, it also is not. KC is a bellwether, and a rearguard, and a rough reflection, mirroring the twists and turns that America has made over the last 200 odd years of revolution and retreat. A quick bit of house-keeping before we begin. First, you’ll be walking for most of this 40 minute tour, and you’ll have about a 20-minute walk back afterwards. So if you don’t have something to drink with you, it may be worth hopping to the coffee shop in the Library to buy something. Okay. Back to the tour.Let’s open with a question. Why is Kansas City located where it is? Why is it here? The short answer is that you’re standing towards the end of a highway of sorts. This is the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, near the end of the line for major westward river traffic this side of the Mississippi. Which meant it was the jumping off point for both the Oregon &amp; Santa Fe trails. When there’s no more water, you gotta hoof it. Later on, the first railroad crossing for the Missouri River was located here, and eventually it became the westernmost industrial outpost ahead of the great grass seas of the high plains. In other words, Kansas City saw a lot of through traffic. Its rapid expansion is represented in the way the city looks today. At points beautiful, and in other places barren. The logical and practical set beside the absurd and the bizarre. A lot like America as a whole. Let’s set off. With 10th street on your right, walk up the sidewalk, away from Main Street. Westward-ho!As you walk, look across the street to the beautiful building of columns and limestone.This is the Kansas City Public Library’s Central Branch. Restored and remodeled in 2004 from the old bones of the First National Bank Building. It’s a relic of the gilded age, and the architectural grandeur, some might even say hubris, that marked that period in American history. It’s also an oddity, a hybrid, a 20 year old building stacked on top of a 100 year old building. While the front reflects the grandiose neo classical style of the gilded age, the top two floors are a modern hodgepodge of hard right angles and passive solar design. It’s a fitting monument to the confused American ethic, with one foot in the past and the other always pressing towards the future.

Introduction: Library District & Quality Hill

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

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

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.

Kansas City Power and Light Building

The bank lobby once included two "nests" for snipers who stood guard whenever the bank was open to prevent theft. While First National was never robbed, there is a bullet hole in the glass on 3 South that is believed to been caused by a shootout across the street at what was the New England Bank Building.

Based on 20th-century reading rooms, the room has a 34-foot-high glass skylight ceiling, mahogany paneling, and custom reading lamps. To construct the Reading Room, a hole was cut from the fourth level slab, and steel girders running east to west were removed. The girders were each 30 inches tall and 30 feet long and weighed 18,000 pounds. They were cut into thirds for easier removal by cranes.

Effie Mae Winders Kauffman Grand Reading Room

The Missouri Valley Special Collections was established in 1960. The department’s namesake, the Missouri Valley Historical Society, existed from 1913 to 1940 as an organization of citizens devoted to preserving Kansas City’s history. The Society’s first president was lumber magnate John Barber White. His personal papers and library of more than 5,000 history and genealogy books were donated to the Library in 1933 and later incorporated into the Missouri Valley Special Collections, as were records of the historical society.Also among the MVSC’s notable acquired collections: more than 15,000 prints and negatives from local photographer Brookings Montgomery; the Ramos Collection, comprised of books and records on African American history and culture, formerly housed in the Lincoln High School Branch Library; and the postcard collection of Mrs. Sam Ray, an avid collector who donated her personal collection of more than 16,000 postcards in 1996.The original Missouri Valley Room was located on the third floor of the old Main Library at 12th and McGee streets. The research room featured an expansive mural by local artist Daniel MacMorris depicting significant events in the city’s early history. Additionally, an original 1855 map of Westport, Missouri, drawn by Kansas City’s first city engineer, Charles C. Spalding, was dedicated and put on display in 1989. The Library acquired the map from the Daughters of Old Westport, who also funded its restoration and framing.When the Central Library relocated to the historic First National Bank building at 10th and Baltimore in 2004, a new Missouri Valley Room opened on the fifth floor. The space was dedicated to the memory of Dr. William Stone Woods (1840-1917), chairman of the National Bank of Commerce (now Commerce Bank) and a major benefactor to many regional causes including William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri.A portrait of Woods is displayed on the east wall near the entrance. Spalding’s 1855 Westport map is featured prominently on the west side of the room. Other items of interest include a lithographic print of the 1887 National Agricultural Exposition in Kansas City, a replica of the “Corps of Discovery” sculpture, which honors the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806). The original sculpture by Eugene Daub was dedicated in 2000 in Kansas City’s West Terrace Park. Most of the special collections are housed in the closed stacks area on the north end of the Missouri Valley Room. Glass panels allow for a peek into the stacks and a view of large panoramic photographs printed on the ends of the compact shelving. This image, of an original held by the Library of Congress, shows the intersection of West 10th Street and Baltimore Avenue around 1909, including the First National Bank building (now the Central Library) on the northeast corner.Visitors to the Missouri Valley Room are welcome to peruse the browsing collections or request archival materials from the closed stacks. Front desk staff are available to assist with research requests and answer questions about the room.

Located on the fifth floor of the Central Library, the Missouri Valley Special Collections serves as the history arm and archives of the Kansas City Public Library. The department’s mission is to acquire and preserve materials documenting the history of Kansas City and the surrounding region and make them accessible to researchers and others in the general public. Thousands of books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, postcards, and other records comprise the Special Collections. Core collections focus on topics such as Kansas City’s built environment and social history, African American history and culture, Native Americans and the American West, and the Civil War on the western Missouri border. These materials are accessible to researchers in the Missouri Valley Room, which features an extensive local history browsing collection, a hand-drawn 1855 map of Westport, Missouri, and other displayed art and artifacts.

Missouri Valley Special Collections and Missouri Valley Room

The Community Bookshelf installation on the south wall of the Central Library parking garage has become a signature attraction of downtown’s Library District. The garage was completed in 2004 and occupies the block of West Ninth Street between Baltimore Avenue and Wyandotte Street. A mural of 22 oversize book spines, standing 25 feet high, adorns the front of the garage. It is called the Community Bookshelf because community members were encouraged to recommend some of their favorite titles for inclusion. From those submissions, the Library’s Board of Trustees made the final selections.Many of the chosen books were uniquely Kansas City-themed, such as Tom’s Town by William M. Reddig and Carrie Westlake Whitney’s Kansas City, Missouri: Its History and Its People, 1808-1908. Other notable works include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel García Márquez, and Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Children’s classics by authors such as Margaret Wise Brown, Dr. Seuss, and Laura Ingalls Wilder are also represented.Dimensional Innovations of Overland Park, Kansas, created the book spine graphics by using digital imaging software to alter scans of rare volumes and printing the images on signboard mylar. The design earned the company first place for unique signs in the 2006 International Sign Contest. Because of the Community Bookshelf’s striking design, the garage is frequently confused as the actual Library and is found on lists of the area’s most interesting structures.The east and west sides of the garage also feature artwork. Over the east entrance is an enlarged version of Bob Price Holloway’s The Kansas City Connection, which features depictions of famous local figures – among them Walt Disney, who lived in the city and opened his first animation studio at 1127 E. 31st Street.On the west side of the garage are two postcard images that have been enlarged and printed on screens. The views show the surrounding Library District in the early 1900s, when it was a bustling downtown center.The site of the Library parking garage was once home to the Sam S. Shubert Theater. Constructed in 1906 and designed by Chicago architect Charles E. Fox, the theater boasted a fireproof design and a seating capacity of 1,625. The venue attracted notable performers of the period, including comedian and actor Eddie Foy, who appeared in the Shubert’s opening night show “The Earl and the Girl.”The Shubert brothers—Samuel S., Jacob J., and Lee—created a theatrical empire during the first half of the 20th century, producing more than 600 plays, revues, and musicals and booking roughly 1,000 shows in theaters throughout the U.S. However, Kansas City’s Shubert Theater struggled through the Great Depression as live performances fell out of fashion with a public that more frequently turned to motion pictures and radio for entertainment. It closed after the 1935 season and was demolished the following year to make room for a two-story parking garage.The property was purchased by First National Bank in the 1950s. Along with the bank building, it was sold to the Library in 2000.

The Community Bookshelf installation spanning the south façade of the Central Library parking garage has become a frequently photographed downtown landmark. Standing 2½ stories high, it depicts 22 towering book spines that bear the names of 42 classic titles suggested by the public. Another art installation on the east side of the garage, The Kansas City Connection by local artist Bob Price Holloway, features notable figures in the city’s history. In the early 20th century, the garage location on West Ninth Street was home to the Sam S. Shubert Theater, which operated from 1906-1935. It was razed in 1936 to make way for a parking structure.

Community Bookshelf/Parking Garage

David Woods Kemper was born in 1919 to James Sr. and Gladys Woods Kemper. The Kempers were a very prominent and influential banking family in the Kansas City and St. Louis area; for decades they have led Commerce Bancshares Inc. and its subsidiary Commerce Bank of Kansas City. Today they are still active in both the banking industry and philanthropy. David attended school at both Harvard and Stanford before enlisting in the Army in 1942. He was sent overseas to Italy where he eventually became a platoon leader with the rank of lieutenant. David was killed on April 25, 1945 just days before the end of the Second World War in Europe. In 1946 David’s father James Kemper Sr. and his brother James Kemper Jr. founded the David Woods Kemper Memorial Foundation in his honor. It has awarded grants to many organizations and projects in Kansas City. In 2016 James Kemper Jr. established a second group, the David Woods Kemper Veterans Foundation, to provide financial support for veterans’ organizations in Kansas and Missouri.In 1962 David’s family commissioned a sculpture and fountain in his honor. The David Woods Kemper Memorial Fountain, more commonly known as the Muse of Missouri, was designed and sculpted by artist Wheeler Williams. It is meant to depict a Greek goddess known as a muse guiding the Missouri River. In Greek mythology, a muse was a female deity that provided inspiration and presided over arts and sciences. The fountain consists of 200 water spouts; rising above it is a nude statue of the goddess wielding a fishing net and surrounded by fish. Williams originally wanted to incorporate native Missouri River fish into the sculpture, such as carp and catfish, but he found them to be too ugly. Instead he created a carp and bluefish hybrid for the sculpture.The Muse of Missouri was dedicated and presented to the citizens of Kansas City on December 2, 1962. It is located on the median of 8th and 9th Street on Main Street. Maintenance of the fountain is handled by the City of Fountains Foundation, which holds an endowment for its upkeep. The Foundation is a non-profit group dedicated to conserving historic fountains and sculptures in Kansas City. The fountain and sculpture underwent an extensive restoration in 2005.

Also known as the David Woods Kemper Memorial, the Muse of the Missouri sculpture and fountain was dedicated in 1962 to the memory of David Woods Kemper, who was killed in action during World War II in Italy. It was a gift to the city by his parents Mr. and Mrs. James Kemper. Artist Wheeler Williams created the sculpture and designed the fountains. The sculpture depicts a muse, a Greek goddess of arts and sciences, with a fishing net from which fish fall to the the pool below. The water fountain consists of three pools that are filled by two hundred water spouts.

Muse of the Missouri

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.

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.

Barney Allis Plaza and Fountain

The first convention hall in Kansas City was built and opened in February 1899. It was a grand building intended to represent the city's growth and host national events, but soon after its completion, the structure burned to the ground in April 1900. Just months later, a replacement hall was constructed in time for the city to host the Democratic National Convention. It soon became clear that this structure would not be large enough to suit the city’s needs, but voters rejected bonds to build a new one several times over the following years. In the early 1930s, a Ten Year Plan was proposed to construct a series of public facilities in an effort to revive the city’s ailing fortunes during the Great Depression. The plan would provide jobs to many unemployed workers and create new buildings, including a municipal auditorium, city hall, and a county courthouse, to modernize the city and propel it forward. Much of the planning and support for the project was organized by the local political machine of Tom Pendergast. A $40 million bond for the Ten Year Plan was passed overwhelmingly in a special election in 1931.The Municipal Auditorium was the first building to be constructed under the Ten Year Plan, and work began almost immediately after the bond was passed. Originally scheduled to be built in one year, the auditorium took six years to build and was $2 million over its $4.5 million budget. Two separate architectural firms were commissioned to design the Municipal Auditorium. The firm of Gentry, Voskamp &amp; Neville handled the overall structure of the facility, while the firm of Hoit, Price, and Barnes designed the heating, air conditioning, and ventilation infrastructure. The auditorium was created in what is now known as the Streamline Moderne style of Art Deco architecture. The eleven-story structure was made primarily with limestone and stretched as wide as a city block. The Municipal Auditorium consists of four venues; a 10,000-seat arena, an exhibition hall, a music hall, and a little theater for smaller events. The exterior features decorations such as medallions, friezes, and flag poles.Municipal Auditorium was formally dedicated in a ceremony on October 13, 1936, with President Franklin Roosevelt delivering the keynote address. Over the years it has hosted countless sporting events, concerts, speeches, rallies, dances, plays, meetings, and trade shows. Basketball games have notably been one of the most popular events at the Municipal. The arena hosted nine NCAA basketball championship games, and today it hosts both the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association tournament as well as the NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball National Tournament. It is currently home to teams such as the UMKC Kangaroos, the Kansas City Roller Warriors, and the Kansas City Tornados. In September 1961, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech at Municipal Auditorium to the attendees of the national meeting of the National Baptist Convention. The following year, King addressed a crowd of eight thousand at the Festival of Faith. Both speeches focussed largely on faith and religion, but in each address, King also denounced racial discrimination as incompatible with Christianity. In recent years the Municipal Auditorium has undergone renovations twice, in 2007 and 2013. The changes include electrical upgrades, new seating, more ADA accessibility, and increased stage room.

The Municipal Auditorium, nicknamed the Municipal, is a historic event center in Kansas City. The Art Deco structure was built in the 1930s as part of a Ten Year Plan to revive the city’s economy with construction jobs and new public buildings. Over the decades it has hosted many community and national events, including national basketball championship games and two speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, the historic structure is part of the overall Kansas City Convention Center Complex.

Kansas City Municipal Auditorium

<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

That’s certainly how it often seemed to the figure seated before you; Missouri’s own native son, and as fine a writer as this nation has ever produced. Mr. Samuel Langhorn Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Let’s pause next to him for a moment. While Twain is best known for his books about children, Tom Sawyer, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in particular, the breadth of his opinion of America was decidedly un-childlike. A tireless critic of our national hubris and its consequent folly, he spent his later years increasingly befuddled, ultimately settling in on a point of view that has never gained much traction in the American personality. Pessimism. Twain, for all his travels and experiences and successes, found himself ultimately confounded by America and Americans. All while being one of its most celebrated sons. His scorn didn’t stop at the water’s edge however; he was always careful to extend his ominous view of human nature to the whole of the species. But he couldn’t help but be hardest on his fellow countrymen, likely out of a familial sense of comradely love. “Why,” he seemed to ask over and over again, “do American’s always learn things the hard way, but then forget the lesson? Why, after all our history has taught us about ourselves, are we so quick to forget? And forget again. And again. And again. And again.” Optimism. It’s that damned American optimism. Just as likely to tell you a bad thing is good as a good thing is bad. Let’s keep heading west. Up ahead on the corner is the Coates Hotel, and the story it tells is one that encapsulates those bizarre American contradictions so well. Cross Central street, and we’ll walk along 10th for a block.The hotel is across the street at the end of the block. Red bricks with dark green window accents. This is the second iteration of the Coates Hotel, the first lost to progress. Of course. At its heyday it was a prestigious meeting place for the political and business elite in town. Theodore Roosevelt once stayed here. As did Grover Cleveland. The man who built the hotel, Kersey Coates, was a moral savior of sorts in Kansas City’s history, a self appointed praetorian in service of emancipation. Before Kansas City was Kansas City, it was the town of Kansas, and the westernmost reach of what was called “little dixie”. Little Dixie was a slave expansion project, an attempt to extend the South’s hegemony both North and West by settlers into the Missouri Territory. Throughout the early part of the 19th century, Little Dixie spread like a red smear across the center of Missouri, and southern sympathies were strong in the town at the outbreak of the Civil War, due in no small part to the vicious border war waged by Quantrill’s raiders and the righteous abolitionist Jayhawkers of Kansas.

