This post is one in a series from my “Armchair Tour of Kansas City”. For context you may click on this link to be redirected to the series Introduction: “Armchair Tour Intro”

River Market, River Front Park, and the Steamboat Arabia

6 miles north of our home is the Missouri River and Kansas City’s River Market,

River Front Park, and the unique Steamboat Arabia Museum.

It was here that riverboats landed, offloading supplies at Westport’s Landing bound for the outfitters in Westport. The “Town of Kansas”, incorporated here in 1850, and later to be known as Kansas City, grew up around the landing.

The Arabia, a side-wheel riverboat of huge proportions (each paddlewheel stood nearly 3 stories tall) sank near Kansas City in 1856.

It was rediscovered under 45 feet of mud and river silt in 1988 and excavated. Hundreds of thousands of artifacts have been recovered, many are “like new” having been preserved by the mud that encased them.

The museum displays thousands of these artifacts and the staff remains engaged in the ongoing process of cleaning and restoration. 30 years later and half of the bounty yet remains to be cleaned, catalogued, and preserved. Imagine the volume and variety of goods found today in a Super Walmart, and that is what the Arabia was to those who lived in 1856.

Nearby, Kansas City’s Riverfront Park is a delightful place to take a stroll or bicycle ride along the south shore of the Missouri River.

Liberty Memorial

The “War to End All Wars” was fought from 1914 to 1918. America was a late arrival to the conflict as it had maintained isolationist neutrality until April of 1917. World War I claimed the lives of over 16 million combatants and civilians. As the first modern mechanized war it was one of the deadliest in history. In 1919 an effort was spearheaded in Kansas City to raise funds for a war memorial. Over 2.5 million dollars was collected in less than two weeks. The monument was planned and construction was completed in 1921. The dedication ceremony of The Liberty Memorial drew over 200,000 and featured then Vice President Calvin Coolidge, US General John “Blackjack” Pershing, and other leading generals of the allied forces.
In 1994 the Memorial closed because of deterioration and concerns for visitor safety. Funding efforts at the local and national level secured over 100 million dollars for restoration and the Memorial reopened in 2006. The Memorial was greatly expanded to include a new subterranean 80,000 square foot museum that Congress designated as the Nation’s Official World War I Museum. It stands today as the only such museum in America and is preeminent in the world.

The Museum’s collection includes tens of thousands of relics and documents, including trench recreations, artillery, and a Renault FT Tank.

The tower is open to the top and accessed by elevator. It presents an amazing panorama of Kansas City.

Union Station

The Liberty Memorial overlooks Kansas City’s Union Station.

Construction was completed in 1914. The 850,000 square foot building features a grand hall with a ceiling that is 85 feet above the floor.

At its 1945 peak nearly 700,000 travelers passed through the station each year.

The building fell into decline with the collapse of train passenger travel in the United States and was closed in 1985. It was well on its way to the wrecking ball until in 1996 residents of the metro area approved funds for restoration that ultimately cost over 250 million dollars. The Station is spectacular and includes an I-Max theater, Science City,

seasonal exhibits and upscale Pierpont’s Restaurant.

In 1933 this was the site of the “Kansas City Massacre” where gang members tried to free mobster Frank Nash. He and 4 policemen died in a hail of gunfire. Bullet holes are still visible in the stone façade of the Station.

Crown Center

Near Union Station and the Liberty Memorial are the corporate headquarters for Hallmark Cards.

The complex features upscale shops, restaurants, a theater, and outdoor skating venue in the winter. It is also the location for the 100 foot tall annual display of Kansas City’s “Mayor’s Christmas Tree.”

18th and Vine Jazz District

Kansas City has a rich internationally known Jazz music heritage. The 18th and Vine District was home in the 1930’s and 40’s to notables which included Charlie Parker. Today the District is home to the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, along with dining and entertainment venues.

The District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features at least 35 historic buildings from the era.

Sprint Center and the Power & Light District

The Sprint Center is an auditorium which seats nearly 20,000. It hosts major concerts and sporting events. It is located in the heart of Kansas City’s 9 block downtown Power & Light District, a major entertainment venue that features an outdoor concert space, hotels, convention hall, theaters, shops, restaurants and taverns.

As always, I encourage you to share these posts with your friends and family.

Next: Part 6, Eat Drink and Be Merry

Peace Everyone. Pete

This post is one in a series from my “Armchair Tour of Kansas City”. For context you may click on this link to be redirected to the series Introduction: “Armchair Tour Intro”

Alexander Majors House

Build in 1856 this farmstead was located on a dirt road that ran from the Town of Westport south to intersect the Santa Fe Trail. That “dirt road” became State Line Road that separates the States of Missouri and Kansas.

Restored and like Wornall House it is a museum that opens a window for visitors into Kansas City’s pioneer past. The Majors House is about 3 miles southwest of our home.

