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Overland Park State Bank circa 1911. William Strang's residence is in the background.

Overland Park Historical Society Marker on the historic Overland Park State Bank Building

Overland Park Landmark Commission Marker on the historic Overland Park State Bank building

Overland Park State Bank opened on March 1, 1910, in the north room of the town’s Strang Line Depot. The following year, the bank moved into this building on the southeast corner of 80th and Overland Park Dr. For the next 80 years, the bank grew with Overland Park and helped generations of homeowners realize their dreams of buying their own homes. The bank was eventually acquired by UMB Bank and moved to a new location. The historic bank building has continued to serve the community over the years and is currently home to a hair salon. In 2016, the Overland Park Landmark Commission proclaimed it a Landmark Building, signifying its importance to the history of Overland Park.

The Overland Park State Bank (1910)

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This short walk through the heart of downtown Overland Park starts and ends at stone buildings that are connected to city founder William Strang. The tour starts at the carriage house constructed for Strang, and it ends at the stone barn that held the streetcars that connected the future suburban city to downtown Kansas City. The tour includes the very first of 96 stones that were dedicated around the state of Kansas to commemorate the route of the Santa Fe Trail, along with other landmarks connected to Strang and the streetcar line he created. The tour also visits several other historic buildings that were key to the community's growth such as a historic bank building and a theater. In addition to the stops on this short walk, there are over two dozen other landmarks in Overland Park in Clio, such as the nearby Johnson County Museum.

William B. Strang (1857-1921) first came to Kansas in 1885 after making a name for himself in the railroad business. Throughout much of his career, Strang worked to build several railroads throughout the United States. He finally landed in Johnson County, Kansas in 1905, where he started construction of his interurban rail line and established the subdivision of Overland Park in 1906. As his wealth grew, Strang constructed his carriage house in 1915 to house his personal carriages and automobiles, while the second floor of the building served as a residence for his chauffeurs.As the United States was expanding west, much of the land development happened along the railroads so it often fell upon the railroad magnates to plan those developments. William B. Strang Jr. was one such magnate and in 1905, he purchased 600 acres of suitable land south of Kansas City for the purpose of building a residential suburb. Some of the region had been damaged by the Kansas River flooding in 1903, so Strang bought land on higher ground with the hopes of protecting residential areas from flood damage. It was his idea to connect Kansas City to its new suburb with an electric interurban railway. This would allow easy access for city dwellers to escape into the rural country, while simultaneously giving suburban residents quick access to employment in the city.In 1906, Strang established the Missouri and Kansas Interurban Railway to run a trolley from Kansas City to his newly developed city Overland Park. Strang established this and many other construction projects in Overland Park, including the town's first airstrip. Strang’s initial ambitions for Overland Park fell victim to the expanding metro area of Kansas City, which eventually grew to engulf the suburb. Many of his infrastructural contributions to the Kansas City area, including his trolley car line and the air strip, have since been demolished. However, several streets and buildings in Overland Park are named in honor of Strang and his contributions to the town.Strang inhabited Overland Park from 1905 until his death in 1921. For some time after his death, the carriage house was rarely used and fell into disrepair. It is one of the most well constructed of its era and since 1998, it has been the headquarters of the Overland Park Historical Society. The historical society heavily renovated the interior of the building, however, it still features its original wooden doors and limestone exterior. The Strang Carriage House also houses a small museum with several small collections of local artifacts.

Built in 1915, the Strang Carriage House was constructed for railroad magnate William B. Strang, the founder of the city of Overland Park and the first electric rail line. The carriage house was used to house the personal vehicles while his chauffeurs lived on the second level. Many of the surrounding projects built by Strang have since been demolished, but his old carriage house remains as one of the oldest buildings still standing in Overland Park. The building was renovated in 1998 and now serves as the site of the Overland Park Historical Society.

