Kansas City Streetcar History Tour

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1. The Kangaroo (1938)

A malt shop that was frequented by the University of Kansas City students, the Kangaroo was established by Abby Abercrombie and Bill Buffe in 1938 to offer a venue for UKC students who lacked a Student Union at that time. The Kangaroo offered a live music jam session on Thursday afternoons that attracted KCU students and Southwest High School students and included a variety of musicians who earned money by playing gigs, including the up-and-coming local saxophonist Charlie Parker. Parker would become widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th century, but in 1938, he and other members of Jay McShann's band performed here when they weren't entertaining crowds at the larger venues with their bandleader. The 1939 University yearbook included a collage of images from jazz scenes, including a photo of an 18-year-old Charlie Parker playing at the Kangaroo. The university was segregated at that time, and the Kangaroo was open to white students. The photo is the only known image of Parker playing the alto saxophone in Kansas City prior to his move to New York and international fame.

2. Mill Creek Park Fountain

Mill Creek Park fountain (formerly known as the J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain) was brought from New York to Kansas City in 1951 by the Nichols family and is now one of the 48 city-owned fountains. The ornate fountain was designed and cast in France in 1910 for New York financier and telegraph mogul Clarence Mackay who was also a leading collector of fine art and Renaissance armor. The cast bronze fountain features four horsemen, representing the world’s four mightiest rivers, surrounded by four smaller sculptures of children playing on fish. One of these small fish sculptures had been sold prior to the demolition of Mackay's estate in 1947, so a replica of the fish was commissioned so that the fountain would match its original appearance when it arrived in Kansas City. The fountain was refurbished, installed, and dedicated to J. C. Nichols in 1960. The missing fish was eventually found and installed in a 2014 renovation. In recent years, city leaders have begun a process of recognizing the influence of J.C. Nichols in shaping the city in both positive and negative ways, including his use of racially restrictive covenants to bar African American and Jewish residents from his residential and commercial developments. In an effort to show that Kansas City parks are open to all, city leaders voted unanimously to rename the fountain on June 30, 2020.

3. Community Church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1940 and constructed the following year, Community Church is Wright's only non-residential building in Kansas City. The congregation dates back to the late 19th century with the formation of a youth mission that grew to become a small congregation by 1890. After a fire in 1939 completely burned the church's building, the lead pastor contacted the famed architect who incorporated a variety of his design aesthetics and modern materials, including prefabricated materials and concrete. The architect worked to blend modern elements into the area's natural landscape, with building lines and other features that evolved from his "Usonian Model."

4. Katz Drug Store (1934-1971)

The largest drugstore in the world when it opened in 1934, this former flagship store of the Katz chain remains an iconic Westport landmark. The company was founded by brothers Mike and Ike Katz, who hailed from a small village in Ukraine. Their family immigrated to the United States and settled in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the pair grew up selling goods along the railroads. Upon moving to Kansas City, the pair opened a fruit stand in the West Bottoms district and later expanded to operate two stores. In the next two decades, the company prospered, leading to the creation of this flagship store in the heart of the Great Depression that soon became a hub of the Westport neighborhood. The Katz chain offered everything from a pharmacy and soda fountain to home appliances and pet monkeys. This store operated as a Skaggs Drug Company operation following a 1971 merger, and this location eventually became an Osco owned by CVS Corp. In 2011, the property was bought by a church and was later acquired by Lux Living developers from St. Louis, Missouri. As of 2024, the company is transforming the building into an apartment complex while preserving many of the unique exterior features of the store, including the iconic clock tower.

5. The Netherland (aka Netherlands Hotel, Tocoma, and Hawthorn Plaza)

The construction of this apartment-hotel in 1928 coincided with a city-wide population boom, as well as an influx of wealthy and upwardly mobile middle-class residents in Kansas City's Hyde Park neighborhood. With easy access to streetcars and a vibrant neighborhood, this building, known as the Tocoma, Netherlands Hotel, and Hawthorn Plaza over the next century, began as one of several luxury apartment-hotels constructed in the area during the 1920s. The historic building demonstrates the popularity of the Spanish Revival style of architecture at this time in Kansas City. Renowned architect Robert F. Gornall designed the building, which also incorporates both Moorish and Baroque elements. In 2013, the building was included on lists of endangered historic structures, but thanks to the efforts of preservationists and investors, the building once again serves as a residence and hotel for the same reasons as it did a century before- a vibrant neighborhood and streetcar line.