Swope Park

At 1,805 acres, heavily wooded Swope Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the nation. It is twice as large as New York’s Central Park. The land was donated to Kansas City by philanthropist Thomas H. Swope in 1896. The park features the nationally known Kansas City Zoo…

Starlight Theater (the second largest outdoor theater of its kind in America)…

Lakeside Nature Center (Missouri’s largest native species restoration center)…

The Swope Soccer Village…

And two 18 hole golf courses, one of which is the 1934 Tillinghast designed Swope Memorial Course.

The Park also features fishing, swimming, miles of hiking and biking trails, a frisbee golf course, numerous shelters, and other amenities too numerous to mention.

Red Bridge and the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails

While St. Louis was deemed the gateway to the East, Kansas City was the “Western Port” to the Frontier. For 46 miles, from near Independence Missouri, passing through Westport and Kansas City, to Gardner Kansas the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails were a single corridor.

Maps detailing a driving tour of the corridor and points of interest are available online. Near the “Red Bridge” in Kansas City one can still see the swale depressions created by the endless flow of westbound pioneer wagons.

The original “Red Bridge” was a covered wooden bridge built in 1859, painted red, and located near where the Trails had long crossed the dangerous ford of the Big Blue River.

A 1933 era iron bridge replaced the wooden one and remains today in the shadow of a modern concrete structure.

The 1933 “Red Bridge” is now part of the Kansas City bike/hike trail system and is popular with lovers who affix their “love locks” on the bridge in dedication to the permanence of their affections.

Next: Part 5, “Another Short Drive”

Peace Everyone. Pete

This post is one in a series from my “Armchair Tour of Kansas City”. For context you may click on this link to be redirected to the series Introduction: “Armchair Tour Intro”

Westport

Now a popular entertainment and dining district just 2 miles north of our home, this was once the Town of Westport.

It was first settled in 1831 and later incorporated in 1857. It was annexed by Kansas City in 1897. This was the “West Port” to the frontier. From here westward bound adventurers and wagon trains provisioned before setting out on the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails. Kelly’s Westport Inn was built in 1850 and stands as the oldest building in Kansas City.

Today it is a popular Irish themed tavern. It is reputed to have once been a stop on the Underground Railroad which represented a route to freedom for many escaped slaves.

The Nelson Atkins Museum

The Last Will and Testament of publisher William Rockhill Nelson (1841-1915) provided that upon the deaths of his wife and daughter his entire estate was to be dedicated to the purchase and display of artwork for public enjoyment. In 1911 Mary McAfee Atkins bequeathed her estate to establish an art museum. Trustees of the two estates combined the bequests to create a single major art institution.

Ground was broken in 1930 and the doors opened in 1933. The original classic structure opened as one of the largest art museums in the nation.

A stunning glass 165,000 square foot addition was completed in 2007 at a cost of 95 million dollars. The museum features exhibits of Ancient, American, Native European and Oriental art. In 2006 Hallmark Cards chairman Donald J. Hall, Sr. donated the entire Hallmark Photographic collection to the Museum consisting of 6,500 images dating to 1839 with an estimated value of $65 million dollars. The photographs are displayed in themed rotations. The museum grounds exhibit the largest collection of Henry Moore monumental sculptures in the United States.

Temporary exhibits are often featured, most recently those have included “Queen Nefertari: Eternal Egypt”, and “Through the Eyes of Picasso”, both of which presented works never before displayed in America.

Education and the Arts

Within minutes of our home are the campuses of the University of Missouri at Kansas City, (my Law School Alma Mater)…

The University of Kansas Medical Center and School of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions,…

and the private Jesuit founded Rockhurst University.

These urban campuses serve the community and nearly 25,000 students. Professional schools in Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy are in addition to undergraduate and graduate studies. UMKC is also home to its nationally known Conservatory of Music and Dance and is the host venue for the independent Kansas City Repertory Theater, founded in 1964.

Mere steps from the Nelson-Atkins Museum is the Kansas City Art Institute.

This private 4 year college of fine arts was founded in 1885. The expansive curriculum features majors in virtually every category of fine arts from animation to sculpture. Across the street from the campus is the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Adjoining the campus of UMKC is the Linda Hall Library. This privately endowed library of science, engineering, and technology sits on 14 wooded acres, and is open to the public.

It is the largest library of its kind in the nation, and among the largest in the world. It was established in 1946 through the philanthropy of Linda (1859-1938) and Herbert Hall (1858-1941). Its collection of over 2 million volumes include rare books, and the William Deramus Cosmology Theater.