Strang Carriage House

This downtown Overland Park building was constructed in 1911 by life-long Johnson County resident Grant Conser. Grant’s parents, John and Elizabeth, had purchased 50 acres along the Santa Fe Trail in what is today Downtown Overland Park in 1861 from its original Shawnee owner, Fred Chouteau. Here, the Consers farmed and raised their six children. When John Conser died sometime before 1895, his wife divided the land among the children, almost seven acres apiece. Most of them sold their land to William Strang, who began platting out his planned community of Overland Park in 1905. They each kept a portion on which to build homes in the new town.Grant, born in 1869, was the oldest and had established a wood-framed blacksmith shop and general store at what is today 79th and Metcalf in the 1890s. After Overland Park was founded, he physically moved his wooden store via wagon to a piece of land he owned at the northwest corner of what is today 80th and Foster. When that building burned in 1911, Grant built this two-story brick building in its place, known as the Conser Building. He and his son Albert reestablished his general store called G.C. Conser &amp; Son on the bottom floor. The second floor held rented offices and an event space known as Conser Hall. He constructed the little building to the north as well and rented it out to Overland Park’s first barbershop.The Conser Building was a fixture of early Overland Park. The Conser Hall was used for school graduations, concerts, dances, and political meetings. Area newspapers reported weekly on the events happening at Conser Hall. Conser ran several businesses out of this building, including Overland Park’s first telephone exchange and the Overland Coal, Feed, and Ice Co. The Ice was made with equipment on the property. He and his son also operated the Acme Garage down the street.After Conser passed away in 1927, the building was sold to O.H. Kittle, who owned the Kittle Dry Goods store in the 1930s. The office spaces upstairs were regularly rented by Overland Park doctors and dentists.In 1975, the Conser Building was purchased by To-Ping Tsui, who had immigrated with his wife and children to the United States from China in 1972. Tsui and his family established the Dragon Inn, which has remained an iconic restaurant in downtown Overland Park for over 50 years. To-Ping’s daughter Theresa, who grew up working at the Dragon Inn, followed in her father’s footsteps and opened the popular local restaurant chain Bo Lings.

The Conser Building at 7500 W. 80th St. was built by Grant Conser in 1911 and is one of the oldest buildings in downtown Overland Park. Consor established a general store on the bottom level and rented out offices and an event space called Conser Hall on the second floor. The little building to the north was leased to Overland Park’s first barber shop. After Conser’s death in 1927, the building was sold and has served Overland Park in a variety of capacities over the years. Since 1975, it has been home to the Dragon Inn, one of Johnson County’s oldest restaurants. The Conser Building has been designated a Landmark Building by the Overland Park Landmark Commission. In addition to this building, Conser Street in Johnson County is named for Grant Conser.