6. Goodenow Textiles Company Building

Constructed in 1930, the Goodenow Textiles Company Building represented the growth of a family business from a small operation in 1909 to one doing upwards of $100 million in business by 1945. The company focused on undergarments and hosiery, and its growth mirrored that of the garment industry in Kansas City. The company's growth also mirrored the mass adoption of standardized undergarments around the time of World War I when the mass-produced, one-piece, elastic-banded underwear commonly worn today regardless of social and financial status became more common. This production facility was designed with design ideas of the Progressive-Era; with a factory that allowed for plenty of light and offered workers a better environment with the goal of increasing production as a result of the better workspace.

7. Row House Buildings

Missouri and Kansas added several thousands of miles of railway tracks during the 1880s, which coincided with a population boom for the Kansas City area. Construction of the Row House Buildings occurred in 1888 at the height of the boom (and just before a bust put a damper on the growth during the following decade). The population boom also coincided with a building boom, much of it predicated on out-of-town speculators investing in Kansas City construction. Although a railway laborer technically built The Row House Building, it's likely he served as a representative for one of those out-of-town speculators. The Row House Buildings existed as one of several row house structures to emerge during the 1880s in Kansas City, many of which enjoyed a Queen Anne design; very few have survived into the twenty-first century.

8. Pla-Mor Ballroom (1927-1951)

The Pla-Mor Ballroom was a popular jazz venue and entertainment complex that operated from 1927 to 1951. The legendary Kansas City venue opened on Thanksgiving 1927 to a crowd of 4,000 patrons who came out to dance to the sounds of the Jean Goldkette Orchestra.1 The Pla-Mor was home to more than music, and the complex claimed to be the largest indoor amusement center in the country in the 1920s, offering a bowling alley and billiards room underneath the ballroom and an ice hockey rink next door.4 In 1931 the Pla-Mor complex added the largest swimming pool west of the Mississippi.4 During its heyday the Ballroom welcomed jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra. The popularity of the Pla-Mor ballroom declined in the 1940s as suburbanization drew populations out of the city and ballroom entertainment became less attractive. The ballroom permanently closed in 1951 with other attractions at the Pla-Mor complex following soon after. in 1971 the site was demolished and replaced by a car dealership. 4

9. Willows Maternity Sanitarium (1905-1969)

Now home to an apartment complex, this was the location of the Willows Maternity Sanitarium from 1908 until 1969. This home for unwed mothers was one of many maternity homes in Kansas City, which was nicknamed the “adoption hub” of the United States owing to Missouri's unique adoption laws that provided simplicity and privacy for mothers and the adopting parents. Tens of thousands of mothers came to Kansas City in the first half of the 20th century owing to the existence of numerous institutions like Willows Maternity Sanitarium, as well as partnerships between social services organizations and Kansas City hospitals. The Willows and its owners, Edwin P. and Cora May Haworth, earned a reputation for kindness, first-class medical care, and exceptional accommodations for the young women under their care. These factors distinguished the Willows from many other maternity homes, but still, nearly all of the estimated thirty thousand women who entered this facility left alone as nearly all of the babies born here were placed for adoption.

10. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and Money Museum

Originally located downtown, the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank has continued to serve several states throughout the Midwest and Southwest since 1907. The Federal Reserve is one of the most important financial institutions in the country that regulates and controls the flow of money. Due to growing responsibilities at the Kansas City branch, a new building was constructed in 2008. Located inside the bank, the Money Museum features President Truman’s extensive coin collection and offers free, self-guided tours where guests have the unique opportunity to get their hands on a solid gold bar, setting the Kansas City Federal Reserve apart from other banks.

11. National World War I Museum and Memorial

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.

12. Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain

Built in 2001 by the designers of Las Vegas's famous Bellagio Hotel fountains, the Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain features 232 water jets and performs a five minute show every 30 minutes. The fountain was given by and is named for well known Kansas City businessman and philanthrope Henry Bloch, who was the co-founder of the premier tax preparation company H&R Block. Bloch is also known for his charitable contributions and commitment to improving the quality of life in the greater Kansas City area.

13. Kansas City Union Station

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.