The Mark Twain Scupture

After years of careful planning and development, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened in September of 2011. The initial idea for this center began with Muriel Kauffman in 1994. After Muriel Kaufman passed away the following year, her daughter, Julia Irene Kauffman, decided to see her late mother's project through completion. The latter years of the 1990s were filled with initial planning and feasibility studies to ensure that the Performing Arts Center could be completed. In 2000, architect Moshe Safdie was selected for the design of the Center. Additionally, Richard Pilbrow was selected as a partner to design the theater within the Center while Yasu Toyota was selected as a partner to focus on acoustics within the Center. By 2002, Safdie presented his finalized plan for the Center to leaders within Kansas City. In 2006, 13-acres of land in the downtown area was secured for the project. Leaders hoped the positioning of the Center would help renew the area and spark a cultural landscape around the Center in the years after its opening. Construction began on October 6, 2006, and the grand opening was in September of 2011. The Center continues to serve as a cultural beacon in Kansas City, with diverse audiences from all over the country attending performances by many different performing arts groups, including the Kansas City Ballet, the Kansas City Symphony, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.Muriel McBrien Kauffman, the visionary behind the Kauffman Center, was a civic leader and philanthropist in Kansas City. Muriel Kaufman married pharmaceutical entrepreneur Ewing Kauffman in 1962. The couple worked together on numerous philanthropic ventures during their lives and are memorialized by several other Kansas City institutions that bear their name along with a statue outside the Kaufman Foundation headquarters. The couple worked together on numerous projects, including the work to bring Kansas City a Major League Franchise in 1969, and there is also a statue of the couple together in the outfield of Kaufman Stadium.In addition to her work with her husband, Muriel Kaufman led numerous community projects on her own, including efforts to support preservation and accessibility to the arts. Her passion for the arts led to the construction of this facility and the creation of the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation in 1987.The Foundation has a mission to:<blockquote>Support organizations and programs that enhance the quality and accessibility of the arts in the greater Kansas City community.3</blockquote>The Muriel McBrien Kaufmann Foundation provides funding to many organizations dedicated to the arts in the Kansas City metro, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kansas City Arts Institute, and the UMKC Conservatory of Music, among others. The Foundation also provided $80 million for the development of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and continues to provide funding to the Center to continue to promote affordable access to the arts and art education. While Muriel Kaufman passed away in March of 1995, her daughter, Julia Irene Kauffman, oversaw the effort to build this structure and still serves as the Chairman and CEO of the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation which works to preserve her mother's legacy while continuing to provide the community with access to both performing and visual arts.

The performance home of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Kansas City Ballet, this 1800-seat theater was designed to mirror the audience experience of the world's finest opera houses and hosts numerous touring performances each year. Kansas City philanthropist Muriel McBrien Kauffman began the effort that would culminate in the 2011 dedication of this performing arts center in 1994. Today, the Kaufman Center serves as the home of the Kansas City Ballet and the Kansas City Symphony while also hosting special events throughout the year. The Kauffman Center is also home to Helzberg Hall, which is home to the Kansas City Symphony. In addition to this performing arts center, Muriel Kauffman is remembered for her many years of service to the community through many philanthropic endeavors, and her legacy continues today through the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation which supports the arts in the Kansas City area.

Muriel Kauffman Theatre; Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Frenchmen mainly coming from Canada first began settling the area of modern day Kansas City in 1799 with the village of Chez les Canses. There were about two dozen families in this initial move, numbering a few hundred people. One of the initial families to move there was the Prudhomme family led by Gabriel Prudhomme who became somewhat of an unofficial leader of the group. At first this area was a true frontier and the settlers took time to tame the landscape for farming and building. Around 1820, more French speaking settlers began showing up in the area by coming up the Missouri River from St. Louis. This group was led by Francois Chouteau and his brothers who were seeking to expand their family business to the west.The Chouteau’s were a very prominent fur trading family in St. Louis. Francois’s father Jean-Pierre and his brother Auguste Chouteau arrived at St. Louis in 1765 and quickly established themselves as the dominant name in the local fur trade. Francois Chouteau built several trade posts along the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, but the eventual long term one was built on the north bank of the Missouri a few miles east of Chez les Canses. Many inhabitants of the Chez les Canses village actively participated in the fur trade, and often spent months away from home on trapping and trading missions, leaving their wife and children to care for the family’s land. Gabriel Prudhomme was one such man from the village who made a small fortune plying his craft in the fur trade. In 1831 he used this money to purchase 257 acres of land in between the village and the trading post. This land consisted of land south of the Missouri River and east of the Kansas River all the way down to modern day Independence. On this land, Prudhomme owned and operated several businesses including a tavern and general store. This area served as an early communal square for the inhabitants of Chez les Canses and the Chouteau Trading Post. Gabriel Prudhomme’s time in the town was short lived though as he was killed in a brawl shortly after his purchase of the land. Prudhomme’s land continued to be used communally and was later made the initial property boundaries of Kansas City when it was first platted as a town in 1846.The text of this historical marker reads as follows:<blockquote>Like New Orleans' "Vieux Carre," Kansas City's old market square and its surrounding Old Town streets in River Quay are oriented on the bias to the river in the Old World fashion, rather than on the strict east-west Yankee survey. That is because when Francois Chouteau, the French-speaking founder of what is now Kansas City, first laid out his trading post and adjoining trails in 1821, the Missouri river was his superhighway to St. Louis and to the Northwest hinterland. The scattered French settlers who first permanently occupied Kansas City, around 1799, together with those who came with the Chouteau's in the early 1800s, maintained fields extending from the west (on Quality Hill) and up the hill from their cabins located eastward down along the Missouri. These tracts backed up to this open area, which formed a sort of "common fields." Unlike St. Louis, it was not fenced, and was not formally maintained. All this open area and adjacent land (114 acres) was claimed by an enterprising French grocer, farmer and tavern owner, Gabriel Prudhomme (from whom a number of Kansas Citians are descended), and he was given a patent to the land. Prudhomme, who showed much promise, was not destined to develop Kansas City, however. In 1831 he was "shot in a free fight by some fellow Canadians. It was a fierce brawl. When the fight was over there were many wounds and much blood spilt, and Prudhomme lay on the ground, still and dead." Thus it was that on the widow Prudhomme's land the "Town of Kansas" was platted in 1846 and, since the old residents, both French and American, probably had some informal community claim to the general area where the Market Square now stands, it is not surprising that it was dedicated as the square or village green of the new town.</blockquote>

Prior to the bustling city following the construction of the stockyards and railroads, this site near the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers was a hub for commerce and trade. Located between the original French village of Chez les Canses and Francois Chouteau's Trading Post, this location was once the center of Gabriel Prudhomme's land, who was an early resident of the Kansas City area. Prudhomme owned and operated some of the first businesses in the Square, including a tavern and general store. Little remains of the original structures of Kansas City's original marketplace as they were subject to many floods over the years. City Market continues to offer an array of merchants, eclectic shops, and dining.

Kansas City's Old Square Historical Marker

The Steamboat Arabia was a side-wheel steamer crafted by boat-builders in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, centered around the boatyard of John S. Pringle in 1853. The vessel measured 171 feet long and was capable of carrying 222 tons of cargo. The side-mounted 28-foot-tall paddlewheels could push the steamboat upstream at a speed of over five miles per hour. The Arabia was considered a dependable vessel and soon gained a reputation for speed, safety, and comfort. Arabia traveled the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers before being purchased for $20,000 by Captain John Shaw of St. Charles, Missouri, in February 1855. Her first trip on the Missouri took her to Ft. Pierre, South Dakota, with 109 soldiers from Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. In the spring of 1856, the Arabia was sold to Captain William Terrill and George Boyd, both of St. Louis. During the 1856 season, the Arabia made at least fourteen trips on the Missouri River. During this time, the Arabia served many recent converts of the Mormon church who were seeking transportation to the West. During the spring and summer seasons, Mormon Pioneer Handcart Companies crossed the Plains with converts from England, France and Scandinavia. River transportation aboard the Arabia made part of the trek much easier and faster for these religious pioneers.  Navigating the Missouri River was a difficult and dangerous business. A variety of perils awaited the steamboat pilot as he carefully guided his craft along the river’s uncertain course. The most treacherous of the many river hazards were fallen trees lying hidden from sight just under the river’s surface. These “snags” crippled and sank hundreds of steamboats, some even on their first trip up the river.  Of the estimated 400 steamboats lost to the river, about 300 were “snagged.” The Arabia was one of those victims.On September 5, 1856, Arabia's oak hull was pierced by a trunk of a fallen walnut tree embedded in the mud. The impact was tremendous, catapulting the bow from the water and throwing many of the shaken passengers to the floor. As the Arabia’s timbers gave way, the log was thrust into the heart of the boat. Water poured through the gaping hole, and the Arabia began quickly sinking.Within minutes, much of the boat and virtually all 200 tons of valuable frontier cargo lay at the bottom of the Missouri River. Fortunately for those aboard, the upper cabins of the Arabia remained above water for a time. The frightened passengers and crew nervously waited for the steamer’s single rowboat to ferry them and their precious few recovered belongings to the safety of the riverbank. All aboard were saved except for a solitary, forgotten mule that remained behind, tied to a piece of sawmill equipment on the deck.  The river bottom was soft, and the boat and cargo sank quickly into the mud and silt. The next morning, only the smokestacks and the top of the pilothouse remained visible. Even these disappeared in a few days, swept away by the tremendous force of the river.Notorious for its shifting channel, the Missouri River cut a new path and moved east, leaving the spot where the Arabia sank to no longer be in the river but rather lying deep beneath a Kansas farm field. Rumored to be filled with whiskey and gold when it sank, the Arabia drew the attention of treasure hunters and failed salvage attempts for many years.Using a metal detector, weathered maps, and old newspaper clippings to guide the search, David Hawley located the wreck in July 1987. Years of erosion and shifting sand left the lost steamer 45 feet underground and a half-mile from the present channel of the Missouri River. Hawley and his family worked to excavate the ship and uncovered thousands of well-preserved artifacts from the cargo. The lack of sunlight and oxygen was credited with preventing significant deterioration. Items included clothing, dishware, tools, and food. It proved to be one of the largest known collections of pre-Civil War artifacts and provided valuable insight into the daily lives of settlers during the 1850s.In 1991, the Arabia Steamboat Museum opened in Kansas City to house the excavated collection. Thousands of artifacts from the ship are on display, while an additional sixty tons of materials are still being cleaned by conservationists for future exhibitions.

The packet steamboat Arabia sank in the Missouri River near Kansas City on September 5, 1856, taking down 200 tons of valuable cargo with it. The ship carried many Mormon settlers traveling westward, so the cargo included many everyday items that they would have used after establishing homes. After its sinking, the Arabia vanished; the changing currents of the Missouri River buried it in mud and silt. In 1988, the ship was discovered buried 45 feet underneath a corn field, and half a mile from the present course of the river. The excavation that followed found well-preserved clothes, tools, guns, dishware and other artifacts. The Arabia Steamboat Museum opened in 1991 to preserve and display these items to illustrate 1850s settler life. The museum also includes a recreation of the historic steamboat, displays about river transportation, and the early history of Kansas City.

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Up we go. Just follow the stairs to the top.And depending on the time of year, we may get to enjoy one of Kansas City’s true and unique delights: the fountain. As you ascend this switchback staircase, please note the calming, soothing ripples of water falling down the wall. The city’s interest in fountains rose out the City Beautiful movement, during the turn of the last century. It was a rare time in which aesthetic interests overtook functional concerns, and beauty became a core tenet of the city fathers and mothers. For whatever reason, this aesthetic stuck. All throughout Kansas City you can find fountains at intersections, within parks, at corners and even adorning centrally planned shopping centers, such as the plaza. It is a point of pride for the city, and one that has endured irrespective of the whims of commerce. Today Kansas City is proudly known as the city of fountains. Yet, while the wealthy pursued movements like the City Beautiful, for the rest of America the period between the rise of the railroad conglomerates and the First World War was one of mass civil unrest. Militant labor unions began forcefully pushing back against the capitalist class in the form of labor strikes. Kansas City saw its fair share of the action, and the garment district was often ground zero for that action. The first major garment worker strike was borne of desperation, at a time when factory working conditions were so bleak that militancy was less a question of dignity and more a question of survival. Follow the stairs to the top.

The City (Beautiful) of Fountains

Though political machines sometimes produced beneficial results for cities, they routinely came at the expense of corruption, heightened racial and ethnic tensions, and poorer civic services (because jobs went to people as political rewards instead of those best qualified). From the Civil War to the Great Depression, patronage machines ruled multiple large cities, including Kansas City. In addition to the Pendergast machine, famous political machines include those of William M. Tweed in New York, James M. Curley in Boston, and Richard J. Daley in Chicago.The Pendergrast machine in Kansas City started with Thomas' brother, James, who built a political network with revenue from saloons, gambling, and brothels. Thomas' and James' parents, Michael and Mary Reidy Pendergast, immigrated to the U.S. from Tipperary, Ireland, to Ohio, and then moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1859. Michael Pendergast enjoyed a longtime membership with the Teamsters, as did many of his children. James moved to Kansas City in 1876 at roughly twenty years old. James first worked as a laborer, working ten to twelve-hour shifts, six days a week. He took some of his wages and gambling winnings to purchase the American House in 1881, a saloon, boarding house, and hotel. The establishment sat in the West Bottoms neighborhood, known for its rampant drinking, gambling, and prostitution, a vice lifestyle Pendergast's American House helped foster. From 1884 to 1892, James opened a second saloon while also working his way up the local political ladder, from ward delegate to Alderman, learning how to turn favors into political influence along the way. In 1894, Thomas (the youngest of nine children) joined the family business in Kansas City, became a Teamster like his dad, and learned from Jim the ins and outs of grassroots politics. James served nine terms as an alderman on the city council before dying in 1911, ostensibly leaving the machine he built in the hands of his younger brother. After James' death, Thomas served as an alderman for a brief period before becoming chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Party. As head of the party machine, he exerted immense influence to win elections for hand-picked candidates and provided innumerable government jobs to political supporters. As Chairmen, he gained tremendous support from the working class because he successfully funneled millions of federal dollars to Kansas City during the Great Depression, and his patronage and leverage over the police allowed illegal gambling, prostitution, and liquor sales to thrive during Prohibition.Where Jim would buy votes through favoritism in the form of jobs, food, and fuel, Tom manipulated elections. The Pendergast Machine consisted of an army of block captains, precinct captains and ward captains, for whom positions were political payments for favors done for the Machine. As a result, one Pendergast-appointed captain existed for every five voters. Additionally, Tom padded the voting ballots by using the names off the headstones of loyal yet dead democrats, known as the "ghost vote." By 1918, the Pendergast machine arranged for polling places to be staffed by election officials dedicated to Pendergast and guarded by thugs and ruffians. In one instance, Pendergast's Goat-Democratic-controlled police refused to intercede when a voter was beaten unconscious and bloodied during an election for the U.S. Congress involving Albert L. Reeves; Reeves suffered a resounding defeat.Voter fraud was merely part of Boss Toms' political power and manipulation. Tom threatened to hand code and license violations to any First Ward saloon that refused to buy liquor from his newly created T. J. Pendergast Wholesale Liquor Company. In addition, Tom arranged for the Ross Construction Company, owned by one of his ward captains, Michael Ross, to acquire lucrative city and county road paving contracts. Pendergast also operated as a silent partner in the company that disposed of the city's garbage. Moreover, he benefitted by contributing to Kansas City's Ten Year Plan in 1930, which involved building downtown skyscrapers and several miles of city and county roads, mainly with Pendergast Ready-Mix concrete. Furthermore, Pendergast worked with his puppet city manager, Henry McElroy, to take federal funds obtained via the Works Progress Administration and use them to award financially rewarding contracts to and hire loyal city employees, who provided kickbacks to Pendergast's bookkeeper.The historic headquarters played an integral role in the Pendergast machine. Tom Pendergast had the office constructed in the headquarters building, which could be accessed via a pathway to the second floor of his nextdoor Monroe Hotel. So, one could access the Jackson County Democratic Club in secret by entering the hotel instead of the headquarters building. But, not everyone arrived in secret. Pendergast held morning meetings three days a week with everyone from the unemployed and homeless to vendors and small-town politicians seeking favors. Pendergrast routinely paid for medical bills of those dealing with financial issues, provided aid to jobless citizens, or paid fines for those struggling. While on its face, the act seemed selfless, Pendergast said of providing help: "They vote for the fellow who gives it to them…We never ask them about their politics. We know pretty well how they will vote after we help them."By the early 1930s, Pendergast controlled the police, and his machine reached as high as the state and federal governments. Much like a mob operation, the machine growth resulted in more money gained from shady deals, fraudulent contracts, as well as gambling, prostitution, and bootleg liquor; every establishment provided a cut of their profits to either the police or Pendergast's enforcers. However, as the 1930s progressed, it became impossible for Pendergast and his machine to hide their rampant corruption and fraud. Activists, political enemies, journalists, women's groups, and even an influential Rabbi spoke out about Pendergast's corruption. But Pendergast's biggest mistakes came within the world of politics. In 1932, he pledged delegates to an ally James A. Reed, a former mayor and Missouri Senator, instead of Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) at the Democratic Convention. Roosevelt retaliated by appointing Maurice Milligan, a Pendergast adversary, to the position of U.S. District Attorney for Western Missouri. Pendergast tried to appease Roosevelt by sending a 'New Dealer' to the Senate: Harry S Truman. When Harry departed for Washington D.C., Pendergast instructed him to "work hard, keep your mouth shut, and answer your mail."  Pendergast also backed Lloyd C. Stark in the 1936 Missouri gubernatorial race, but after Stark won the governorship, he turned his back on Pendergast and began working to dismantle Pendergast's political network and influence. Stark appointed Pendergast adversaries to Kansas City election and liquor control boards. Stark successfully lobbied the legislature for a permanent voter registration law and control over the Kansas City Police Department. Most significantly, upon looking into Pendergast's deals with insurance companies during the mid-1930s, Stark summoned the Internal Revenue Service to audit Pendergast's income tax returns, leading to FDR ordering the Department of Treasury to conduct an exhaustive investigation of Pendergast; an indictment followed.Pendergast represented a nationwide issue of machine politics, so it's no surprise that J. Edgar Hoover came to Kansas City to attend the trial of Boss Tom. The jury convicted Pendergast; he received a sentence of fifteen months in federal prison (Leavenworth Penitentiary). Additionally, the court banned Tom from all political activity, and he was not allowed to visit the now-historic headquarters during his probationary period. The court also forbade Pendergast from gambling because of the discovery of his severe gambling addiction, which he kept secret from family, friends, and political supporters. He lost as much as $6 million on horses alone. By the late 1930s, his debt to bookies and gamblers gave those he owed virtual control of Pendergast business, meaning he went to prison effectively broke, without control of his private enterprises, and politically ostracized.In the wake of the trial, voters began electing "reformers" in droves, essentially driving out any of Boss Tom's people by the mid-1940s. Thomas J. Pendergast is buried at Calvary Cemetery on Kansas City's south side. His headquarters survives as a physical reminder of Boss Tom, the political machine he built, and the boss politics that dominated big cities throughout the nation.