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences: Located east of the downtown, this private non-profit institution is situated on 23 acres atop the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. It was founded in 1916 and is one of the nation’s original osteopathic medical school. With over 1,200 students it is also one of the largest medical schools in the nation by enrollment.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

This museum is unique in all the world. It opened in 1982 near the campus of the University of Missouri at Kansas City. The 7,000 square foot museum is anything but small with a collection of over 72,000 toys, fine-scale miniatures, and other objects of interest.

Next: Part 4: “A Short Drive”

Peace Everyone. Pete

This post is one in a series from my “Armchair Tour of Kansas City”. For context you may click on this link to be redirected to the series Introduction: “Armchair Tour Intro”

The Country Club District

We live in the heart of the Country Club District which is the largest contiguous planned community built by a single developer in the United States. The creation of J. C. Nichols, between 1906 and 1950, the District includes quaint shops, parks, and residential areas. It is believed that there are over 60,000 residents living in the District.

A controversial aspect of the Nichols’ plan was the use of restrictive covenants that among other things prohibited the ownership of properties within the District by African Americans. Such covenants were rendered unenforceable by the United States Supreme Court in its 1948 decision in the case of Shelley vs. Kraemer. The 1968 Fair Housing Act further codified the prohibition. Nevertheless, the Covenants still appear historically in the chains of title, ours included.

Within a mile of our home to the east and south are the Brookside and Crestwood shops.

To the north is the Country Club Plaza.

Whereas Brookside and Crestwood are “quaint”, the 15 block Plaza is decidedly upscale and international both in its shops and dining.

It was built in 1922 and is considered the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate patrons arriving by automobile. It abounds with fountains and statuary.

The architecture is a reflection upon Seville Spain. At Thanksgiving every year over 250,000 people assemble on the Plaza to celebrate the annual Christmas Lighting.

The Country Club District includes a spectrum of neighborhoods ranging from modest but beautiful homes…

…to blocks lined with breathtaking estates and mansions.

The above home, located about 5 blocks from our home, was completed in 1915. It was built for Mack B. Nelson, president of the Long-Bell Lumber Company. It contains 34 rooms, including a huge glass skylight that slides on tracks to open the interior to the sky. Robert Long founded the Long-Bell Company and will be featured in a future post.

A few blocks from us is a home with an actual nose section from a Concord SST on display in the back yard.

It was purchased by the owner at auction in London in 1990. The owner has been quoted as saying that he wants to be buried in it.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes lives at the other end of our block in a 1.9 million dollar home. I’m standing silent on which one it is, however, the internet appears to have it identified for the public.

Next: “A Longer Walk from Our Home”

Peace Everyone. Pete

This post is one in a series from my “Armchair Tour of Kansas City”. For context you may click on this link to be redirected to the series Introduction: “Armchair Tour Intro”

Our Home (where the “Tour” begins)

Christine is native to KC, having been raised only 3 blocks from where we now live. In 2009 she became aware of a home in her old neighborhood that had become derelict and was repossessed by the bank which held the mortgage.

The home had been built in the early 1960’s, unusual because virtually all of the homes in the neighborhood date to the early 1900’s. We bought the home and “deconstructed” it, salvaging the construction materials, windows, cabinetry, etc. which we then donated to Habitat Restore.

We spent nearly 2 years planning the home design which we intended to pay homage to Frank Lloyd Wright yet fit the general architecture of the area. The “groundbreaking” ceremony was attended by our children and grandchildren.

Each of the little ones had a garden trowel in hand to turn the first spades of dirt. The pictures and trowels from that event are a treasured memory that hang upon a wall in the foyer of our home.

The home was completed in 2012 and has become the center of our family celebrations and gatherings.

Loose Park

Jacob L. Loose Park, located just 3 blocks north of our home, is the third largest of Kansas City’s many green spaces.

It was once pastureland owned by pioneer Seth Ward (1820-1903) whose 1871 mansion still graces the neighborhood.

Loose Park and the surrounding area were the site of the American Civil War Battle of Westport (October 23, 1864).

It was one of the largest battles west of the Mississippi River. Over 30,000 soldiers were engaged (among them “Buffalo Bill” Cody, “Wild Bill” Hickock, and mountain man Jeremiah Johnson). It ended with a Confederate retreat. The property was purchased in 1926 by the widow Ella Loose who made it into a park in honor of her husband Jacob. She donated it to Kansas City in 1927. The Park features a rose garden with over 4,000 plants in nearly 170 varieties. It is a favorite spot for proposals and weddings.

John Wornall House

3 blocks south of our home stands the meticulously restored John Wornall House.

Built in 1858, this Greek Revival mansion is one of 4 remaining Civil War era homes in Kansas City. During the Battle of Westport it served as a field hospital simultaneously for both Union and Confederate troops. The home is open to the public. A tour is highly recommended.

There is more that is a “short walk” from our home that will be presented in the posts that follow. For now…

Peace Everyone. Pete

Next: The Country Club District