The Conser Building

William B Strang Jr. was born in Syracuse, New York, on November 8, 1857. His parents were Irish immigrants. As a young man, Strang worked as a laborer building the Chicago, Burlington &amp; Quincy Railroad. Strang worked his way up in several railroad organizations, learning the business of surveying, constructing, and managing a railroad. By the late 1880s, he had established his own construction company, which was hired to build railroad lines in Kansas and across the South. He also began raising capital to build his own small lines.In 1892, Strang married Margaret Morrison of Wellington, Kansas. His company had just completed the Wellington and Western Line in the area. After the death of his father, William Strang Sr., in 1899, his mother moved to Kansas City, Missouri. She invited her son and daughter-in-law to visit her there in 1903, shortly after the city had suffered a massive flood. While in Kansas City, Strang conceived of creating a community that would be immune to flooding. This was the genesis of his idea of building a railroad from Kansas City, Missouri. to Olathe, Kansas, with planned communities along its route. By 1904, he was already securing the right-of-way for his Kansas-Missouri Interurban Railroad, known at that time as the Strang Line. He also began purchasing tracts of land along the route of the railroad, which roughly followed the northernmost route of the Santa Fe Trail. At the point where his new rail line crossed the Santa Fe Trail, at one of the highest points in the county, he purchased 600 acres in 1905 for the first of these communities. He platted out streets and housing divisions, one of which he named "Overland Park" in reference to the "overland" Santa Fe Trail with "park" added to make it sound more appealing to buyers. This became the name for the town of Overland Park, which was founded in 1906. Many of the streets are named for Strang's family members, friends or employees of the Strang Line. In the treeless environment of the time, Strang advertised that every lot had a view of downtown Kansas City.Strang and Margaret built a house at 80th and Marty in Overland Park so that he could manage his railroad and promote his real estate investments. The Strang Line was more than a promotional tool to generate interest in this streetcar suburb as it connected the residents of rural northeastern Johnson County with the rest of Kansas City, attracting potential home buyers who were looking for affordable land and cleaner air in an era when smokestacks dominated the city skyline and West Bottom feedlots and open sewers permeated the air. Strang lobbied the county for better roads and utilities. Strang created promotions such as concerts and fairs and even built a flying field for public demonstrations or airplanes, which included the Wright Brothers.When Strang passed away from a heart attack in 1921, Overland Park had grown into a modest-sized town, well on its way to becoming one of Kansas' largest cities. Stang's central role in the early development of Overland Park was a prominent part of the May 20, 2006, celebration of Overland Park's 100th anniversary, which included the unveiling of this statue of William B. Strang Jr. The city commissioned the work from sculptor Kwan Wu in 2004. Wu is well known for his historical sculptures in the area, including pieces in Lawrence, Kansas City, Missouri., Olathe, and Merriam. the 7' tall, 400lb bronze sculpture was funded by the city, the Overland Park Heritage Foundation, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, and private donations. Rather than depicting Strang in a formal pose, Wu depicts him as he would have looked as if he were surveying the first plats of the city. He gazes out over the plains with his rolled-up plans in his right hand. This statue represents Overland Park's continued celebration of its history and traditions, which includes the preservation of many historic buildings and sites related to William B. Strang and his railroad.

Dedicated on May 20, 2006, as part of the 100th anniversary of Overland Park, this 400-pound bronze sculpture by artist Kwan Wu depicts city founder William B. Strang Jr. The statue recognizes Strang for his central role in establishing the community, starting with his 1905 purchase of 600 acres along the remnants of the Santa Fe trail in rural northeastern Johnson County. Strang created a town and a trolley line, recognizing the two would be mutually supporting as the completion of his Kansas-Missouri Interurban Railroad, commonly known as the Strang Line, increased the value of his real estate purchases by connecting the lots he sold to Kansas City's vast streetcar network. Strang platted out housing subdivisions, one of which he named Overland Park in reference to its location on the historic overland trail with "park" added to give it appeal to potential buyers. This statue is one of several monuments and markers in the area that recognize the history of the suburban community.

William B. Strang Jr. Statue

Hermann and Emelie Voights immigrated from Hanover, Germany, to the United States in 1866. They purchased a farm in rural Johnson County about three miles east of today’s downtown Overland Park at what would be today's 80th and State Line. They had a daughter, Louisa, and two sons, Emil and Herman, who would go on to farm in Johnson County for decades.Emil Voights was a successful stock breeder and invested his money in various business ventures. He was an early investor in the Overland Park State Bank in 1909 and, in 1913, became one of its directors. In 1912, he purchased the lot at what is now the northwest corner of 80th and Santa Fe and hired fellow German American architect and contractor Henry Azendorf to design and build a two-story brick building. The bottom floor held spots for two merchants. The second floor contained several small apartments and office spaces rented to local doctors as well as Azendorf’s architectural and contracting firm.The Voights Building, as it became known, was struck by fire in 1923 and again in 1927. The second fire completely destroyed the Swarner Pharmacy and Whitfield Grocery Store on the ground level, as well as the offices and apartments upstairs. The current building, rebuilt from the remnants of the original as a one-story structure, dates to 1928. Over the years, the building has housed numerous Overland Park merchants and businesses. Today it is the home to the Santa Fe Gallery. The building was marked by the Overland Park Historical Society as a Notable Building in 2013.