14. The Rieger Hotel Building

Built in 1915 as one of three hotels in this part of Kansas City that catered to traveling workers, the Rieger Hotel was developed by Alexander Rieger, son of Jacob Rieger and founder of Rieger & Co. distillery. The hotel accommodated traveling businessmen, workers, and other individuals needing long-term but temporary accommodations during an era that saw the growth of industry in Kansas City. The hotel was open for only a few, short years before prohibition created a challenge for the family business and Alexander responded by closing the hotel and establishing a bank. The building changed hands several times over the years, accommodating a variety of businesses, including storefronts on the first floor and apartments on the upper stories. In a nod to the building's connection to the Rieger distillery, the building was home to The Rieger restaurant on the first floor and the speakeasy-themed bar Manifesto that occupied the basement.

15. Jackson County Democratic Club (Tom Pendergast Headquarters)

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.

16. Monroe Hotel Building

When the Monroe Hotel opened in 1921, it was one of many hotels in the area that catered to the needs of traveling workers following the relocation of Union Station from the West Bottoms. The hotel filled a need for affordable accommodations and housed mostly single workers and traveling salesmen as it was within walking distance to the rail station and other businesses in the area, including restaurants, barbershops, drug stores, and post office. In the years that followed, the hotel also accommodated many guests of political machine boss Tom Pendergast, especially after he purchased the building in 1924. A couple years later, Pendergast built the Jackson County Democratic Club in the adjacent lot which included a doorway between his second level office and the hotel. The door was sealed in 1939 after orders from a Federal judge following Pendergast's release from prison. The hotel stayed in operation until 1971 and was later renovated into luxury condominiums.

17. George Hierb’s Main Street Brewery; Muehlebach Brewery (1869-1929)

In 1870, Swiss brothers George and John Muehlebach created one of Kansas City’s longest-running Kansas City breweries after purchasing George Hierb’s Main Street Brewery which was located here at the corner of 18th Street and Main Street. Hierb's brewery grew from a small shack producing beer in the mid-1860s to a sizeable plant that produced 3,000 barrels per year by 1869. This acquisition was part of the George Muehlebach Brewing Company's pattern of expansion that included the construction of a Romanesque brewhouse at this site that soon became known as the “Beer Castle.” That investment increased production at this site to 100,000 barrels per year by 1911. The Muehlebach brothers kept the Main Street Brewery title from their purchase in 1870 until 1884. After that time, the business saw several name changes that reflected the growth of Muehleback and the value of that brand in Kansas City and surrounding communities. When the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banned the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States, the 18th and Main location closed in 1929 despite Muehlebach’s attempts to diversify their business with several soda drink products and an alcohol-free cereal beverage named Mulo. Muehlebach reopened after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, although it took five years, until February 5, 1938, to secure funding and a new site for the brewery at 4th and Oak Streets near the Kansas City riverfront. The old brewery at 18th and Main was condemned and demolished in 1941. While the post-prohibition Muehlebach company grew through the 1940s and early 1950s, it succumbed to a similar fate as many large regional breweries, and its 4th and Oak brewery was sold to Minneapolis-based Schlitz Brewing Company in 1956.

18. Price Candy Building; Tom's Town Distillery

Now known as Tom Town's Distillery, named after Kansas City's infamous "Boss" mayor, Tom Pendergast, the building was built in 1908 and became the headquarter for the Price Candy Company. The wealth gained from the candy and chocolate business allowed them to live among the social elites. Charles Price II, son of the company's founder, married the heir to a food empire, befriended a future U.S. President, and enjoyed immense success in the private sector and as a U.S. diplomat.

19. Mainstreet Theater, Kansas City, MO

Located in downtown Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri, the four-story Mainstreet Theater is one of the city's most visible historic landmarks. First opened on October 30, 1921, during the vaudeville era, it was built for promoter Martin Beck by the distinguished architectural firm of C.W and Geo. L. Rapp of Chicago designed some of the most significant theaters in America in the 1920s and 1930s. It was the largest theater in the city until the Midland Theater was built in 1927, and it is distinctive for its Beaux-Arts design and prominent Byzantine-style dome. With a seating capacity of 3,250, it was one of the first theaters of its type to cater to the working class. Between 1921-1949 it presented vaudeville acts, movies, and traveling shows. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. After many years of being closed, the theater reopened in 2012 after being purchased and renovated by Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. The theater closed during the pandemic and was purchased and reopened by B&B Theatres in 2021 and now operates as B&B Theatres Mainstreet KC at The Power & Light District.