Constructed in 1926, this building served as the headquarters of the Jackson County Democratic Club which was led by Thomas Joseph Pendergast, the penultimate "boss" of the infamous political machine that controlled Kansas City between 1926 and 1939. Referred to by many as "Boss Tom," Pendergast took over and expanded the political machine his brother built, choosing candidates for office who returned the favor by voting in line with the wishes of Boss Tom. As a result, Pendergast's businesses won prized city contracts and he wielded enormous influence over almost every aspect of Kansas City's political, economic, and cultural life.As the Jackson County Democratic Party chair, Pendergast controlled the city's government through patronage, notably by providing jobs and government contracts in exchange for political support. Although Pendergast's corruption became well known by the 1930s, many residents continued to support Pendergast and his candidates because they believed his leadership had ameliorated many of the worst aspects of the Great Depression. Others appreciated Pendergast's refusal to enforce prohibition, leading to a vibrant jazz scene and Kansas City's reputation as a "Wide Open Town" where liquor and vice lived alongside strong financial support for civic institutions like schools and hospitals. Pendergast launched the political career of Harry S Truman, but his reign as a political boss ended in 1939 when he was convicted of income tax evasionToday, the financial crimes and violence that occurred under Boss Tom's watch are sometimes overshadowed by nostalgia for the Jazz Age. and a perception that Pendergast and his men were supporters of integration. In reality, the advances for the Black Community had more to do with neighborhood leaders within the Pendergast orbit and the pragmatism of the political machine that traded funding for Black schools and hospitals for votes. At the same time, Kansas City was home to "Black-and-tan-clubs" that accepted all races than any American city beyond New York in an era otherwise dominated by segregation.

Jackson County Democratic Club (Tom Pendergast Headquarters)

The River Quay played a large role in Kansas City in the 1970s and is also the location to one of the biggest Mafia related attacks in Kansas City. The explosion took place on May 27, 1977 and quickly predicted the demise of the River Quay.  But, before the infiltration of the Mafia, the River Quay was one of the hottest spots in Kansas City.  It all began with a man named Marion A. Trozzolo and his dream.In April 1971, Marion A. Trozzolo—an Italian native who moved to Kansas City from Chicago to be a professor at Rockhurst university—launched the River Quay. He owned a plastics business that ultimately sparked his interest in the River Quay by being the first of the historic buildings he purchased in the abandoned area.  Trozzolo went on to buy 20 more properties and restored them to rent out to business owners for $2 to $3 a square foot, encouraging business owners to open up shop in the area.  This ultimately brought the River Quay to life. Trozzolo envisioned and dreamed that the River Quay area would be similar to Old Town in Chicago or the French Quarter in New Orleans.  And by the mid 1970s it seemed that the River Quay would live up to the hype, as it had grown to be home to more than 65 businesses.     As an up and coming area in Kansas City, the River Quay quickly drew attention and crowds of people. This included business owner Fred Harvey Bonadonna known as Freddy.  Although his father was a mafia associate himself, he encouraged Bonadonna to take another path.  Bonadonna opened his business “Poor Freddies”, on September 15, 1972 and it was an instant hit.  Bonadonna himself completely supported the wholesome vision of the River Quay, “devoid of loud music and also of liquor joints that did not serve food or that featured adult entertainment” (Ouesley, 2011, p. 84).  Although Bonadonna was not a mafia associate, he often crossed paths with those in the mafia. Unfortunately, Bonadonnawas a little too excited about his success, and bragged that he was making $10,000 weekly (an overstatement) to a member of the Civella family.  This is important as Nick Civella was the face of the Kansas City mafia, making the Civella family as a whole very powerful.  When this news got to Civella that investing the River Quay could be so lucrative, it sparked interest.  After this, mafia owned businesses featuring liquor and adult entertainment started to try and make their way into the River Quay.  Places like X-rated Chelsea Quay Theater, Deleware Daddy’s, three little pigs, and other mob related bars.  All the while, Bonadonna stilled believed in the wholesome vision of the district, and tried to make attempts to keep these businesses out.One member that would particularly important in the demise of the River Quay would be Joe Cammisano and his brother Willie.  Joe Cammisano had run the “girlie joints” on the West 12th Street Strip in Kansas City, consisting of bars that featured exotic dancers and adult entertainment.  Cammisano told stories of how the River Quay used to essentially be a red light district.  He wanted to return the Quay to its former glory. Bonadonna actively resisted this; “Prospects for real conflict gained momentum when Bonadonna, unwilling to concede the Quay to the mob, geared up to secretly do a battle by blocking the issuance of [the mob’s] liquor licenses” (Ouesley, 2011, p. 95).  This made the Cammisano’s upset and placed a target on Bonadonna.  In addition to this, Bonadonna owned parking lots near the River Quay that the Cammisano’s wanted.  On July 22, 1976 Bonadonna’s father was murdered, found in the trunk of a car. Shortly before his murder, David Bonadonna warned his son that after he himself was murdered, they would come after Freddy. Fearing for his life, Freddy Bonadonna fled the city in February of 1977, about a month before the explosions occurred on the River Quay.  The explosion on March 27, 1977 leveled two bars in a building that Bonadonna and his brother owned.  No one was hurt by the explosion, but a federal agent said that 10 times as much of the explosives needed to blow the place up was used and deduced it was meant to send a message.  This was the first of many crisis to strike the River Quay, but got the ball rolling. Fred Bonadonna would go on to testify against Joe and Willie Cammisano and be placed in witness protection.  The Mafias “war for control” ended up destroying River Quay with an explosion on March 27, 1977 that ultimately leveled two bars and basically stemmed from conflict between one man, Bonadonna, and the Mafia. This site shows the struggles between business owners and the Mafia. The original business owners wanting a family-friendly area and the Mafia essentially wanting to turn River Quay into a red-light district.  The Mafia's fight for the control of the area, and the violence they used to do so, ended one of Kansas City’s most popular destinations and tarnished its legacy. The name River Quay is hardly mentioned by any Kansas City native, unless suggesting a cup of coffee from a local coffee joint known as Quay Coffee.

The explosion on May 27, 1977 in the heart of what is today's Kansas City's River Market destroyed two bars in a lively area of Kansas City, permanently destroying the River Quay's reputation.  Hiding behind the explosion is the secret history of the KC Mafia. While Kansas City’s presence of the Mafia is less prevalent than that of cities like New York and Chicago, their presence has still been pronounced in the history of Kansas City, Missouri. The River Quay was an incredibly popular area within Kansas City, originally viewed as family friendly and a great place to spend time.  The infiltration of the mafia and the business they brought in slowly killed the popular area, and the explosion was the final nail in the coffin.


Explosion on the River Quay

Great. Now turn right and follow the sidewalk north. There’ll be stairs on your left. Take them and head to the small statue you’ll see among the trees.The “City of Fountains” moniker has persisted, but “cow town,” “little Dixie,” and “river town” lie buried. And so does another: The Paris of the Plains. You don’t hear that around much anymore, unless it’s a branding thing. Once upon a time though, it was the siren call of Kansas City, the thing that made it what it was. For a while, just for a while. There’s an old joke that among the major cities in the United States, Kansas City is the only one that didn’t “do” prohibition. But the reputation that Kansas City built during the roaring 20’s is preceded by a much more humble and populist politics that built it. It could only roar because its hind legs were dead set already. Up to the top of the hill. Before we arrive at the great reveal, let’s take a look at one last curiosity, a literal monument to the idea of change without direction, this time brother to brother. Walk so you see the front of the statue.

The Paris of the Plains

Thanks so much for taking this tour of the Library District and Quality Hill. Please consider becoming a member of the Jackson County Historical Society to help continue our legacy of preserving local history.To get back to the street car, you can walk toward that State Street building. When come to the street, follow the sidewalk right - or south - until you get back to 9th street. Then go left - or east - on 9th street. That will take you all the way back to Main street.Once there, a street car platform will be just up the block on your right. You can get on and go take two of our other tours - one through Union Station; one through the River Market.This free audio tour was made possible by the generous support of The Bank of America Trusts &amp; The H&amp;R Block Foundation. The project was led by Kevin Flattery and Joseph White of KLF Development Consulting. This tour was written by Joseph White, narrated by Nathaniel Bozarth, and produced by Christopher Cook of Brainroot Light and Sound.For more information, visit jchs.orgWe hope you enjoyed learning about Kansas City, and this history we all share. Have a great day.

And now we have arrived at the end of our journey, the end of the tour. The statue in front of you is of Merriwether Lewis and William Clark, along with Sacagawea, and an African American slave named York. They stood here, what is widely regarded as the second best view in the city, on their return from the Pacific Coast. As is noted on the plaque, Lewis thought it would make an excellent location for a fort, given how clearly one could sight the approaches and defend from its heights. And there you have it. Two men widely regarded as explorers, pioneers and American heroes, noting the importance of strategic military placements during their otherwise relatively peaceful journey of discovery. With a Native American and a slave at their side, no less. In fairness, they were both military men. Maybe they couldn’t help themselves.Okay, one more spot to see. Head to greenspace just east of the statue - that’s the opposite direction that Lewis &amp; Clarke are facing - toward the the big building that says “State Street.” and head to the low stone wall. Go right up to it. Walk along it. It’s worth the view.Like most people in the 19th century, Lewis and Clark were just passing through what would become Kansas City. Coming from somewhere else and on their way to somewhere else. But they changed the place, for those who would pass through themselves and for those who would ultimately stay. They didn’t know that at the time though. How could they? At every stage of its history, it’s hard not to feel like Kansas City was just reacting, just changing, never really sure where it was going but determined to get there. Always moving forward, to wherever that was. And the consequences be damned. Much like the country as a whole. Again, Mr. Twain would have only sighed and shrugged. Go West Young Man. Change this great continent. Take it in whatever direction you please. So many of them did. And so many of them, on their journey’s, passed through here.

Conclusion: Just Passing Through

The origins of Quality Hill coincide with the early history of Kansas City. In 1821, fur trader and businessman François Chouteau established a fur trading post called Chouteau's Landing on the southern side of the Missouri River in what is know Riverfront West (Chouteau belonged to prominent French family in the region. His father received trading rights with the Kansa Indians in 1790). After a flood in 1826, he moved the post to the north end of Troost Avenue in 1826. Chouteau's business prospered and his trade network extended throughout the Kansas territory.In 1835, a French priest named Fr. Benedict Roux built the first permanent church—a log cabin—called St. John Francis Regis in Quality Hill at 11th and Pennsylvania. Chouteau and many members of his family and employees attended the church. As a result, it became known as "Chouteau's Church." A rectory and a small cemetery were also on the property. In 1857, another priest by the name of Fr. Bernard Donnelly, who earned the nickname "the builder," built a new, much larger brick church named Immaculate Conception. The present church was built just to the west in 1883.Kersey Coates, who was born to a Quaker family in Pennsylvania, visited Kansas City in 1854, a year after the city was officially established. Seeing a potential opportunity to develop the bluff overlooking the valleys, Coates bought a large part of the area around 1857 to create an upscale residential neighborhood. The construction of the first Immaculate Conception church played an important in helping attract others to the area. The former mayor of Kansas City, Dr. Johnston Lykins, built a mansion in 1857 and Coates built a home of his own in 1859. After the Civil War, many former Union officers and their families settled in Quality Hill (Coates served in the war as well, rising to the rank of colonel in the Missouri militia). The name Quality Hill originated with southern and Confederate sympathizers who derided the wealthy residents of the neighborhood and also called them "silk stockings," which was another nickname for Republicans. Over time, the term "Quality Hill" was simply recognized as the name of the neighborhood.In the 1880s, Quality Hill experienced a building boom. More than half of the buildings in the neighborhood were erected during the decade. Other religious congregations built churches as well including the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church and Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral. A number of hotels were also built. The Progress Club was built in 1893 as a social club for prominent Jewish families.Beginning in the early 1900s, many original residents left Quality Hill due to three main reasons. One was the smell of the meat packing houses located below the bluff. Another was the high cost of modernizing the Victorian-era homes built in the neighborhood. The third reason was that there was little land available for new construction. As a result, wealthy residents moved southward into new subdivisions. The homes in Quality Hill were then subdivided into apartments, flats, and rooming houses for working-class residents who were moving to the city in increasing numbers at the time. Several family hotels/apartment buildings were erected in between 1900 and 1920 as well. Over time, however, the area began to decline and by the 1940s it became a blighted neighborhood.In the 1950s, six apartment buildings intended for working-class residents were built on land cleared of old buildings. Known as Quality Hill Towers, they were meant to help revitalize the area (two have been demolished). The apartment building known as 910 Penn was erected behind the towers in 1958. These buildings were the first projects in Kansas City under the state's recently passed redevelopment legislation and the city's urban redevelopment ordinance. Quality Hill continued to be revitalized and by the late 20th century it had evolved into a vibrant neighborhood with mixed-income housing and retail.

The Quality Hill neighborhood is the oldest, continuously inhabited residential area in Kansas City. West Terrace Park is located on what is now the far west edge of the neighborhood and offers a stunning overlook from the bluff which includes the Kansas and Missouri River valleys. The neighborhood was first platted as an upscale neighborhood around 1857 by prominent businessman Kersey Coates (1823-1887). The name of the neighborhood reflects its one-time reputation as the most prestigious neighborhood in the city, a reputation that continued until the decades after World War I. West Terrace Park was created in the early 1900s and included the stone towers at both sides of the overlook. Many leading figures, including wealthy transplants from the east coast, resided here in homes designed in a variety of styles. The neighborhood also includes religious, commercial, educational, and apartment buildings. Two of its prominent landmarks are the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (the seat of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph) and the Progress Club building, which is now a YMCA. Quality Hill saw outmigration and was later the site of housing projects, many of which have been replaced in recent years as the neighborhood experiences another transition that has followed the return of residents and businesses to the downtown area. This park was reduced in size in the 1960s as part of the effort to construct I-35, but the historic overlook remains. The neighborhood was added to the National Register in 1978 and a smaller part of the neighborhood was added to the National Register as the Quality Hill Center Historic District in 2017.