This historic Overland Park structure was constructed in 1928 and replaced a two-story building that was constructed in 1912 by farmer and entrepreneur Emil Voights 1912. The building housed a retail store on the bottom floor and offices upstairs but was damaged by fire twice in the 1920s. After the upper floor was destroyed, the structure was rebuilt as a one-story building in 1928.

The Voights Building (1928)

William B. Strang was an international builder of short-line railroads, urban developer, and gifted promoter. The 1903 floods of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers accelerated development on both sides of the state line, but it was the rapid population growth of Kansas City that was most responsible for the founding of Overland Park, Kansas.Strang had offices on Wall Street and a Park Avenue, New York City residence. A popular story connecting Strant to the development of this community involves his widowed mother who lived in Kansas City at the time of the floods. A popular book on the early history of Overland Park includes a story that she approached her son and suggested that a city rail line could promote residential developments that would rescue her and others from the “awful stench of rotting carcasses” from the flooded stockyards that permeated the air of her Kansas City, Missouri, home. The story continues that Strang took his mother to the farm of his friend, George Metcalf, located several miles into the country and across the state line on Kansas Street, where she mentioned how good the air smelled and how happy she was that Strang had the idea to build a “planned parklike suburb there” where the air was clean and there was no chance of flooding (Oberg).Strang’s vision of an interurban rail line followed similar patterns that led to the creation of trolley lines and suburbs such as Brookside and Waldo. With no natural barrier, former farmland could be purchased and developed with affordable homes away from the urban core as long as transportation networks were available. Strang’s first patented, self-propelled streetcar with no overhead wire was the first of its kind to be used on railroad tracks in the United States. The interurban line was officially called the Missouri &amp; Kansas Interurban Railroad but known locally as the Strang Line,That same year, in 1906, Strang purchased 600 acres that he named Overland Park. In August 1906, there was an auction with 83 parcels of land sold for as high as $380 (over $10,000 today). Strang acquired more land and planned and promoted additional developments. The Strang Depot on the interurban line was the first commercial building in Overland Park, Kansas.In the next century, this building was expanded and remodeled, with the original walls covered. The Overland Park Historical Society purchased the structure and pulled back some of the walls to reveal the stone walls from 1906 along with original wainscoting and lap siding. The group plans to create a museum and community space that will offer exhibits, educational programs, and an archive.

Construction of this interurban railway depot began in 1905 under the direction of William B. Strang, Jr., who is widely recognized as the founder of Overland Park, given the central role of his interurban railroad that connected this area to the growing city. Strang's Missouri &amp; Kansas Interurban Railroad was also known as the "Stran Line" and this depot became the first commercial building in what would become Overland Park, Kansas. The first interurban rail car arrived in March 1906. The Overland Park Historical Society (OPHS) purchased this structure and plans to create a museum and community space that will feature a trolley car, exhibits, a conference room, an educational center, and archival facilities.

