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Jul 6, 2023 · Explore the founding and early years of this remarkable metropolis, from its humble riverfront beginnings to its rise as a thriving hub of commerce and culture. Discover the triumphs, challenges, and extraordinary individuals who paved the way for Kansas City's remarkable journey.
The origin of modern-day Kansas City, Missouri, dates back to the 1830s, when John McCoy founded the settlement of Westport at what is now Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. McCoy chose this area to open an outfitting store for pioneers on the Santa Fe Trail.
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Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a port on the Missouri River at its confluence with the Kansas River from the west. On June 1, 1850, the town of Kansas was incorporated; shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory .
- United States
- Kansas River
- 910 ft (277 m)
- Missouri
- Overview
- History
- The contemporary city
Kansas City, city, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, western Missouri, U.S. Located on the Missouri River at the confluence with the Kansas River, the city is contiguous with Kansas City, Kansas, forming part of a large urban complex that also includes Leavenworth, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village, and Shawnee in Kansas and Blue Springs, Gl...
French fur traders, led by François Chouteau, traveled up the Missouri River from St. Louis and were the first permanent settlers in the area (1821). Westport was laid out a few miles south of the trading post by John Calvin McCoy in 1833, and it flourished as an outfitting post for western overland expeditions. Nearby to the east, another major departure point for westbound settlers, Independence was the main river port for supplies, which were then taken overland to Westport. McCoy found an easier landing spot on the bank of the Missouri that was several miles closer to Westport, and soon riverboats began unloading there. Westport prospered as a terminus for the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails. It was chartered as the town of Kansas (named for the Kansa Indians) in 1850 and as a city in 1853. It became Kansas City under an 1889 charter in order to distinguish it from the territory.
Prior to and during the American Civil War, the city was sharply divided (because of its location on the border between Missouri, a slave state, and Kansas, a free state) and was the target of several skirmishes, including raids by the Confederate guerrilla William C. Quantrill. It was the site of a decisive battle on October 23, 1864, in which a Confederate army led by General Sterling Price was forced to retreat by a Union army commanded by General Samuel Curtis; it was the war’s last major battle west of the Mississippi River. Rapid growth followed after Kansas City was reached (1865) by a railroad from St. Louis and linked (1869) with the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad by bridge across the Missouri River. A stockyard was opened in 1870, and Kansas City became a major cattle market and a centre of the meatpacking industry.
Kansas City’s long-important livestock-handling and meatpacking activities have disappeared, but the city remains the marketing and shipping centre for a vast agricultural region (including soybeans, corn [maize], dairy products, and wheat) and has extensive grain-storage and food-processing facilities. A major distribution centre, the city is one of the largest rail hubs in the country and an important trucking centre. It has an international airport and port facilities on the Missouri River. Services (including government, health care, telecommunications, and finance) constitute the largest share of the city’s economy. Manufacturing (notably automobiles, greeting cards, weapons components, and pharmaceuticals), tourism (including riverboat casino gambling), and research and development of agricultural products are also important. A unique feature of the city is a vast underground industrial park known as SubTropolis, developed in the space created as the area was mined for its limestone deposits. The complex has streets and buildings and provides warehousing, storage, and office space. Nearby Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (Independence, Missouri) and Fort Leavenworth (Leavenworth, Kansas) are additional economic assets.
The University of Missouri at Kansas City opened in 1933; other institutions of higher education include Rockhurst University (1910), Avila University (1916), several Metropolitan Community College campuses, William Jewell College (1849; in Liberty), Park University (1875; in Parkville), the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (1916), and the Kansas City Art Institute (1885). Kansas City is the world headquarters for the Church of the Nazarene, the Unity School of Christianity, and People to People International.
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The American Royal, held each fall in the city, includes livestock and horse shows and a rodeo. The Liberty Memorial is a World War I monument that includes a 217-foot (66-metre) tower and a museum; the tower, dedicated in 1926, underwent a three-year restoration completed in 2002. Other museums include the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Lone Jack Civil War Battlefield and Museum, and Missouri Town 1855, a preservation of pioneer buildings at Lake Jacomo. The home and studio of artist Thomas Hart Benton is preserved as a state historic site. The 18th and Vine Historic Jazz District is home to the American Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; Kansas City’s jazz heritage is also celebrated in annual music festivals. The city’s historic connection to the meat industry survives in its distinctive spicy style of barbecue.
Kansas City is known for its dozens of fountains and claims to have more than any other city except Rome. Swope Park contains an open-air theatre and zoo. The city has a symphony orchestra, ballet, opera, and several theatre organizations. Kemper Arena (1975) hosts concerts, conventions, shows, and sports events. The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex houses Kansas City’s professional football (Chiefs) and baseball (Royals) teams in two side-by-side stadiums; the city also has a professional soccer (football) team (Wizards). Crown Center, an 85-acre (34-hectare) cultural and business venue, opened in 1973; nearby Science City is an education and entertainment complex in the restored Union Station (1914). The James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area (southwest), Smithville Lake (north), and Watkins Mill and Weston Bend state parks (northeast and northwest, respectively) provide outdoor recreational opportunities. Sites devoted to famed outlaw Jesse James are located northeast of the city in Liberty and Kearney.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas" at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated opposite Kansas City, Kansas, the city was the location of several battles during the Civil War, including the Battle of Westport.
Cow Town and the Early Years: When a number of railways and the first bridge across the Missouri River were completed after the Civil War, the city’s population boomed. With the increased population came downtown development, and the wealthy built their mansion’s on Quality Hill.
Oct 6, 2020 · An excellent summary of these early events can be found in James Shortridge’s Kansas City and How it Grew, 1822-2011. With a town company formed, the group turned to the task of naming their prospective city.