Quality Hill Overlook and Historic District 

In 1803, American delegates in Paris negotiated the purchase of the entire Mississippi River Drainage Basin from Napoleon’s French First Republic. The French had sold this territory to the Spanish in the wake of the Seven Years War in 1762, only to gain it back in 1800 after defeating Spain in one of the early wars of the French Revolution. Very little Spanish presence had been maintained in the territory and much of the land was remote and ungoverned.This land had not been fully mapped and explored at the time of the sale, so it was not known to what extent the Mississippi’s tributaries reached. The hope was that it extended to the Pacific Ocean and a water route through North America could be established. Set out by President Thomas Jefferson, Army Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark led an expedition known as the Corps of Discovery, to explore and document these newly American lands a year after their purchase. What maps did exist of the territory were made and possessed by the French that lived out in the west, and these maps were heavily relied upon for portions of the Corps’ journey. The Louisiana Territory, which includes modern day Missouri, was largely populated by Native Americans and despite spending decades under Spanish rule, most of the European presence in the territory was still French. Many of the fur traders and settlers from the days of French rule remained prominent in the Missouri area and beyond for many years after the end of France’s official presence on mainland North America. By the time the Corps arrived at St. Louis in December of 1803, it was still a largely French speaking city with the wealthy Chouteau family still pulling influence in the area. While they were in the area, the Corps recruited several Frenchmen living around the St. Louis area to accompany them on their journey. These French hired hands were referred to by the generic term engagés. When spring came, the Corps departed down the Missouri River in small river boats known as pirogues. One of these boats was painted red and known as the “French Pirogue” as it was crewed by nine French-Canadian engagés who were led by Jean Baptiste Deschamps. The Frenchmen hired around St. Louis agreed to only go as far as Mandan land in the Dakota territories. The Corps of Discovery was a military expedition, and as such most of its men were American soldiers. The engagés were civilians by comparison and had different responsibilities and expectations accordingly. A few days after leaving St. Louis, about 60 miles up river the Corps encountered the small French speaking village of La Charrette. The Corps spent a night with the villagers who shared what little food they had. This village proved to be the final permanent settlement inhabited by White people the expedition encountered. Later in the journey, the Corps recruited some experienced French frontiersmen to accompany them on their route. The Frenchmen that had been living among Native Americans in the frontier often spoke multiple native languages, making them indispensable as translators for large stretches of the journey. While the party was wintering with the Mandan Indians in what is modern day North Dakota, they recruited a French frontiersmen named Toussaint Charbonneau who brought along his young Native American wife Sacagawea. Both served the Corps well as guides and translators during the final portions of the journey towards the Pacific Ocean. During this leg of the expedition, the Corps was also accompanied for a time by prominent North West Company fur trader François-Antoine Larocque.The text of this historical marker reads as follows:<blockquote class="ql-indent-1">The French-speaking community made a significant contribution to the ultimate success of the epochal Lewis &amp; Clark expedition. The St. Louis Chouteau brothers, fur traders Auguste and Pierre, lodged the two captains in their substantial homes many times during the winter of 1803-04, and assisted in procuring supplies, boats, and personnel. Pierre acted as a downstream agent and post office for the expedition.</blockquote><blockquote class="ql-indent-1">French voyaguers had ventured up the Missouri for over a century before 1804. French explorers, the Verendryes, reached an area two-thirds of the way along Lewis &amp; Clark’s route in 1742 in present Montana, near the Rockies and the headwaters of the Missouri. Le Page du Pratz’s 1758 “Histoire de la Louisiane” (with map) was a useful resource. The Indians had told the French of the Rockies and the West, including the Great Salt lake, and of mountains and a river system leading west (part of which eventually became known as the Bitterroots, the Snake, and the Columbia) and the Chouteaus had access to French maps and memoires alluding to these features. President Jefferson even obtained a French passport for Lewis since the Louisiana Territory had been French until less than a year before.</blockquote><blockquote class="ql-indent-1">Patron (captain) Baptiste Deschamps and his Gaulle engages took supplies and personnel in the large “red pirogue” as far as the Mandan-Hidatsa villages in present North Dakota. A French-Shawnee interpreter, George Drouillard, also acted as chief hunter, arbiter of disputes, and enforcer of the two captains’ orders, and Lewis praised him highly in his reports. Toussaint Charbonneau, another French-Indian interpreter, was occasionally a problem. But his young Indian wife, Sacagawea, procured from her brother, a Shoshoni chief, the indispensable horses to ride over the snow covered mountains. Her little French-Shoshoni papoose, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, was with her on the entire voyage and later lived at kawsmouth as a youth. A probable expedition veteran, Frenchman Pierre La Liberte, deeded the land for the first Catholic church (now Cathedral) in Kansas City in 1834.</blockquote><blockquote class="ql-indent-1">En route up the Missouri, the French boatmen recited the names given long before by their countrymen to features along the river. Near present Kansas City (French “Chez les Canses” or home of the Kansa) were: Pierre a Fleche, L’Eau d’Azur River, Charretin Creek, La Benite Creek, Petite Riviere Platte, Remore Creek, and Isles des Parques. Above present Leavenworth they pointed out the remains of French Fort de Cavagnial (1744-64) and Isle au Vache (Cow Island), where the French had kept their livestock.</blockquote>

With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the fledgling United States was expanding into former French territory. After being sent to explore the newly American territory, Lewis and Clark employed several Frenchmen native to the territory as guides, trappers, boatmen, and translators. Most of the Frenchmen along for the journey were recruited around St. Louis, and turned back after the group wintered in Mandan land in the Dakota territories. Other French trappers and frontiersmen joined up with the expedition along the way. The marker is placed right next to the Lewis and Clark : Corps of Discovery Statue in downtown Kansas City.

The French and the Lewis & Clark Expedition Historical Marker

In 1804 President Thomas Jefferson dispatched Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an expedition into the recently-acquired Louisiana Territory. Their objectives were to explore the Missouri River; establish diplomatic relations with Native American tribes; document regional plants and wildlife; and find a direct water route to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and Clark assembled a party of several dozen men called the Corps of Discovery. The group left from St. Louis, Missouri on May 14, 1804. Later they were joined by Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman who served as the party’s guide and interpreter with Native tribes. The expedition lasted over two years, with the Corps of Discovery traveling to the Pacific Coast and back, a journey of almost 8,000 miles. They returned to St. Louis on September 23, 1806 to much fanfare. While the expedition failed to find a water route to the Pacific, the party made many scientific contributions through its examination of the geography, plants, and animals in the West.During the return trip back to St. Louis, Lewis and Clark traveled through what is now Kansas City, Missouri on September 15, 1806. Clark noted in his diary that the area, featuring a hill overlooking the Kansas and Missouri Rivers (present-day downtown Kansas City), would make an ideal location for a fort. The party managed to kill and eat an elk, and also collected papaw fruits.Around 1999, Kansas City decided to build a monument to the Lewis and Clark expedition in honor of the city’s upcoming 150th anniversary. Artist Eugene Daub was commissioned to sculpt a statue to be placed at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, around where Lewis and Clark had passed through. He created a bronze and granite sculpture, 21 feet tall and 18 feet wide. Named the Corps of Discovery, it depicts five members of the expedition: Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, York (Clark’s African American slave), and Lewis’ dog, Seaman. On the base of the sculpture is a quote by Thomas Jefferson praising Lewis. The Corps of Discovery sculpture was dedicated on April 20, 2000. It stands in a brick plaza at West Terrace Park.

This monument was dedicated in 2000 as part of Kansas City's celebration of the city's founding. On September 15, 1806 the Lewis and Clark expedition, on its return journey from the Pacific Ocean, arrived at this location and camped nearby for two days before continuing down the river. The leaders, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, noted that this spot, which is on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River and surrounding landscape, would be a good place for a fort. This was one of their last stops during the expedition, which concluded on September 23 in St. Louis. In April 2000 Kansas City placed a statue at West Terrace Park to commemorate the expedition's journey through the area. It depicts Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea, along with York, a man who was enslaved by Clark, and Lewis' dog Seaman. The area includes a stone wall constructed as part of the Works Progress Administration along with numerous markers that share information about the human and natural history of the area at the time of Lewis and Clark's expedition. The inclusion of Clark and Sacagawea in this monument reflects a historiographical trend towards a more inclusive and complete past, perhaps best demonstrated by another recent statue in nearby Olathe that depicts pioneers of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Corps of Discovery Sculpture

The 1950s Rhythm and Blues song “Kansas City” immortalized the intersection of 12th and Vine with the lyrics, “I'm gonna be standing on the corner, of Twelfth Street and Vine. With my Kansas City baby and a bottle of Kansas City wine.” Covered and adapted by musicians such as James Brown, Little Richard, and the Beatles, the 1959 hit "Kansas City" became the official theme song of the city in 2005. Near this marker, one can experience a taste of the city's jazz history by visiting the nearby 18th and Vine District, also known as the city's Jazz District. The area is home to historic buildings, museums, and working jazz clubs that pay homage to the unique "Kansas City Sound" that was pioneered by Big Joe Turner and others who authored numerous songs about the city that filled the gap between Euday Bowman's 12th Street Rag and Wilbert Harrison's hit song. By the roaring twenties, what was once a forested area of the emerging city became one of the trendiest places to live and visit. It was a bustling thoroughfare lined with theaters, clubs, jazz, and of course, barbeque. The nearby Orchid Room was one of the premier Rhythm and Blues clubs hosting the likes of Etta James, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, and Ruth Brown in the 1940s and 1950s. Legendary jazz venues inspired the songs that captured the imagination of songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Had the songwriting duo visited Kansas City in their time, they would have likely referenced the clubs around 18th and Vine, downtown venues along 12th Street, the Pla-More Ballroom on 31st Street, or clubs like Miltons and the Century Room on Troost between Linwood and Armour Boulevard.By the time "Kansas City" became a hit for Wilbert Harrison, the heyday of 12th Street and Vine was a memory, and many residents of this neighborhood were moving further south. The neighborhood’s Roaring Twenties heyday faded as the leading theaters, clubs, and joints closed their doors. Even the famed Orchid Room, which outlasted most other clubs, filed for bankruptcy in 1959. What took their place in the late fifties and early sixties were venues such as burlesques and strip clubs. Some referred to the area as “the Las Vegas of its day,” owing to open and widespread prostitution and other activities that inspired the next generation of city leaders to demolish area structures and construct Paseo Green Park.The Urban Renewal projects of the late fifties into the seventies were a widespread public planning effort to remove blighted areas from cities and expand infrastructure in their place. This program, while aiming to improve the city, had mixed results. While leading to the construction of more public housing, there were tremendously negative results for those left behind, including many for Black Kansas Citians. Homes and businesses around the historic intersection of 12th and Vine were bulldozed, but this green space and memorial plaza at the former intersection of 12th and Vine shares the history and culture of the area from Euday Bowman's 12th Street Rag to the numerous versions of "Kansas City" that followed.

This historical marker pays tribute to a former intersection within one of the most bustling communities in Kansas City in the early and mid-20th century that was immortalized by the 1959 hit "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison that was covered and adapted by musicians from Little Richards to the Beatles. The song references a prior era when this area hosted some of the leading jazz clubs, theaters, and dining spots in the city, a "wide Open" period of pre-Depression era Kansas City immortalized by ragtime composer Euday Bowman's 12th Street Rag in 1914." Bowman's song inspired numerous additional songs about Kansas City, including "Kansas City," written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952 and made popular by Wilbert Harrison in 1959. The intersection was no longer the city's hot spot for music and entertainment by 1959, and it no longer exists following urban renewal programs of the 1970s that replaced this section of Vine Street with an urban green space. While 12th and Vine may be a memory, the history of the area is kept alive with this memorial space designed to resemble a piano and treble clef, a nod to the still-popular song that expresses excitement to be "going to Kansas City" for its women and wine and plans to "be standing on the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine."

Goin to Kansas City Plaza Historical Marker: 12th Street and Vine

Coca Cola dates back to 1891 when Atlanta businessman Asa G. Candler purchased ownership of the recipe for Coca-Cola and the beverage's business operations. In 1913 Coca-Cola acquired an unused parcel at 21st and Grand in 1913 and hired the Swenson Construction Company to execute their design for a triangular building that would fit the space. Although the building is best known for its Western Auto sign, the structure was originally adorned with a large Coca-Cola sign. The Candlers sold their soda company in 1919, and in 1922 that business sold this building as they had already moved most of their Kansas City operations elsewhere. The Coca-Cola company continued to use part of this building until 1932, and the Coca-Cola sign remained until 1928. When the building went into receivership in 1929, the Candler family decided to purchase the distressed but still serviceable property. In 1932, the building became known as the Candler Building and remained in the family’s estate until 1947 when the family donated the building to support Atlanta's Emory University. Three years later, the university sold the building. By 1951, one of its tenants, the Western Auto Company, purchased the entire building. The iconic “Western Auto” sign was placed on top of the building the following year.Western Auto Company was established in Kansas City in 1909 by Don Davis and George Pepperdine, who used his fortune to establish Pepperdine University in Los Angeles in 1937. Pepperdine and Davis saw an opportunity in supplying aftermarket parts for automobiles. The company began as a mail-order provider, shipping parts for Model T Fords and other early automobiles throughout the Midwest. The company opened its first retail store at 1426 Grand Avenue (just across from the T-Mobile Center of the modern era). The company expanded quickly, becoming a retailer and service provider with 1200 stores at their peak. In 1928, Western Auto began leasing space on this building's 11th floor. After years of expanding their use of rented space, Western Auto purchased the entire building in 1951 and the now-iconic sign followed a year later. The company was acquired by consumer finance firm Beneficial Corporation in 1961 and Sears in the 1980s but continued to operate under the Western Auto name until 1998, when rival retailer Advance Auto Parts purchased the company. The building had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, meaning that the new owner would lose potential tax incentives for restoration should they make major changes to the building's historic integrity. As a result, there was a strong disincentive to expend the funds to remove the massive 70 by 73-foot sign, especially given the fondness many Kansas Citians felt for both the sign and the former Kansas-City-based auto parts company and the fact that most of the building was unoccupied after 2000.The Virginia-based retailer Advance Auto Parts sold this building to a company that intended to convert the structure into luxury condominiums. Thanks to the National Register designation and the affection many Kansas Citians feel for preserving both the iconic building and signature sign, the Western Auto sign once again lights up the city skyline after the condo owners association funded repairs to the sign in 2018.

One of the iconic symbols of Kansas City, this building was completed in 1915 and designed to fit the pie-shaped piece of land that Coca-Cola acquired in 1913. Company executives Asa G. and Charles H. Candler selected Kansas City as an ideal location for a regional headquarters that year as they expanded operations from Atlanta to the Midwest. The building changed hands several times before Western Auto Supply Company acquired the structure in 1951. The downtown landmark has been known as the "Western Auto Building" since 1952, when the rooftop sign was added. Subsequent owners recognized the sign's importance to Kansas Citians, and it remained in place long after Advance Auto Parts acquired the company and sold the building. Now a residential building called the Western Auto Lofts, the 12-story building was designed to be “fireproof” by utilizing brick and steel, minimizing the use of combustible materials, and adding a sprinkler system. In 2018, the condo owner's association funded repairs and new lights to the rooftop sign.

Western Auto Building

The Town of Kansas Bridge was included as part of the Riverfront Heritage Trail project. Many public and private stakeholders contributed funding to complete the construction, including: Kansas City, Missouri; The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City; and the Port Authority of Kansas City. From the beginning of the bridge to the Missouri River Viewing Deck, there are six historical markers pointing out elements of the original settlement which resided at this location: Town of Kansas, Waterfront Town to Metropolis, From Steamboat Landing to City, Hannibal Bridge, Gilliss House Hotel, and Building Through the Bluffs. The frontier village of Westport was established by John Calvin McCoy from Kentucky in 1833 with J.P. Hickman and J.H. Flournoy to supply furs to local native populations and outfit missionaries and settlers westbound on the Santa Fe and Oregon Trail. McCoy, frustrated with his three-day journey to the port of Independence to resupply his wares, established a closer landing further west of Independance at a discovered natural-rock ledge on the south bank of the Missouri River. This landing, almost directly north from Westport, reduced the three-day stocking trip to one that could be completed in a single day. He called it Westport Landing.The country's westward expansion, fueled by the California Gold Rush and the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails naturally established a growing settlement on the spot McCoy had picked. In 1838, McCoy and 13 others created a town company to purchase the land from the government. They called it the Town of Kansas, named after the local Kansa Tribe of Native Americans who would also inspire the names of the neighboring state and Missouri-river tributary.Jackson County was founded in 1827, and the County Court of Jackson County chartered the town of Kansas in 1850. Then in 1853 it was again chartered as the City of Kansas, and in 1889, as Kansas City.