Strang Depot

One of the tenets of the Daughters of the American Revolution is “To perpetuate the memory of the spirit of men and women who achieved American Independence, by the acquisition and protection of historical spots, and the erection of monuments.” However, there being no sites even remotely associated with the American Revolution in the State of Kansas, the four Kansas chapters of the D.A.R. had long pondered how they would follow this mission. They made modest contributions to some local projects, such as the Zebulon Pike monument in Republic County, Kansas. but hadn’t spearheaded a project of their own. At the state conference in 1902, it was proposed that they mark the route of the Santa Fe Trail through Kansas, a project made official in 1903. Since its abandonment in 1872, much of the route had been forgotten or covered up by modern roads, farms, and towns. The State of Kansas had lost the Santa Fe Trail, so it was up to the Daughters of the American Revolution to find its exact route.Over the next few years, a historical committee of D.A.R. volunteers consulted old maps and interviewed original settlers to ascertain the original route of the trail. As soon as people heard of the project, they received many letters from locals offering to help. Their assistance was invaluable, especially in the western section, where the trail split into northern and southern branches. There were many differences of opinion about the exact route in places, and direct testimonies had to be reconciled with maps and physical surveys. From their research, the Kansas D.A.R. commissioned their own map detailing the route through each county. By 1904, the D.A.R. was ready to petition the state legislature for funding. They consulted with other women's clubs in all the communities through which the trail passed to determine the best locations for markers. They settled on a size and format for the markers, a bronze plaque on a red granite boulder sourced from Oklahoma. Their inspiration was the Santa Fe Trail marker in Kansas City, Missouri’s Penn Valley Park. In the end, because of cost concerns, they opted to chisel the same inscription on the face of each monument.The eventual appropriation of $1000 from the state was far too small to support the 96 markers the D.A.Ry planned. They budgeted $20 per marker for construction, freight charges, concrete foundations, and installment costs. This also assumed a volunteer crew of men at each location to provide the labor for installment. The D.A.R. appealed to Kansas school children and asked that they each donate a penny to the cause. This raised another $700. A few private individuals also sponsored the stones in their communities, and Douglas County paid for its five stones. Private donations provide the balance of funding.Similar efforts funded the dedication of the markers, which were delivered and dedicated throughout 1907 and early 1908. A team of workers was arranged ahead of time in each community to receive and install the stone at the prescribed location. Each dedication was a cause for celebration for the various communities. In all, the D.A.R. had successfully delivered and installed 96 stone trail markers across the entire length of the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas.This stone is Number 1 of 96 and was installed on Decoration Day (May 30), 1907. The ceremony included speakers and Johnson County residents who had once worked as freighters on the trail. Overland Park was founded two years after the dedication of this stone. Today, the stone is the centerpiece of a small historical plaza created by the city at the southeast corner of Santa Fe Drive and 80th Street. Two interpretive signs created by the National Parks Service compliment the stone and provide historical information about the Santa Fe Trail.

This is the first of 96 markers created by the Kansas Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution from 1906 to 1908 to mark the route of the Santa Fe Trail through Kansas. This stone marker was dedicated during a ceremony on Decoration Day (May 30) in 1907. Overland Park had been founded just two years earlier as a streetcar suburb. Today, the stone is located at the southeast corner of Santa Fe Drive and 80th Street. Two modern interpretive historical signs created by the National Park Service complement the stone and provide information on the history of the trail.

Santa Fe Trail Marker #1

Glen Dickinson opened his first movie theatre in Manhattan, Kansas in 1920. It would become the first in a chain of Dickinson movie palaces and drive-ins operated throughout the Midwest. Within a decade, there were 26 Dickinson movie theatres, and Dickinson decided to move the company headquarters to Lawrence, Kansas. Later, the headquarters would again move, this time to Overland Park. [1] At its peak, the Dickinson Theatres operated 400 screens across seven states, and the company was worth millions.Dickinson Theatres chose Robert Boller to design the Overland Theatre. The renowned local Boller Brothers architectural firm, owned by Carl and Robert Boller, had specialized in grand movie palaces during the 1920s. However, the firm fell on hard times with the Great Depression and dissolved. Carl Boller retired, but Robert Boller continued to find work on smaller projects on his own. Then, movie theatre construction was halted completely by the war department between 1942 and 1944. [2] Overland Park had had two previous movie theatres, but neither survived the Great Depression. [3] By the time the Overland Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1946, the town had been without a movie theatre for a decade, and the community must have been eager for an entertainment venue.Overland Theatre was an example of Modern-style architecture. The building is made of cement blocks with a porcelain tile exterior. The main façade has features constructed out of corrugated aluminum and glass blocks, and many of the elements light up with neon tube lighting. An eye-like design in the center of the building has a Spanish or southwest influence, typical of many of the Boller Brothers’ designs. Below the marquee are two double doors with a glass ticket booth in the center. The Overland Theatre originally had about 600 seats. The first movie to be shown at the theatre was “The Hurricane”, and an adult ticket cost 50 cents. [4]Over the years, the name of the theatre changed to Kimo South and then Park Cinema. From 1977 to 1987, the theatre was the home of a performance art group for kids called Theatre for Young America. In 1999, after 80 years and three generations as a family-run business, Dickinson Theatres filed for bankruptcy. [5] Overland Theatre was purchased by the Fine Arts Group, which set to work renovating the building. It reopened as Rio Theatre on June 30, 2000. [6] It is 2000 square feet, with 281 seats and one screen. The theatre focuses on showing independent and foreign films. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