20. 14th Street Brewery; Star Brewery

Now home to Main Street Theatre, this was the site of one of the largest breweries in Kansas City in the 1870s and 1880s. F.H. Kump arrived in Kansas City in 1859 and entered the soda manufacturing business with a small plant here in 1867. Kump used his equipment to bottle beer for other brewers, and within two years, the operation expanded to brewing and bottling his own beer. By 1884, the business had expanded and produced around 12,000 barrels per year when F.H. Kumps Star Ale Brewery was sold to Fred Heim and his family. Heim would later build one of the largest breweries in the city in the East Bottoms. This location was known by several names during Heim's tenure as owner, including the Bavarian Brewing Company. The theater was completed in 1921 and included several unique features, such as tunnels to the adjacent President Hotel that were utilized mainly by traveling actors who prepared their costumes and makeup in their rooms. The theater also featured a nursery for children whose parents were attending the show and a sub-basement with cages for animals such as elephants that could be lifted to the stage.

21. The Midland Theatre

The Midland Theatre is a historic entertainment venue in the Power & 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.

22. Newman Theatre (1919-1972)

Built in 1919 for local exhibitor Frank L. Newman, the Newman Theatre was known for its opulence and extravagant features. It was the biggest and most costly of any Kansas City theatre at the time, holding an audience of 2,000. Notably, in 1921 a series of short satirical cartoons called Newman Laugh-O-grams were screened, which were the first animated productions created solely by Walt Disney. The Newman became Paramount Theater in 1947 and operated for a short time as Towne Theater before eventually closing due to a decline in business. It was demolished in 1972 for an urban renewal project and today, is the site is occupied by a skyscraper called the Lightwell Building.

23. Central Library, Kansas City Public Library

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.

24. Commerce Tower

Constructed from 1962 to 1964, the 32-story Commerce Tower is the ninth-tallest building in downtown Kansas City and was home to the corporate offices of Commerce Bank and a popular rooftop restaurant in its first two decades. With the completion of the nearby Commerce Bank Building at 1000 Walnut Street in 1986, the bank sold their interest in this building in 1990 and it is now home to several hundred apartments along with retail space. The building's history is closely connected to the reinvestment in the downtown area that occurred in the postwar years and it became the first locally-designed skyscraper office building in Kansas City when it was completed. The building's planning committee studied various styles before selecting this modern and minimalist design by local architects Keene & Simpson & Murphy.

25. Muse of the Missouri

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.

26. Pacific House Hotel (1860-1868; 1868-Present)

The Pacific House Hotel building at 401 Delaware Street is believed to have been designed by architect Asa Beebe Cross and operated as a hotel for many decades. The original building, constructed circa 1860, burned down in 1868 but was used as a Union headquarters during the Civil War. The building was where General Thomas Ewing of the United States Army issued General Order Number 11, which called for the evacuation of four Missouri counties in the wake of William Qunatrill's raid on Lawrence and other Kansas communities. After the war, the building again served as a hotel until it was destroyed in an 1868 fire. The building was quickly rebuilt and operated as a hotel for decades, and it was converted into loft-style apartments in 1999.

27. Arabia Steamboat Museum

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.

28. Kansas City's Old Square Historical Marker

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.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

Kansas City Streetcar History Tour

Created by Clio Admin on November 22nd 2024, 8:36:01 pm.

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Description

The route follows the newly-expanded Kansas City streetcar loop from the River Market to UMKC. This interactive tour makes it possible to simply sit and read or listen to the histories of over two dozen landmarks that are viewable from the streetcar route. Kansas City's own streetcar history dates back to 1869 when the first mule-drawn carts operated. Within a short period, Kansas City was home to the third-largest cable car system in the United States, and later became one of the largest streetcar systems. In 1957, the city commemorated the last run of its streetcars, but increased interest in public transportation led to the creation of this streetcar line in 2016. This interpretive trail along the streetcar line was built in anticipation of the 2025 expansion that will extend the line south from Union Station to the UMKC campus.

Entries on This Tour

Kansas City Streetcar History Tour

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