The Town of Kansas bridge connects the River Market to the Berkley Riverfront Park and the Riverfront Heritage Trail. From the bridge, you can see relics and remainders of the initial settlement that would become Kansas City as well as a sprawling view of the Missouri River. Along the bridge and observation deck are a handful of markers indicating specific sites and providing context. If you stand long enough at the observation deck, you are likely to see pedestrians, trains, river barges, planes, and automobiles; a reminder of the intersecting routes that allowed Kansas City to grow.

Town of Kansas Bridge

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue began with a surprise purchase. In 1957 Russ Fiorella bought a roadhouse called The Lucky Inn at 8129 Hickman Mills Drive in Kansas City while his wife, Flora, was in labor at the hospital with their sixth child. That restaurant, originally named Smoke Stack BBQ, was the beginnings of the Jack Stack brand which now includes six separate restaurants and a catering arm, including the largest full-service wood cookery in the industry.Russ was one of fourteen children in a Kansas City Italian family, and went into the grocery business like many of his brothers, doubling as his store’s butcher. When larger chains began to force out smaller Kansas City grocers in the late 1950s, Russ pivoted to a favorite obsession: barbecue. He moved his family out of their seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home in Kansas City and into the second-floor apartment above The Lucky Inn to help pay for his purchase of the building. Changing the name to Smoke Stack BBQ, Russ did not allow phones or alcohol in his new establishment, which resulted in long lines of hungry customers forming outside the restaurant.In the late 60s, a fire in the barbecue pit destroyed the restaurant. But Russ rebuilt, and his daughter Diane says this is when business really took off. Several of Russ’s children opened their own restaurants, and Russ, along with his eldest son Jack, launched the first Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ in Martin City, MO in 1974. Jack and his wife, Delores, expanded the restaurant to accommodate full-service dining, adding menu items and two dining rooms. Now headed by CEO Case Dorman, who is married to Jennifer Fiorella, Jack’s daughter and Russ’s granddaughter, Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue continues to grow, burnishing its reputation as a beloved part of Kansas City’s barbecue community.

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue in the renovated Freight House is a Kansas City barbecue establishment over sixty years in the making. Set in the Crossroads Arts District, with impressive architectural features such as twenty-five-foot ceilings and a fireplace bar, Jack Stack Freight House captures the spirit of its founder, Russ Fiorella, who loved barbecue and hospitality. Three generations later, the Fiorella family is still serving phenomenal food and has become a Kansas City barbecue staple.

Jack Stack Barbeque (Freight House Location)

This iconic Kansas City restaurant is also one of the city's most historic, dating back to a restaurant that opened at 24th and Broadway in 1937 by Claude Sparks and Heywood Billings. This stand-alone building followed shortly after, serving up hamburgers for a nickel modeled after White Castle, a chain established in Wichita where Billings and Sparks had worked. By 1940, this small building with the words "Eat-More Hamburgers" was offering quick service 24 hours a day. Sparks added several more locations in the 1940s and 1950s, and today this restaurant and its sister location at 19th and Baltimore continue the tradition.

Town Topic

Nationally linked steam-powered railroads didn't reach Kansas City until the 1860s, but their story started as far back as 1803 when President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon's government. In doing so, Jefferson doubled the size of land claimed by the United States which encouraged western settlement and investment. By 1840, nearly forty percent of the people of European and African descent in lands claimed by the United States lived east of the Appalachians. With the settlement of western states like California, the United States had grown so large that travel, transport of goods, and even simply sending mail across the country was difficult and time-consuming. The answer to this problem was the railroad.The first railroad connecting the West to the midwestern United States, fittingly called the First Transcontinental Railroad, was completed in 1869 after several years of work. The nearly two-thousand stretch of railway linked California to Iowa and, through it, the rest of the country. However, even though this railroad was such a massive undertaking, and even though there was an ongoing Civil War, it didn't bring railway construction elsewhere to a halt. In 1864, the Kansas Pacific Railway was completed, linking Kansas City to the rest of the state of Kansas, as well as Colorado. Over the next several decades, a series of other companies built their railroads through the city in all directions, connecting the city to others all across the country, from New Mexico and Texas to Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan.In 1866, the Hannibal Bridge, the first railroad bridge to cross the Missouri River, was completed in Kansas City, directly connecting to the West Bottoms. This caused railroad and industry growth in the city to take off. Railroads belonging to companies such as the Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific, St. Louis-San Francisco, and Chicago, Burlington &amp; Quincy were built through the area, and by the turn of the century, Kansas City was home to nearly forty different lines. The West Bottoms in particular became a center of transport for one of the city's biggest exports, cows, as well as other goods. The importance of the railroad to the city's growth is best put by the final paragraph on the marker:<blockquote>Railroads allowed Kansas City to enter the 20th century as one of the nation's most important transportation hubs. By connecting north and south, east and west, the rails transformed America into one nation while establishing Kansas City as a thriving center of business and culture.</blockquote>

This historical marker in Kansas City's West Bottoms district shares the history of the first railroads that transported goods and people through Kansas City in the 1860s and 1870s, culminating with the construction of Union Depot which operated from 1878 to 1915 and its replacement, Union Station. In 1863, Lawrence and Kansas City were connected by a new line operated by the Union Pacific. After the Civil War, this part of Kansas City was selected for the first railroad bridge to cross the Missouri River. Within just five years of the completion of the Hannibal Bridge, there were five railroad companies operating in the West Bottoms including the Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific, St. Louis-San Francisco, and Chicago, Burlington &amp; Quincy. These railroads led to the rapid development of the West Bottoms area and connected Kansas City to markets across the country. As a result, Kansas City was able to "grow into more than just a way station for livestock" - it became a hub of transport for live cattle, meat, and other agricultural products by way of the railroads.

Frontier Railroads in Kansas City Historical Marker

Union Depot had a unique design. It was so unique that most weren't sure what architectural style it was supposed to be. Aspects of many architectural traditions could be seen, including "Italian-Renaissance to French Empire, Gothic, and Victorian," leading some to believe it was just a combination of all or several of those styles. The building boasted "steeples, towers, turrets, arches, cupolas, and detailed ornamentation. It was topped off by a 125-foot, four-sided clock tower." It was wider, taller, and more ornate than most area buildings, and as such, it stood out, towering over the West Bottoms with its elaborate design.Opinions on its one-of-a-kind style ranged from praising it, calling it the "Pride of Kansas City," to a "monstrosity." Some thought it was too ambitious for a city whose population had only passed 10,000 the decade before and still only reached 60,000, and it was hard for them to imagine that the town would ever grow to need such a huge station. They called it the "Jackson County Insane Asylum" for its "crazy" size, intricate, often extreme details, and as a jab to its builder, who also built a mental hospital in Topeka.No one could have predicted that the population of Kansas City would more than double just another decade later. Kansas City's population shot up to 132,000 by 1890. This led to a considerable increase in traffic through Union Depot, which overwhelmed the station. Before long, the West Bottoms was crowded and dirty. People complained about the Depot's lack of space and its proximity to "West Bottoms saloons, cheap hotels, brothels, and the stench of the Stockyards."The last straw for the Depot came after the turn of the century. With the 1903 and 1908 floods, the people of the West Bottoms were reminded the hard way just how flood-prone their neighborhood was. The area, built on low-lying land next to the river, was devastated. Many buildings were destroyed, and others were damaged beyond repair. Union Depot was one of the lucky ones, still usable after the waters receded. However, by this point, Kansas City was more than ready to move its railroad traffic through another, drier part of the city. Union Station opened in 1914, and the old Depot was demolished the following year.

After Hannibal Bridge was built in 1869, Kansas City needed a larger train station to manage growing railroad traffic while supporting passengers travel. City leaders saw this project as an opportunity to impress travelers and sought out several land developers, architects, and others in the construction trades to help create a grand new depot. The city purchased a piece of land on Union Avenue across from the bridge for this purpose and invested so heavily in the project that some doubted whether the new Union Depot, which was completed in 1878, would ever reach capacity. The project was a success and supported Kansas City's claim to being a center of commerce until it was replaced by Union Station.

Union Depot (1878-1915)

Emanuel Cleaver was the political sponsor for the revitalization of the 18th and Vine district, and Dr. Rowena Stewart oversaw the development of the American Jazz Museum in 1995. Stewart became the first director upon completion of the museum in 1997. In the past 25 years, the museum has worked to offer a mixture of artifacts and interpretation that live alongside performances, community events, and educational programs. The museum's galleries include numerous artifacts from leading Kansas City jazz musicians along with interactive displays that educate the public about jazz music with an emphasis on the contributions of local musicians. The museum includes numerous exhibits on the lives of prominent African American musicians, hotel owners, and restaurateurs who helped create and sustain the 18th and Vine Community, an area sometimes referred to as "the Jazz District" given the neighborhood's connection to jazz legends and recent efforts to invest in organizations dedicated to art, history, sports, and culture.Kansas City Jazz and 18th and Vine"With few anomalies," write jazz scholars Frank Driggs and Chuck Haddix, "Kansas City's distinctive jazz style originated in the community centered around the intersection of 18th and Vine—Kansas City's other downtown." [1] In the segregated Kansas City of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, 18th and Vine was a vibrant hub of African American businesses, clubs, hotels, and restaurants serving a clientele excluded from most other venues in Kansas City.During the 1920s and Great Depression, Kansas City earned a reputation as being a “wide open” city owing to machine politicians like Tom Pendergast who refused to enforce Prohibition. In communities throughout the city, political leaders delivered the vote to Pendergast-affiliated aldermen, and police responded by allowing jazz clubs and other businesses to operate. As long as the money flowed up to the political machine, liquor flowed throughout Kansas City. As a result, clubs attracted patrons and provided incentives for musicians throughout the country to come to Kansas City. While a few "black and tan" clubs were open to all, most of the city's establishments reflected the segregated nature of the city. Black performers who played for white-only audiences found this neighborhood to be a sanctuary where they could be both patron and performer.Many of the greatest jazz legends learned and practiced their craft at white-only clubs downtown in the early evening before returning to the Street Hotel for a meal. These musicians then performed a second set at the Black-owned clubs of this neighborhood, and the music sometimes continued on until the early morning hours. While many of these musicians moved on to other cities, this part of the city is credited for producing the unique sound of Kansas City jazz.The neighborhood where the museum is located was home to influential musicians like Charlie "Bird" Parker, who lived and played in Kansas City before moving to New York. This district was also the place where jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald performed for African American audiences. The museum celebrates the district and preserves the legacy of Kansas City jazz. The museum shares the building with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and visitors can enjoy both museums for a reduced rate by purchasing a ticket to both.

Since opening in 1997, the American Jazz Museum has offered a blend of traditional museum experiences centered on artifacts and interpretation along with performances and educational programs. The museum is located in the 18th and Vine Historic District, and its exhibits and programs are centered on the historical and artistic contributions of the musicians who lived and worked in this part of Kansas City. The museum includes interactive exhibits and educational programs that are connected to the Blue Room, a working jazz club with nightly performances that are open to all. The Museum also operates the neighboring Gem Theater, a historic 500-seat performing arts center. In addition, staff work closely with area music educators and Mutual Musicians Foundation, a union that dates back to 1917. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the American Jazz Museum also presents music-related exhibits from the Smithsonian Institute.

The American Jazz Museum

African Americans began to play baseball in the late 1800s on military teams, college teams, and company teams. They eventually found their way to professional teams with white players. Moses Fleetwood Walker and Bud Fowler were among the first to participate. However, racism excluded most African Americans from these teams by 1900. Thus, Black players formed their own teams and traveled around the country to play anyone who would challenge them. In 1920, an organized league structure was formed under the guidance of Andrew "Rube" Foster-a former player, manager, and owner of the Chicago American Giants. In a meeting held at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, Foster and other Midwestern team owners; Indianapolis ABCs, Cincinnati Cuban Stars, Detroit Starts, St. Louis Giants, Chicago Giants, Kansas City Monarchs and the Dayton Marcos, created the midwestern-based Negro National League (1920-31). Soon after, other leagues were formed including; Eastern Colored League (1923-1928), American Negro League (1929), East-West League (1932), Negro Southern League (1929), eastern-based Negro National League II (1933-1948) and the Negro American League (1937-1962).In 1945, the Brooklyn Dodgers recruited Jackie Robinson from the Kansas City Monarchs. Robinson was not the first African American to play on a Major League team, simply the first to do so in baseball's modern era. Robinson's success paved the way for other Black players, but integration also led to the decline of the Negro Leagues. By the early 1950s, Negro League teams found their best players being signed by MLB teams. The last Negro Leagues teams folded in the early 1960s, but their legacy lives on at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.Museum History from the NLBM website:Through the inspiration of Horace M. Peterson III (1945-1992), founder of the Black Archives of Mid-America, a group of local historians, business leaders, and former baseball players came together to create the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the early 1990s. The museum originally operated out of a small, one-room office in the Lincoln Building. The museum expanded to a 2,000 square-foot space in the Lincoln Building in 1994.During the late 1990s, plans were underway by city officials to create a new home to showcase Kansas City's jazz heritage and to revitalize the Historic District. City officials and Mayors Dick Berkley and Emanuel Cleaver II worked to raise over $20 million in bonds to build a new facility to host the new American Jazz Museum and a new, permanent and expanded, home for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. This new 50,000 square-foot building opened in September 1997 and the Baseball Museum opened in November. The NLBM broke ground in early 2006 on a $15 million historical preservation and expansion project to restore the Paseo YMCA and convert the national landmark into the John "Buck" O'Neil Education and Research Center.

Located near the founding site of the Negro Leagues, this museum preserves and shares the history of African Americans in baseball from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement when MLB teams and Southern minor league teams began to hire Black players, coaches, and front office personnel. The museum includes a replica of Kansas City's Muehlebach Stadium with statues of the game's greatest players. Visitors begin their tour with a documentary film narrated by actor James Earl Jones that shares the general history of Black baseball and the Negro Leagues. The museum then follows a timeline, created by historian and co-founder Larry Lester, that places the history of the Negro Leagues within the larger narrative of American history. Other founders included Phil Dixon, Buck O'Neil, Alfred Surratt, Sr., Bob Motley and Horace Peterson. Static exhibits include original equipment, jerseys, photographs, and several interactive displays. The museum concludes with exhibits about the hiring of Black coaches and managers, and a gift shop that includes replica jerseys, books, pennants, and posters.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

The Hannibal Bridge, which connected Kansas City and its environs to the quickly-growing Chicago and eastern U.S. cities, served as the first permanent bridge across the Missouri River. Although the completion of the celebrated Transcontinental Railroad occurred two months before the Hanibal Bridge opened, the permanent bridge connecting Iowa to Nebraska through Omaha (on the Transcontinental route) did not open until 1873. Thus, for several years, Kansas City arguably offered a more desirable path, and African Americans played an integral role in making that happen. In the wake of the Civil War, African Americans migrated northward, and many of them arrived in Kansas City in 1867 as the bridge project made employment a strong possibility. In addition to the bridge, West Bottoms supported the Union Depot, meatpacking plants, and several warehouses. The bulk of those working in West Bottoms received low wages and lived in shanties and shacks adjacent to the bridge project in the "West Bottoms" area of Kansas City. The young, struggling city enjoyed minimal development at the time, and the West Bottoms neighborhood offered almost nothing to its residents, including proper running water or sewage. But the cheap housing and access to employment eventually lured immigrants such as Germans, Irish, and Italians to West Town to work alongside African Americans; Whites eventually outnumbered Blacks in West Bottoms two to one by the first decade of the 1900s.In the decades after the bridge opened, the low-income town eventually drew outlaws, prostitutes, gamblers, and other so-called "ne'er-do-wells." Brothels and bars lined the streets, giving it the name "Hell's Half Acre." As well, the lack of public works and proper sanitation led to disease, which readily spread among people living in close proximity to each other. African Americans and immigrants routinely left the neighborhood once they could afford better lodging, leading to a high transitory rate. As the Gilded Age evolved into the Progressive Era, roughly between the 1880s and 1920s, grassroots organizations established hundreds of social-welfare organizations in poor urban neighborhoods. Settlement Houses and schools provided services, mainly to European immigrants, such as healthcare; English lessons and basic education; childcare; and employment resources. In West Bottoms, a group founded the Bethlehem Night School, which functioned as a sanctuary for mothers and children residing in Hell's Half Acre, where they could receive clothing and education.By the early 1900s, few southern migrants remained in the neighborhood, and only a minority of immigrant families called West Bottoms home. Hell's Half Acre mainly supported poor, Missouri- or Kansas-born residents and transients. West Bottoms continued to transform after a devastating flood in 1903 killed nineteen people and destroyed 23,000 homes, leading to the city condemning homes and rebuilding the area; the neighborhood also dealt with substantial flooding in 1951 and 1993.