The Rio Theatre opened as Overland Theatre in 1946 and was one of over two dozen midwestern theatres that were part of the Dickinson Theatre chain established in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1920 and later headquartered in Lawrence. Architect Robert Boller, of the well-known Boller Brothers firm, designed the theatre in the Moderne Style. The theater has been well-preserved and is known today for its striking retro neon lighting, glass blocks, and pastel-colored tiles. In 2000, the theatre reopened as the Rio Theatre, an independent movie house. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Rio Theatre

The Strang Line Car Barn was one of the first buildings to be constructed in Overland Park and was built by railroad magnate William B. Strang Jr.. A first generation American, Strang was born in Syracuse, New York to Irish immigrants in 1857. He made his name as an entrepreneur and railroad magnate across the continental United States before settling in Kansas in 1885. By the dawn of the twentieth century Kansas City was growing rapidly in population and in 1903, much of the surrounding area was devastated when the Kansas River flooded. This provided Strang with an opportunity to develop land around the city for new rail lines and residential areas to replace those lost in the flood. In 1905 he purchased 600 acres of land south of Kansas City to develop a suburb. This land was purchased on high ground above the floodplain to protect its residents. Strang created a railway company called the Missouri and Kansas Interurban Railway with the idea of creating an electric rail line to connect his new suburb to Kansas City.By 1906 the line was up and running, and the car barn was already built at the end of the tracks. In its original form, the car barn served to repair the trolley cars and provide electricity to the rail line. The rail line connecting Overland Park to Kansas City greatly facilitated the suburb's early population growth. During its operation the rail line was commonly colloquially referred to as the Strang line by people in the Kansas City area. Strang built many other projects in Overland Park, including an airfield that hosted numerous airshows with early aircraft. This airfield no longer exists as it was demolished to make way for further residential developments.It was Strang’s vision for Overland Park to be a small town rural getaway for those who felt stuck in the urban landscape of Kansas City. The electric rail line operated differently than traditional railroads. It ran far more often throughout the day with a much cheaper fare to ride, because the line’s primary purpose wasn’t to make money rather it was to facilitate travel between Kansas City and Overland Park. This system was ideal for families wanting to have a day trip getaway to the countryside and return home at the end of the day. The line also provided quick access to Kansas City’s employment opportunities to Overland Park’s residents. Much of the car barn was destroyed in a fire in 1925 and had to be rebuilt. The original rail line was popular and operated for several decades before its closure in 1940. Since then, the rails have all been removed and little remains of the original infrastructure planned by Strang. The car barn, a small artificial lake nearby, and the Strang carriage house down the street are all that remains of the original structures. Today, a furniture store operates out of the Strang Line Car Barn building and proudly showcases the building’s original limestone exterior. It sits near the middle of downtown Overland Park, which is no longer a rural suburb as it is now physically connected to the Kansas City metro area. Most of the passenger rail traffic between Overland Park and Kansas City has been replaced by automobile traffic. Strang died in 1921, almost two decades before his rail line closed forever.

Built in 1906, the Strang Line Car Barn worked to house and repair trolleys for the Missouri and Kansas Interurban Railway, while also providing power to the electric track. Established by the founder of Overland Park, William B. Strang, the car barn operated until 1940 when the rail line was shut down and abandoned. Eventually the tracks and much of the surrounding infrastructure was demolished, but the original car barn remains. Today the building is occupied by a furniture store.

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Downtown Overland Park Walking Tour

The Overland Park State Bank (1910)

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