People referred to Kansas City's West Bottoms neighborhood as "Hell's Half Acre" around the turn of the twentieth century because of its crime, bars, brothels, and otherwise bad reputation. The community started as Kansas City's first African American enclave and later home to European immigrants. Both groups mainly worked as low-paid laborers. Many took part in constructing the Hannibal Bridge, the first railroad bridge across the Missouri River. The bridge opened on July 3, 1869, and became a critical component of the city's growth, especially its meatpacking industry. However, the neighborhood transformed into a place for outlaws, prostitutes, and gangs, eventually pushing out the African Americans and immigrants by the early twentieth century.

West Bottoms: Hell's Half Acre

The expansion of railroads after the Civil War spurred significant economic development in Kansas City. It grew into a booming transportation hub, with numerous railroads crossing through the city to ship cattle and other agricultural products. In 1878, a group of businessmen pooled their resources and constructed a large, single train station to accommodate the increase in traffic. Union Depot, as it was known, was located in the West Bottoms neighborhood for close proximity to the stockyards. Built at a cost of $410,000, the building incorporated aspects of Victorian and Gothic architecture, with extensive ornamentation and a 125-foot clock tower. Critics nicknamed it “Kansas City’s Insane Asylum” for the extravagant design. The continued growth of the railroad industry quickly rendered the depot inadequate for the city’s needs. Additionally, passengers transiting through the depot complained about the nearby stockyards as well as surrounding gambling halls, saloons, and brothels. Damages caused to the depot in a 1903 flood provided an impetus for leaders to seek a new location.In 1914, the Kansas City Terminal Railway, a partnership between a dozen area railroads, constructed a massive new Union Station along Main Street. Its creation was part of the “City Beautiful Movement” in Kansas City during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The urban planning campaign sought to improve and beautify the community through the construction of lavish public buildings, parks, and other facilities and amenities. Chicago architect and City Beautiful supporter Jarvis Hunt designed the station in the Beaux-Arts style. The six-story, 850,000 square-foot, T-shaped building was made with limestone and polished granite at a cost of $5.7 million, over twice the original budget. Notable features include a 95-foot-high ceiling, a six-foot-wide clock, and several 3,500-pound chandeliers. At the time of its opening, it was the third largest train station in the United States.Union Station contained railroad offices, lobbies, restaurants, a barbershop, post office, drug store, jail, hospital, and power plant. Until 1938, it also served as the headquarters for the Fred Harvey Company, which operated a chain of restaurants and hotels along major railroads. For many years, it was a bustling center of activity in Kansas City. Thousands of soldiers traveled through here during both world wars; during World War I, over 200 trains a day passed through the station. A young Walt Disney took a one-way train from the station to Los Angeles in July 1923 with all his possessions in a single suitcase.The eastern entrance to the building was the site of the Union Station Massacre (also known as the Kansas City Massacre), which left five people dead. On June 17, 1933, several law enforcement officers, including some FBI agents, were escorting convicted mobster and escaped prisoner Frank Nash to the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. As they were placing Nash into a vehicle in front of Union Station, three of his associates armed with machine guns opened fire on the group in a rescue attempt. Four officers were killed in the shootout, as well as Nash himself. Seeing that their effort had failed, the shooters fled the scene. The incident prompted a federal investigation and reforms to the FBI, including permission for agents to carry firearms.Union Station entered a precipitous decline in the 1950s that coincided with the nationwide decline in passenger rail traffic. By 1973, only six trains a day were running through the station. When Amtrak left in 1985—ending all passenger train service in the station—the building was left mostly vacant and deteriorating. Grassroots efforts began in the 1990s to save and revitalize the station. In 1994, the nonprofit Union Station Assistance Corporation was established and assumed control over the property. Two years later, voters in four counties in Missouri and Kansas approved a special tax to raise money for a science museum inside the station. This, coupled with private donations and federal funding, led to a $250 million renovation project. The work included restoring the station to its original appearance as much as possible while leaving space open for new amenities.Union Station reopened to the public in 1999 with the introduction of Science City, an interactive science museum housed in the former train sheds. Over the following years the station added historical exhibits, restaurants, offices, retail space, event spaces, galleries, theaters, and a planetarium. The commercial ventures help to keep the station financially sustainable. Passenger train service was restored to the station in 2002 when Amtrak resumed operations in the facility.

The third-largest railroad station in the country when it was completed in 1914, Kansas City's Union Station has been restored to its former grandeur and offers a variety of educational and cultural attractions, including Science City, theaters, restaurants, retail shops, office space, and museum exhibits. The Beaux-Arts style building, noted for its colossal size and fine ornamentation, was part of the "City Beautiful Movement" to develop more green spaces and aesthetically pleasing public facilities in Kansas City. The station served as the heart of city's booming transportation industry in the early twentieth century, when the Kansas City was at the intersection of multiple railroads. During its peak, over 200 trains passed through the Union Station daily. The facility experienced a period of decline and deterioration from the 1950s to the 1980s as passenger rail traffic collapsed. Community efforts starting in the 1990s led to a $250 million project to restore the station and revitalize it as a major commercial and educational center. It serves as a model for the potential of adaptive reuse in historical structures. Union Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Kansas City Union Station

In 1871, the Kansas City Stockyards opened and quickly grew to become the second-largest in the country (after Chicago). By the early 1920s, the stockyards were processing over 2.5 million cows, and about half of them were purchased for local operations in Kansas City. [1] Meat was plentiful, and barbecues were a tradition among the city’s Southern migrants who had come to work in the rail and riverboat industries after the Civil War. Hosting a barbecue at big events like church gatherings and public celebrations was a perfect way to feed large quantities of people efficiently and affordably. [2,3]Henry Perry, dubbed “The Barbecue King,” is credited with starting the first commercial barbecue enterprise in the city. [3] Perry was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and had started working as a cook on Mississippi River steamboats at the age of 15. He moved to Kansas City in 1907 and started his own small business selling cuts of barbecue wrapped in newspaper for 25 cents to workers and residents in the Garment District, at the corner of 8th and Banks Streets. Within a few years, he was able to start a restaurant called Perry’s Barbecue at 17th Street and Lydia Avenue, which then moved a few years later to 19th Street and Highland Avenue. [4] The latter restaurant was in the heart of the 18th and Vine District, a hotbed of jazz and African American prosperity during the 1920s. (See “18th and Vine Historic District” entry on Clio for more information.)By the early 1930s, there were numerous barbecue stands in the city. When Henry Perry died in 1940, his restaurant was purchased by one of his employees, Charlie Bryant. Charlie’s brother Arthur later took over.While Perry may have been Kansas City’s first barbecue restaurateur, the Bryant brothers made the barbecue business legendary. Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque is still in business today and has been described as “the single best restaurant in the world.” [2]The other leading Kansas City barbecue restaurant that opened around the same time was also directly connected to Perry's business. George and Arzelia Gates’ Ol’ Kentuck Bar-B-Q, now Gates Bar-B-Q began when Gates learned Perry’s method from one of his former employees, Arthur Pinkard. Pinkard “came with” the Ol’ Kentuck Bar-B-Q when the Gateses purchased it and served as pitmaster at the restaurant for decades. Gates Bar-B-Q has expanded to multiple locations and each has a framed photo of Pinkard.Kansas City barbecue has evolved over time to something quite a bit different from Henry Perry’s day. For one, Perry often used cheap meats from nocturnal wild animals like possum, groundhog, and raccoon. Perry’s sauce has been described as “harsh and peppery”. [2,3] It was the Bryants who changed Perry’s strong, spicy sauce to one that was sweeter, ketchup-based, and more widely palatable. This style of barbecue sauce, which often incorporates vinegar and molasses, has become Kansas City’s signature. Perry was an strong advocate of slow-cooked barbecue in open pits over hickory and oak wood, a technique adopted by many other others since. Serving up the burnt, caramelized ends of brisket resulting from this process to customers became another tradition among many Kansas City barbecuers.In 1980, a barbecue competition started at the city’s famous American Royal. The American Royal began as a livestock show that has taken place in Kansas City since 1899, but now incorporates other events such as a horse show and rodeo. The barbecue cookoff has become the world’s largest barbecue contest and has been called “The World Series of Barbecue. Over 400 teams from seven different countries competed in 2019, with a payout of over $120,000.

Henry Perry is widely regarded as the "Father of Kansas City BBQ," and this was the location of the last restaurant he operated. Given the long and storied tradition of barbecue in this city, the fact that leading restaurants from Gates to Arthur Bryant's draw their roots to Perry's shop here at 19th and Highland is a tribute not only to Perry's craft, but his influence on the next generation of cooks and restaurant operators. The practice of barbequing meats in the city can be traced all the way back to the era after the Civil War when Southern migrants came to the city looking for work. The massive Kansas City Stockyards provided huge quantities of affordable meat to the area’s residents. Henry Perry began selling barbecue wrapped in a newspaper from a cart in 1907. A few years later, he opened Perry’s Barbecue, the city’s first barbecue restaurant. Encouraged by his success, more entrepreneurs opened their own restaurants, which were frequently concentrated around the African-American community of the 18th and Vine District. Perry operated a restaurant at 17th and Lydia, about three blocks northwest before moving to 1514 East 19th Street and operating his final restaurant at 1900 Highland Avenue. Today, Kansas City is well-known for its delicious barbecue from about 100 different vendors, including Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque and Gates Bar-B-Q, who both trace their methods to Perry. The city also hosts the American Royal, the largest annual barbecue competition in the world.

Location of Henry Perry’s Barbecue; History of Kansas City BBQ

Kansas City’s first train station was in the West Bottoms area near the Missouri River. Walt Disney’s family arrived there in 1911, when they moved to Kansas City from Marceline, MO. But that location flooded periodically, and railroad leaders decided to move the city’s terminal to its current location.Union Station opened on November 1, 1914, and Walt’s life would intersect with Kansas City’s new rail hub in many ways. He secured a job as a news butcher in 1915, riding from Union Station to many destinations in Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado, selling newspapers, drinks, and candy to passengers.One of Disney’s animators and Imagineers, Ward Kimball, also spent time in Union Station as a child. After hearing the long, slow announcements of arrivals and departures in Union Station’s Grand Hall, Ward created the famous Disneyland railway announcements in the same style, which are now heard at Disney Parks around the world.Walt Disney watched his family depart from Union Station to move back to Chicago in 1917. Later, in 1922, when Walt was living at his new Laugh-O-gram Studio in order to save money, he would visit Union Station once per week to shower. And in 1923, when Laugh-O-gram when bankrupt, Disney left Union Station for California on a first-class Santa Fe train, carrying a few changes of clothes and the last film he made in Kansas City, “Alice’s Cartoonland,” which became the foundation of the entire Walt Disney company.In 2024, the Disney company selected Kansas City’s Union Station as one of only three sites nationwide to host Disney100: The Exhibition, a century-long retrospective detailing the Disney company and its history. Exhibits trace local links to Walt, including a book he may have checked out from the Kansas City Public Library on animation, and the many films and creative properties that have made Disney a beloved name worldwide.

From the time Walt Disney’s family moved to Kansas City in 1911 until the young animator left for California in 1923, Disney’s path often led him to and through Kansas City’s train stations. Walt arrived at Union Depot in the West Bottoms in 1911, and he departed Kansas City in 1923 from Union Station with a dream, a film, and not much else in his suitcase. This building played an important role in Walt’s life, from welcoming and saying goodbye to family members to one of his first jobs selling sodas and newspapers to passengers. Union Station shaped many of Walt's early memories in Kansas City influencing Disney productions and theme parks in surprising ways.

Walt Disney and Union Station

<h4>History of the KC Workhouse Castle</h4>The Kansas City Workhouse was built in 1897 to be used as a city jail for minor criminals. Following the popular Romanesque revival architectural trends of the time, as well as the idea that the medieval style imposed a sense of authority, Kansas City architects Wallace Love and James Oliver Hogg designed the prison to resemble a castle. Prisoners quarried the yellow limestone for the four-story structure, and the castle was completed at a cost of $30,000 (equivalent to over $850,000 today).1 The castle was built with the goal of reducing overcrowding and fire hazards in city prisons, and at the time of its building, the castle could house 112 men and 48 women. Prisoners at the workhouse were generally beggars, vagrants, local drunks and drug addicts (typically cocaine and opium), debtors, and other petty offenders. Beginning in 1907, the workhouse changed its mission to better reform prisoners. It was called a “House of Corrections” and sought to help the wives and children of prisoners by giving prisoners the chance to earn a fair wage.2The workhouse continued operations until it closed in 1924. Following its closure, the workhouse was repurposed over a dozen times, and at different moments, it was a city storage facility, Marine training camp, dog euthanization center, and many others. By 1972, the castle was abandoned and was left to degrade. Since then, the roof has collapsed and it was filled with trash, weeds, and graffiti. The Workhouse was listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places on Nov. 29, 2007. In 2014, the castle was cleaned and renovated for a wedding venue, and several community members and organizations are planning to open up the castle for more events.3

The Kansas City workhouse is an 1897 limestone structure that resembles a castle. The workhouse was designed by local architects A. Wallace Love and James Oliver Hog, and since the Romanesque revival style was in style at the end of the 19th century, the architects chose the medieval castle design. Although it may look like it was built for royalty, the four-story Kansas City Workhouse was originally a city jail for petty offenders, vagrants, and debtors. As such, this historic workhouse put its prisoners to work. Women sewed prison uniforms while the men labored for the city’s public works department. Prisoners even quarried the limestone used for the workhouse’s construction. By 1924, the workhouse closed and the castle served many purposes until the building was abandoned in 1972.

Kansas City Workhouse

Conceptualized by the founder of Hallmark Cards Joyce Clyde "J.C." Hall, Crown Center first opened in 1971 in an effort to revitalize the once-deteriorating district. The 3.5 acre public courtyard that is Crown Center Square was part of the original design of the Crown Center district by Edward Larrabee Barnes. Installed in 1973, the Square features landscaped terraces, walkways, and seating, and provides an area for respite and space for public events. It is also the site of the Ice Terrace ice skating rink and the Square Fountain. The Crown Center Square Fountain is made with 2,000 square feet of checkerboard patterned pavers containing 49 water jets and 48 water shooters that send water 60 feet into the air.  A 37,500-gallon underground reservoir recycles the water at a rate of 2,200 gallons per minute. Daily, the fountain presents synchronized water shows where the high pressure water jets are choreographed to music recorded by members of the Kansas City Symphony. <blockquote>Regular show schedule: </blockquote><blockquote>Weekdays: Shows at noon and on the hour from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m</blockquote><blockquote>Weekends: Shows on the hour from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m</blockquote><blockquote>Friday and Saturday: Additional show at 10 p.m</blockquote>In 2007, Crown Center’s architect Edward Larrabee Barnes (1915-2004) was posthumously awarded the American Institute of Architects highest honor of Gold Medal for his collective work in a 40-plus year career. Barnes was known for “crisp, geometric buildings in both rural and urban landscapes that didn’t call attention to themselves.” Crown Center was described by the AIA as a “low-rise commercial office complex that handsomely shapes the cityscape.”Please note: Patrons are asked to stay behind the railing and are not allowed on the surface of the fountain.

Completed in 1973, the Crown Center Square Fountain is the centerpiece of the Crown Center business and shopping district. The 2,000 square-foot playful fountain is situated in the center of a landscaped courtyard across from the entrance of the Crown Center Shops. Its ground-level surface is made of checkerboard patterned pavers with dozens of jets that shoot water spouts 60 feet into the air. Water shows are performed daily and synchronized to music recorded by members of the Kansas City Symphony.

Crown Center Square Fountain

The history of Gates Bar-B-Q is inextricably intertwined with the history of Kansas City barbeque. According to numerous sources, the franchise and Kansas City BBQ both have their roots in the work of entrepreneur Henry Perry, the self-proclaimed "Barbeque King of Kansas City." In 1907, Perry opened a stand selling smoked barbequed meat in Downtown's Garment District, before moving to 18th and Vine, where he sparked the development of hundreds of eateries. Furthermore, the article says, "in spite of it being the Jim Crow era, [Perry] consistently attracted a diverse customer base." When Perry passed away in 1940 at the age of sixty-six, his legacy gave rise to two of the longest-standing traditions of Kansas City barbeque. Perry's initial business was sold to brothers Arthur and Charlie Bryant, who would go on to found Arthur Bryant's at 18th and Brooklyn. The other side of the fork was a man named Arthur Pinkard, who would go on to become the cook at the restaurant opened by George W. Gates in 1946.The Gates franchise has had a long history of operating restaurants throughout the metro area. The original location was opened at 19th and Vine before growing popularity prompted a move to 23rd and Charlotte in 1949. In 1951, plans for further expansion saw the restaurant move back to 19th and Vine, though a fire that same year forced Gates to move his business to 24th and Brooklyn, where it would remain for much of the decade. The next big change would come in 1954 when a second restaurant was opened at 12th and Highland. Two years after that, the business rebranded to Gates &amp; Sons Bar-B-Q as George Gates' son Ollie began playing a more active role in the company, as well as opening his own restaurant/club, O.G.'s at 31st and Indiana.Over time, Ollie Gates further expanded the business, adding a Swope Parkway location in 1970 and a State Line location in 1972. The franchise also opened a Kansas City, Kansas, location in 1975 and an Independence location in 1979. However, the biggest change came in 1975, when Gates began offering a bottled version of their renowned barbeque sauce in stores across the metro. They expanded to nationwide distribution in 1983, with a manufacturing facility opening in Kansas City two years later. Though new facilities continued to spring up into the new century, the continued success of the Gate brand was tempered in 2005 by the loss of matriarch Arzelia June Smith Gates, followed by her daughter Winnifred in 2007. Through it all, the Gates family has continued to provide fantastic food and service to the Kansas City metro area.

Founded in 1946 by George W. Gates as "Gates' Famous Old Kentucky Bar-B-Q," Gates' Bar-B-Q is widely regarded as a Kansas City institution. The restaurant's original location was within what is now the 18th and Vine neighborhood. With the growing popularity of their food and barbeque sauce, the company acquired this location which is located near the company's headquarters. This location features a statue of the company's "Struttin' Man" logo, and similar to all Gates locations, guests should expect an enthusiastic "HI, MAY I HELP YOU" greeting from staff when they enter the service line. Gates has seen many iterations over its nearly 70-year history. The first location was opened at 19th and Vine, before moving several times and opening numerous other locations. Now boasting five restaurants across the Kansas City metro area, Gates' Bar-B-Q is a pillar of the culinary and social fabric of Kansas City. This restaurant at 12th and Brooklyn has been in operation since 1954.

Gates Bar-B-Q (12th & Brooklyn Location)

Lincoln Electric Park was home to a 70-seat theater, a merry-go-round, Ferris Wheel, and pavilion. It was also the site of one of the few known showings of "The Realization of a Negro’s Ambition,” the signature early film from Lincoln Motion Picture Company of Omaha. This short-lived film company is often credited as the first African American motion picture company. The Lincoln Motion Picture Company, founded in 1916 by Noble and George Johnson, produced films that showcased the work of Black writers and actors. Films such as: “The Realization of a Negro’s Ambition” (1916) and “A Trooper of Troop K” (1917) and “A Man’s Duty” (1919) were meaningful to African American audiences during a time when the majority of films dehumanized African Americans or made them perform subservient roles. Most of the company's films were shown at schools, small assembly halls, churches and a handful of Black-owned theaters.In January of 1917, Lincoln Motion Picture Company formed an agreement with Los Angeles investor P.H. Updike. Co-founder Noble Johnson left the company when he obtained a contract with Universal Pictures while, his brother, co-founder George Johnson would stay with the company and begin their grandest most elaborate project “By Right of Birth” (1921). When this film failed to make a profit, Updike ended his support of the project and the company ceased operations. One of the co-founders and President of the company, Noble Johnson, who appeared in films such as The Law of Nature (1915) and A Man’s Duty (1919) resigned from his position with the company in 1920 to pursue a career with Universal Studios. Some of his films include The Ten Commandments (1923) and King Kong (1933).

A group of local African American investors established Lincoln Electric Park in 1915 and the park operated for four or five years. During that time, this small amusement park offered a respite from the discrimination that prevented African Americans from enjoying Electric Park, Kansas city's other amusement park at 46th and the Paseo. Lincoln Electric Park was centered around a large pavilion and bandstand that offered a variety of events and entertainments, and also included a Ferris wheel, pool, and merry-go-round. On August 14, 1916, the park was home to one of the first and only public showings of Lincoln Motion Picture Company's signature film, "Realization of a Negro's Ambition." The film was a response by the Black-owned film company to the "Birth of a Nation," which presented former slaves as unworthy of full citizenship or equal rights.

 Lincoln Electric Park (1915-1919)

What was once the historic Adams Express Building, part of the Union Station complex, in Kansas City is now the home of the National Archives at Kansas City. When it opened during Memorial Day weekend in 2009, the year the National Archives and Records Administration celebrated its 75th anniversary, the 35,000-square-foot facility consisted of space for archival material, areas designated for three exhibitions, and research rooms. The Central Plains archives, the former name, were situated in a warehouse-type facility before they moved to their current location.The Adams Express Building is a part of the Union Station complex, and it served as a freight storage structure when it was built. Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt designed the building in the Beaux-Arts style around 1913-14. Hunt was known for being a supporter of the City Beautiful movement that picked up momentum in the early 20th century, and he created several railroad stations across the United States, including in Oakland, California, Dallas Texas, Joliet, Illinois, and Kansas City.The building was converted into an archival facility by the General Services Administration, which, through federal historic tax credits, was able to lease it to the National Archives. It was redesigned and modernized by Kansas City architects Peckham Guyton Albers and Viets, who strove to maintain the basic historic architectural features while creating an interior space that met the needs of the National Archives. The Union Station complex is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The National Archives at Kansas City is one of thirteen regional National Archives facilities in the nation where visitors may access federal records. In 1968, the regional archives system was created to make historic records available in the region where they originated from. The Central Plains regional archives opened the following year, beginning with 168 cubic feet of court records. It now holds more than 50,000 cubic feet of historical documents that date from the 1820s to the 1990s from Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.There are two accessible research rooms. The textual research room is for researchers working with original documents, and the nontextual research room is for utilizing online material. The archival documents include the original landmark filing of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, whimsical vintage circus posters, enemy alien documents, compensation claims that slave owners filed, and steamboat inspection records. There are also signatures from famous personalities like Harry Truman, Thomas Edison, Leon Trotsky, Johnny Carson, and Thurgood Marshall.At the National Archives in Kansas City, visitors can schedule guided tours, for groups no larger than twelve people, during weekdays. Larger group tours are also offered. With something for everyone, the archives host author lectures, keynote speakers, and special exhibits. The archives also host a variety of public programs throughout the year, including workshops on genealogy, research in archives, student internships, and facility tours. This state-of-the-art facility serves historians, genealogists, journalists, educators, students, lawyers, and others who are interested in exploring historical information related to the Central Plains region.

The National Archives at Kansas City is located in the old Adams Express Building and is one of the thirteen regional archives in the United States. This branch holds historical documents from Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The records include maps, journals, artifacts, and drawings from close to one hundred federal agencies. The archives are open to visitors at no charge, and it is also filled with interactive exhibits for people of all ages. Researchers can make an appointment in the facility's research rooms to explore the treasure trove that exists in the archives.

National Archives at Kansas City

Prior to 1837, Independence, Missouri - twelve miles downriver, or east, of Westport Landing - was the principal jumping off point of the trails. However, in that year, when the Westport Landing was begun by some enterprising young entrepreneurs, Independence would be supplanted. This was because the Westport Landing and the town of Westport made the access to the trailheads closer and now cheaper to ship people and cargo. From then on, the Westport Landing, to later be referred to as the Town of Kansas, along with the town of Westport were the destination of the hundreds of thousands looking for new life and riches in the American west. It was the coming of the railroad that would end the thirty-year boom period of this overland trail system, and largely the topic of this presentation.By 1860 federal surveyors had mapped five rail routes to the Pacific for consideration by the Congress and the president. President Lincoln chose a route from Omaha, Nebraska for the first rail line to reach the West Coast. At the time Kansas City had no real rail access lines and the lack of a bridge across the Missouri blocked its path forward for any real consideration. Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. senator for Missouri and granduncle to the painter of the same name would say,<blockquote>“America’s destiny hinges on building a railroad out where steamboats can not go. Immigrants would flock upon it as pigeons to the roosts, tear open the bosom of the virgin soil and spring into existence the long line of farms, homes, towns, and villages, of orchards, field, or churches…to the Pacific.”</blockquote>For Kansas City to realize its piece of this vision, and to go from a squalid river town into a major commercial center, came down to two words – The Bridge.Kansas City exited the Civil War in 1865 as a divided and bloodied community of a few thousand people. Just a year before the North and South clashed here in the largest engagement west of the Mississippi leaving thousands of dead and wounded. For years to come Unionists would live off Main Street on avenues named Pennsylvania, Broadway, and Washington. Southerners favored roads east with signs of Oak, Walnut and Locust. The streets were muddy morasses beaten down by hooves of mules and wagons with the air reeking of garbage and manure. Observed one visitor,<blockquote>“The streets crossed at angles as regular as zig-zag lightning chasing amatory tomcats. Sidewalks were dusty planks so slippery after a drizzle that folks stepped along with arms outstretched, like tightrope artist. Red shirts, bowie knives and pistols openly worn were everywhere among the countless saloons and brothels.” </blockquote>Despite the look and smell of the place civic boosters like John Calvin McCoy, Kersey Coates and Robert Van Horn continued to urge the eastern venture capitalist and government to look past the filth of the place and see its future potential. Van Horn moved to Kansas City from Ohio in 1855 and bought a newspaper from which he shouted about the town’s bright prospects. In one of his first columns he wrote,<blockquote>“Kansas City is by the laws of God and physical geography the great commercial port of the plains ….and nothing but a disruption of nature can stay her destiny.”</blockquote>Van Horn and the other civic boosters including Charles E. Kearney and lawyer John W. Reid, made the first bridge and rail crossing across Missouri their number one priority. Through their lobbying and cajoling by 1865 Kansas City could claim a few rail routes on the river’s south bank. The Kansas Pacific stretched west to Topeka where work was just beginning to connect with the cattle drives coming up from Texas. This would later be the heart of the city’s meat packing industry in the West Bottoms.

Welcome to the Jackson County Historical Society’s walking tour of Kansas City’s historic riverfront. Here the streetcar line begins at the base of Grand Avenue. Looking north to the river is the original rocky ledge landing that was called Westport Landing. Here between 1837 and 1865 steamboats would pull up to the levee and offload the people and goods heading westward overland on the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails. The starting point of this combined trail system of more than 5000 miles, was the town of Westport, three miles to the south of this point. (For more on the period, read the historic markers located along Riverfront Park beginning in front of you at the station.)

KC Streetcar Riverfront Stop

These words as elements of truth as the effect of the bridge on the town was immediate and dramatic in both growth and capital investment. In the first year of the bridge’s opening a quarter-million travelers passed through the town, including 70,000 by train. A population of 4,000 in 1865 grew to 32,000 within five years. A Main Street lot worth $400 in 1856 sold for $11,000 in 1871. The soon newly constructed Union Depot became one of the busiest train stations in the nation, and boxcar after boxcar loaded with cattle pulled into the meat packing plants in the West Bottoms. Nevertheless, wealth made the town bawdier and even more riotous. The city directory listed 80 saloons and half as many brothels. To writer Charles Gleed, Kansas City at the time, <blockquote>“Was a sight to make granite eyes shed tears. The population of the city included as fine a collection of ruffian brotherhood and sisterhood of the wild West that could well be imagined. Renegade Indians, demoralized soldiers, unrepentant bushwhackers, and border ruffians, thieves, and thugs imports from everywhere, professional train robbers of home growth and all kinds of human wreckage from the Civil War.”  </blockquote>Their hands full city leaders immediately began turning their attention to the infrastructure needed for a modern metropolis including new laws, fire, police, transportation, boulevards, parks, and roads. No single one of their numerous city road projects was more dramatic than the one that began right where you are standing. For decades, the area by the original Westport Landing was known by the locals as Gully Town. For millennia, the river had built up a mound of silt in places along this three mile stretch of river that could be as high as an eight-story building. Rocks, trees, and vines crisscrossed through narrow gullies that had been carved out to access the old steamboat landing site and its nearby market stalls. These narrow passages, which became impassable after rains and with houses precariously perched on their edges, had to be dug out by hand to get to the more level ground of the growing city proper to the south beyond.. Said city leader Colonel Theodore S. Case, <blockquote>“As late as 1870 the site of our town was ridiculous. It was a standing news story that several individuals had been killed by falling off the bluffs in the main part of town onto the roofs of four-story buildings below.”</blockquote>Largely with the labor of Irish and German immigrants’ tons upon tons of soil and rock were removed with shovels and pick. By hand and mule, the earth was pushed south and graded smooth to make today’s city streets of Grand, Main, Delaware, Wyandotte and Broadway; the area immediately south of the Riverfront Streetcar Station. In 1980 local historian Carrie Westlake Whitney who witnessed these changes wrote, <blockquote>“But the old Kansas City has almost vanished and it is essential to have a sense of Kansas City as it was in order to help the older inhabitants to recall the changes and to make the present and future generations appreciate what immense labor was required and what great energy was necessary to develop the topography of the town.” </blockquote>The Jackson County Historical Society hopes you have enjoyed this brief audio history. Please continue along the streetcar line with us as this tour continues this fascinating story along major districts of Kansas City including the River Market, downtown’s Library District, Union Station, Union Cemetery and Westport. For more information about the Jackson County Historical Society, visit jchs.org.

Spanning the Missouri River with a rail line was the problem, and Leavenworth, Kansas 35 miles upriver of Kansas City were the city booster’s biggest competitor for these rights. In 1866 through slick maneuvering by Kearney with eastern railroad investors, and even slighter of hand by Van Horn in Congress to secure federal authorization, Kansas City would outdo Leavenworth. Now all the city leadership had to do was secure the design and capital required to span the river that many predicted could not be crossed.They persisted and construction of the Hannibal Bridge started in 1867 and its quarter mile span was completed in 1869. The bridge, the only one crossing the Missouri until 1870, was designed by the French engineer Octave Chanute who would also go on to design the Kansas City Stockyards and later become a pioneer in aviation. Considered at the time state of the art engineering, the rail and pedestrian bridge was a swing configuration that could open in under two minutes to allow steamboat traffic to pass. Construction cost $1 million (equivalent to $21.8 million in today’s dollars). Severely damaged in a tornado in 1886, a second Hannibal was built near the first. Despite the construction of many other bridges across the Missouri, the lower deck of the second Hannibal Bridge is still used today for railroad traffic and is the first bridge visible downstream from the site of the Riverfront Streetcar Station. At the bridge's opening booster Kersey Coates bragged, <blockquote>“One day Kansas City is going to home of the most important industrial and shipping centers in the nation …. because that is what we are going to make her.”</blockquote>

Riverfront Heritage Trail

The French were the first people to have taken notice of the land that would become the Westport Landing, French fur traders had made the trip up the Missouri River to penetrate further into the Native lands to gather more pelts to send back to France. Auguste Chateau, a wealthy citizen of St. Louis established a trading post in the area and his sons would be the first to settle the area. Lewis and Clark would stay within the area on their trip West and during the return trip, would stop at the future site of the Landing. The first person to have a grander vision of the land would be John Calvin McCoy.McCoy would build a fir outpost around the city he would call Westport. Westport is about four miles south of the Westport Landing. Upon the death of the owner of the land that would become the Landing and Kansas City, that owner being Gabriel Prudhomme, McCoy would begin to build a road that would stretch from the Landing to his town of Westport. McCoy would form a company along with William Chick, William Sublette, and 11 other people in the area, this company was the town company, and upon the death of the owner of the land that would become the Landing and Kansas City, that owner being Gabriel Prudhomme, McCoy, and the town company would purchase his land and begin to build a road that would stretch from the Landing to his town of Westport. The company platted out land for a town they would call Kansas.The first Steamboat to land at the Landing would be the John Hancock, carrying goods for McCoy. Kansas would become a major stop for emigrants looking to go West and the town would feature stores that would supply the people looking to go West, who would come by steamboat to set off by wagon to the West. The next big wave of people coming through the Landing would be after the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, causing an influx of people coming to the state of Kansas to decide its future with slavery. The town of Kansas sat on the border of the state of Kansas and the Landing would see many disembark on its banks to travel to Kansas to decide the issue of slavery.Westport Landing would fall out of favor as the spot to enter Kansas City with the advent of the train and later the automobile, more streets would be built, and its use would fall away with the steamboat. Westport Landing is now the site of parks, and the area around has turned into a bustling area of economics, from the apartments, restaurants, and stores that sit around the former hotspot of transportation in the area.

A new city would be founded in the middle of the 19th century, South of the Kansas River’s confluence with the Missouri River, this new city, Westport, would need a place for people and goods to be able to enter and leave the new town. The spot for this would be what is known as the River Landing, a wide piece of land that would be the site for the supply of the new city. The Landing would serve the growth of the West as it was a destination for people seeking to go West on the trails that ran through the area. Eventually, as boat travel diminished, the area around the landing would develop into a diverse spot for immigrants to live and work in, thus paving the way for its current situation in the area.

Westport Landing

Arthur Bryant’s history begins in 1908 when the future father of Kansas City BBQ, Henry Perry, began serving cuts of meat that were available at low costs using his unique preparation methods that added flavor while making tougher cuts more tender. With some of the largest slaughterhouses in the world just miles away, Perry was able to acquire cuts of meat like brisket and ribs that were often discarded. Perry trained many of Kansas City's future BBQ legends, including Arthur Bryant and George Gates who began Gates BBQ. Perry later opened a restaurant at 18th and Euclid where he trained many of Kansas City's future barbeque masters, including brothers Charlie and Arthur Bryant. Charlie entered the barbeque business as a proprietor in 1940, followed by Arthur six years later. Recognizing the potential of this location owing to its proximity to Municipal Stadium, Arthur Bryant moved the business here in 1949.Mr. Perry made BBQ famous in Kansas City by adding and incorporating different ingredients and smoking styles, using a combination of slow smoking with a vinegar-based sauce and a host of secret spices. After Perry's death, Arthur Bryant bought the business and moved it to this location in 1949, hoping to serve the diverse populations who came to the area to enjoy baseball and football games at Municipal Stadium.The restaurant was not only a culinary landmark but also a place where diverse people dined with each other. And even if they did not always share the same table, this proximity was a step forward within a heavily segregated city. As a result, this restaurant was sometimes the site of civil rights gatherings in the 60's and 70's. Leaders would meet to discuss events and community gatherings. With the restaurant being so close to Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium, the restaurant quickly became a cultural hub for players and fans until 1976, when the new stadium complex was built. In many ways, the history of Arthur Bryant's is the history of Kansas City.Famous patrons who have dined here include Presidents Jimmy Carter, Harry Truman, and Barack Obama, as well as actors and directors like Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg. For Kansas City civil rights activists, food and fellowship have gone hand in hand. For many Kansas City residents, including African Americans, cooking and creating BBQ has been key to commercial success.

The history of Arthur Bryant's is closely connected to the larger history of Kansas City. One of the oldest and most influential restaurants in establishing the unique flavor of Kansas City barbeque, Arthur Bryant’s dates back to 1908 when Henry Perry began serving barbecued meats from a cart in Kansas City's Garment District. In the decades that followed, Charlie and Arthur Bryant learned the craft while working for Perry. In 1949, Arthur Bryant established this restaurant which quickly established a strong reputation among diverse groups of Kansas City residents. The restaurant's fame spread following a 1972 article by food critic Calvin Trillin that declared Arthur Bryant's "the single best restaurant in the world." In the decades that followed, American Presidents, politicians, civil rights leaders, actors, and athletes from all around the United States and the world have made a pilgrimage to experience what some consider to be the best BBQ ribs in the world.

Arthur Bryant's BBQ

<h4>Brief History of the Kansas City Stockyards</h4>The history of the Kansas City Stockyards is as old as the city itself. This is because the Kansas City area was known as the gateway to the west, and along the Sante Fe Trail, thousands of cattle were moving from Texas to markets in the east. In the 1840s and late ‘60s, Native Americans, squatters, and farmers were converging in the West Bottoms to trade livestock, flour, furs, and more. Anticipating a further increase in trading, local businessmen constructed 11 pens, 15 unloading chutes, and a pair of Fairbanks scales in 1870. That same year, over 100,000 cattle were moved with those limited facilities. By 1871, the “Kansas Stock Yards Company” came into being. From there, the stockyards grew immensely over the years, acquiring more land and trading hundreds of thousands of livestock.1Kansas City grew around the stockyards, and towards the end of the 19th century, about 90-percent of the value in Kansas City lay in the West Bottoms. The stockyards continued to flourish, surviving floods and fires, and building the nine-story Livestock Exchange (at the time of its building in 1911, it was the tallest building in the world). In 1929, for example, around 2,179,000 head of cattle and 4,151,000 hogs were sold through the stockyard. Activity peaked in the 1940s with over $350 million in exchange every year.2 Unfortunately, the great flood of 1951 had devastating effects on the stockyard; many packing plants closed and farmers and ranchers began negotiating directly with packers or through small regional auction barns. Nonetheless, the stockyards continued for another 40 years after the flood, closing in 1991.

This historic Kansas City landmark was constructed between 1909 and 1911. The building serves as the headquarters of the Kansas City Stockyards which was once the second-biggest stockyard in the United States, trailing only behind the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. Founded in 1870, and operating until it closed in 1991, the Kansas City stockyards and its Live Stock Exchange Building were essential to the economic growth of the city, providing livestock owners with the best prices for their cattle. Beginning in 1899, the stockyards began what is known today as the American Royal Livestock and Horse Show. At the height of its operations, between 1911 and the devastating flood of 1951, the stockyards sold millions of cattle, including cows, hogs, sheep, horses, and many other animals. The Livestock Exchange, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands as a monument of the growth, development, and decline of Kansas City and its livestock industry. The building has been home to the Golden Ox steakhouse, an iconic Kansas City establishment, since 1949.

Kansas City Live Stock Exchange

West Bottoms overview here... Dick Brothers Brewing Company of Quincy Illinois was the first out-of-town brewery to create a depot at the northeast corner of 10th and Mulberry.

In 1877, Jacob Rieger established a distillery across from the Livestock Exchange that would grow to become the largest mail-order distributor of whiskey in the United States. J. Rieger &amp; Co. operated until prohibition in 1919.

J. Rieger & Co. (1877-1919)

Of the millions of soldiers who perished during World War I, 441 were from Kansas City. Residents of the community proved eager to commemorate the conflict. In late 1918, shortly after the November 11 armistice ending active combat, prominent citizens of Kansas City organized the Liberty Memorial Association (LMA) to build a war memorial. The organization was led by noted local businessman and philanthropist Robert A. Long. The group launched a wildly successful fundraising campaign: in the span of ten days, over $2.5 million was raised through 83,000 individual donations. The Kansas City economy was booming during the early twentieth century, which made such large-scale public projects financially feasible.The LMA selected architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle and the firm of Wight and Wight to design what became known as the Liberty Memorial. They developed a limestone and granite complex consisting of a courtyard, a “Memory Hall” on the east side, and a “Museum Building” on the west side. The centerpiece was an imposing, 217-foot shaft. At the top was an electric light designed to resemble a fire, dubbed the “Flame of Inspiration.” It was flanked by four statues representing the guardian spirits of Honor, Courage, Sacrifice, and Patriotism. The memorial drew from elements of Greek, Gothic, Beaux Arts Classicism, and Egyptian Revival architecture. Planners chose to locate the complex on parkland directly across from Union Station, which at the time was a major transportation hub and would bring the monument plenty of exposure.Construction of the Liberty Memorial began with a lavish groundbreaking ceremony on November 1, 1921. More than 100,000 people attended the proceedings. The event was notable for having military leaders from every major Allied nation serve as dignitaries: American General John J. Pershing, British Admiral Lord Beatty, French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Italian General Armando Diaz, and Belgian Lieutenant General Baron Jacques. The monument was completed in 1926 and formally dedicated on November 11 in another major ceremony that drew over 150,000 people. President Calvin Coolidge delivered the keynote address, with Queen Marie of Romania as his special guest. During the 1930s, landscaping, memorial trees, fountains, and friezes were added to the memorial site.<blockquote>“It [The Liberty Memorial] has not been raised to commemorate war and victory, but rather the results of war and victory which are embodied in peace and liberty." -President Calvin Coolidge, Dedication Speech, November 11, 1926.</blockquote>By the late twentieth century, lack of maintenance had left the memorial physically unstable, and in 1994 it was closed for safety reasons. In 1998, Kansas City passed a limited-run sales tax to raise money for the memorial’s restoration. When combined with funding from the State of Missouri, the federal government, and private donors, over $102 million was raised for the project. The renovations that followed also included the creation of a formal museum on the site; over the years, the Liberty Memorial had acquired tens of thousands of World War I artifacts. Located primarily underneath the structure, the new museum facilities were designed by Ralph Applebaum Associates and added 80,000 square-feet of space for new exhibits. The expansion also included the creation of the Edward Jones Research Center, which contains over 300,000 documents available to the public for research. In 2000, with the renovations underway, Liberty Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Congress designated the Liberty Memorial as the official World War I museum of the United States in 2004 as part of a 2005 defense spending bill. This designation prompted the institution to rebrand itself as the National World War I Museum and Memorial upon its reopening in 2006. That same year, it was listed as a National Historic Landmark.Today, the museum works to preserve the Liberty Memorial, interpret the history of World War I, and showcase thousands of artifacts to the public. A series of permanent and rotating exhibits, many with interactive and audiovisual features, take an immersive look into everything from the first shots fired in 1914 to the long-lasting effects of the war after the Treaty of Versailles. Artifacts range from typical equipment carried by soldiers to a full-sized French Renault FT-17 tank.

The World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City Missouri, is recognized by the United States government as the nation's official World War I museum. The landmark began as the Liberty Memorial, a monument created from 1921-1926 to honor Kansas City residents who had died during the war. The memorial was the product of tremendous community organization. Prominent locals operated a planning community, and city residents crowdfunded over $2.5 million for the project in less than two weeks. The monument draws from various architectural styles, including Beaux Arts Classicism and Egyptian Revival, and features an illuminated, 217-foot, limestone shaft at the center. Renovations starting in 1998 included the expansion of a World War I museum underneath the monument. It reopened in 2006 as the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The museum portion of the complex includes thousands of artifacts as well as the Edward Jones Research Center. The Liberty Memorial is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated National Historic Landmark.

National World War I Museum and Memorial

Boulevard Brewing Company

The following history of the American Royal comes from the organization's website:"The American Royal began in a tent in the Kansas City Stockyards as a national Hereford Show.&nbsp; This show has grown into the annual American Royal Livestock show drawing&nbsp; owner/breeders, future business and agriculture leaders (high school and collegiate), and animal enthusiasts from across the country.&nbsp; <div>&nbsp;</div><div>The first American Royal horse show was added in 1905, and has grown to include five shows (Quarter Horse, Hunter-Jumper, Arabian, Saddle Horse and a Youth Show).&nbsp; The horse shows draw horse-enthusiasts, owners, trainers, grooms and riders nationwide from 36 states and Canada.&nbsp; The UPHA/American Royal National Championship Horse Show was voted best horse show in the country in 2002, by the UPHA (United Professional Horseman’s Association).&nbsp;</div><div> The American Royal grew to include a rodeo in 1949 with the first PRCA-sanctioned rodeo&nbsp;being held&nbsp;in 1976.&nbsp; The American Royal Pro Rodeo was voted one of the top five rodeos in the country in 2004 and again in 2011 by the PRCA.&nbsp; The 2011 American Royal Pro Rodeo&nbsp;was also&nbsp;awarded the PRCA “Remuda” Award. The prestigious award, created by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2004, is given to the organization which provides the most elite pen of rodeo stock. The American Royal joins a group of the top rodeos who have received this award.&nbsp;&nbsp;In conjunction with the rodeo, the Royal&nbsp;hosts some of the country’s top music entertainers and has recently presented Reba, Lynyrd Skynyrd,&nbsp;Gary Allan&nbsp;and Dierks Bentley to name a few.&nbsp; In 1995, the Royal also&nbsp;began hosting&nbsp;an Invitational Youth Rodeo, drawing top youth competitorss from throughout the Midwest who are selected to compete through their leadership, academics, community service, and rodeo expertise.</div><div> The American Royal World Series of Barbecue® has continued to grow since the inaugural event was held in 1980.&nbsp; Spreading over 54 acres in Kansas City’s historic Stockyards District, and with&nbsp;over 500 teams competing in four meat categories, The Royal is the largest barbecue contest in the world. Combine this with a barbecue-related trade expo, this four-day food festival is truly the World Series of Barbecue®! &nbsp;In 2011, this event was voted Favorite Family Festival/Event by Kansas City Visitors' Choice.&nbsp; The Barbecue, according to best-selling author Patricia Schultz, has been designated as one of 1,000 Places to See in the United States &amp; Canada Before You Die."</div><div></div>

A Kansas City tradition since 1899, the American Royal sponsors rodeos, livestock shows, BBQ contests, ranch camps for children, and other exhibitions and competitions. The organization also offers tours of its museum as well as educational programs and community entertainment.

The American Royal Museum and Visitors Center

9th Street between State Line and Genessee on 9th Street was known as “The Wettest Block in the World” fthe wettest block in the world following Kansas prohibition with 23/24 buildings on the north and south side of 9th Street being saloons or liquor stores.Building at SW corner of 9th and State was constructed by Pabst Brewery in 1911. St Louis Ave and State Line, about a block south, was home to Joseph Schlitz Brewing depot.

West Bottoms and The Wettest Block in the World

Missouri was a long time frontier for the French monarchy as it looked to expand its colonial empire west beyond the Mississippi River. Many explorers and traders were sent by the French up the Missouri River to establish presence and trade with Native peoples and the Spanish in Santa Fe. Though several made it past the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers where Kansas City stands today, no permanent settlement for the French crown was founded west of central Missouri. The French Commandant of the Missouri mentioned in the marker is Étienne de Veniard Sieur de Bourgmont. He used Fort Orleans near the mouth of Grand River in central Missouri as his headquarters until his return to France in 1725. Bourgmont regularly traveled to and beyond the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers. His expeditions were heavily influential for the creation of the Santa Fe trail.The settlement mentioned in the marker as being founded in the early 1800’s was Chez les Canses, which was first settled in 1799. These French settlers found themselves to be apart from the United States in wake of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Inhabitants of the village were involved in farming and some level of the fur trade with Francois Chouteau’s trading post that was founded in 1821. Nothing is left of the original village after its destruction by flooding in 1844.The text of this historical marker reads as follows:<blockquote>One of America’s oldest and most prestigious livestock expositions, the American Royal, is situated in the very spot where Kansas City, the gateway to the agricultural West, had its beginnings. This little French-speaking enclave below the imposing bluffs, still today sometimes called the French Bottoms, was settled in the very early 1800’s by French-Indians who came down from the Northern Missouri River with their Blackfoot wives. They were part of the genesis of the vast cornucopia of riches of food and fiber which was to become the American West.</blockquote><blockquote>A Kansas City architectural historian surmised that at least some of the French cabins were of typical French “poteaux en terre” construction, i.e., upright posts in the ground, with thatched roofs. They were probably situated on narrow strips, as in France, Canada, and Saint Louis, using the arpent of “Paris Acre” measurement of land.</blockquote><blockquote>Using the 1841 map of Fr. Point, the French-speaking parish priest, we can compare the present day locations of the American Royal buildings vis-à-vis the French settles’ farms. The Prudhomme/Mercier plot would have been nearest to the American Royal/Kemper Arena complex. Nearer the “bulls on the hill” at Genessee Street – I-670 intersection was the little farmstead of Edouard. Straggling on to the North were those of the Bowirds, LaGautheries, Trembles, and Philberts and the Tugeons and Etues were nearby.</blockquote><blockquote>The French Commandant of the Missouri, referring to the general area from present Kansas City on Westward said, circa 1717: “This is the finest country and the most beautiful in the world; the prairies are like the seas, and filled with wild animals, especially oxen (buffalo), cattle, hind and stag, in such quantities as to surpass the imagination.”</blockquote><blockquote>These country French had week “bals” where the tasty pot de boullion and friendly cup of wine went round and the chansons and fiddles and laughter rang out. But after the great flood of 1844, all was washed away, and the village priest said that all one could hear wafting up from the little French clearings were the songs of the birds and the chattering of the squirrels.</blockquote>

Commonly referred to as the West Bottoms, the French Bottoms was the general location of the French speaking village of Chez les Canses, the first permanent White settlement in the modern day Kansas City. First settled in 1799, the village only stood for a few decades before being washed away by a flood in 1844. Into the late 1800s, this area became a commercial hub with the newly built Union Depot and stockyards. This historical marker was removed in 2018 for new construction at this location and is awaiting a permanent home.

BWR - MASTER TOUR OF KC Metro

Grand Plaza, Union Station

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information