Twelve Stories of Kansas City's Intriguing History

The stories that make up the complicated, fascinating and oftentimes confusing history of Kansas City have become a large part of my life. 

This journey started four years ago, but the journey of writing a blog commenced in April 2016. I had no idea what I was doing (and sometimes still feel that way) and who would even read what I was writing. In that time, I have slowly worked my way past the territory of south Kansas City where my research started.  I began to receive emails, phone calls and inquiries on different pieces of Kansas City history.

I get my best ideas by talking to people like you.

Twelve stories have been thoroughly researched and written with attention to detail. I wanted to ensure that I was doing this city justice- I want to give everyone a chance to feel as if they are transported back in time and feel a part of this city we love.

Here it is- year THREE in review! Click on the link to view the stories in case you missed something along the way!

June 2018- The McGees of Kansas City: A Pioneer Legacy. You’ve likely heard of McGee St., but do you know the history of this namesake? One of the first families to move into the future site of Kansas City, James Hyatt McGee and his wife, Eleanor packed up their children and moved in 1828 to Jackson Co. This story follows the history of James, Eleanor, and their son, Allen Burr Harrison (A.B.H.) McGee. Before Kansas City developed around James’s 1,000+ acres, they built the first brick house, farmed the land where the Crossroads and Southwest Blvd. now stands, and used real estate to build a true legacy of early Kansas City greatness. To read about A.B.H. McGee and see never-before-seen photos selflessly allowed to be published by the McGee family, click here!

July 2018- Kansas City’s First Amusement Park Illuminated the East Bottoms. What began as a business venture by brothers looking to entice thirsty customers to their brewery, Electric Park was a showstopper back in its day. Started by the Heim brothers in 1900, Electric Park, also known as “the white city,” featured some interesting amusements at the turn of the century. A beer garden, the Loop the Loop, the promenade, “Alligator Joe,” fresh beer pumping into the park directly from the brewery, various vaudeville acts and a large electric fountain with live acts in the center were all features of this park. The only thing the Heims couldn’t control was the lack of land in the East Bottoms. To read more about Kansas City’s first Electric Park, click here!

August 2018- Meet Me in Electric Park! I was turned onto the idea of writing about the first Electric Park after traveling to the East Bottoms to interview Andy Rieger for a story on the history of J. Rieger & Co., a pre-prohibition whiskey house started by his great-grandfather in 1887 and resurrected in 2014 (to read the story about J. Rieger, click here!).

Rieger had taken over the old Heim bottling plant in the East Bottoms. Cramped in a small office in their warehouse, I asked Andy if he had any other stories he thought I should research. He immediately blurted out, “Electric Park.” It turned out that Andy had some serious plans to rebrand the East Bottoms and tell the history of Heim, J. Rieger and Electric Park as they expanded their operations. In this blog, I continue the story of the Heim’s hope to build a larger Electric Park at 46^th and The Paseo- in operation (albeit dry of booze) until 1925. Included in this story are various postcards, photos and attractions that graced the south side of town and inspired Walt Disney. This also follows the incredible story of my friend, Andy Rieger and his revitalization of Electric Park and the East Bottoms, which is to open in July 2019! To read about the second Electric Park and Andy’s electrifying plans, click here!

September 2018- Early Kansas City Was Influenced by Four McGee Brothers. I’ve developed a personal relationship with the McGee descendants in Kansas City, and they have been an invaluable asset to me as I piece together our city’s early history. After I told the story of their direct descendant, A.B.H. McGee in June, I knew I wasn’t finished with this family. Each of James Hyatt McGee’s sons had an impact on how our city grew. Here, you can read about Fry P. McGee, one of the fourteen original founders of Kansas City and his ambitions to spread slavery to the west; Mobillion W. McGee, a man who had an idea to redraw the boundaries of our state line; and Elijah “Milt” McGee, early developer of the area that now is in the heart of downtown and past mayor of the city. These men along with two other brothers were colorful characters that made up the ambitions of so many southern men at the time. To read about the McGee brothers, click here!

October 2018- First Robbery, Then Murder: Martin City’s Bank the Scene of Heists in the 20s. Sometimes stories fall right on my lap- what should be a simple article for the newspaper turns into something much bigger the more I dig into them. That was the case when it came to piecing together how bank robberies went down in the 1920s, and they look quite different than what we would see today! This story showcases how one small-town bank was the scene to some big-time criminals that intertwine stories of murder in Kansas City, a shootout in Spring Hill, Ks., and an insanity plea followed by an escape from a mental hospital. I just can’t make this stuff up! To read more about these hardened criminals, click here!

November 2018-  The Curious Case of the Thanksgiving Date. When I decided to write about the history of Thanksgiving, I thought it’d be easy. I will eat my words now. :) The best part of this story was being able to learn more about how the date we celebrate Thanksgiving directly affected our old “border war” rivalry between Mizzou and KU (go Tigers!). But did you know that the date for Thanksgiving wasn’t really even solidified nationwide until 1941? To read more about the controversy of what date we celebrate, click here!

December 2018- Imagining the Christmases of the Past Through Food and Community. As I research old pioneer families in Kansas City, I read hundreds of articles and primary sources from those that left manuscripts behind. I always try to save little tidbits of information that could come in handy later, especially as it applies to holiday celebrations. I have been fascinated with how these pioneers used to celebrate Christmas. In this piece, I use old stories told by John C. McCoy’s daughter, Nellie, recipes shared from local pioneer families and some of the earliest holiday recipes across the nation to interconnect what a true 19^th century Christmas would have looked like. To read about Christmas traditions and the food served, click here!

January 2019- Civil War History Marked in Stone. Recent history shows us that some are ready to tear down monuments that may not be considered “politically correct.” We saw this when a monument smack-dab in the middle of Ward Parkway, standing incognito in city parkland, was blasted all over the news for its connection to the Confederacy. Unlike cities to our south, Kansas City doesn’t feature any large monument on public grounds paying homage to the “Lost Cause.” But one monument on private property was erected to pay respect to Confederate soldiers buried with no name and those with direct connections to the Battle of Westport. To read about this monument, click here!

February 2019-  An Ode to the Darker Youngers. I first learned about this unknown story of heroism and determination while reading through the Federal Writer’s Project Slave Narrative collection. I had certainly heard the last name “Younger” in local history, but I had no idea that there is irrefutable evidence that shows that Cole Younger’s grandfather fathered some of his slaves, including one man named Simpson “Sim” Younger. After being given his freedom, Sim was able to break down barriers that were created with racial segregation. A powerful poet, talented baseball player, and a man willing to sue for his basic rights as a man, Sim Younger is a part of Kansas City history that has been forgotten throughout the years. To read about Sim Younger, click here!

March 2019- Historic Paseo Boulevard: How Did We Get Here? If I’ve made a name for myself recently, it certainly wasn’t because of my writing- it was become of my activism! I never thought in a million years that I would use my words and my voice to help save a piece of local Kansas City history. The Paseo Blvd., designed by German landscape architect George Kessler, was the very foundation of Kansas City’s parks and boulevard system. As part of the City Beautiful movement, The Paseo became the street that defined Kansas City as a town of beauty. Under the pressure of the SCLC, the city council voted 8-4 to change the name of The Paseo in January 2019 to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. By March, we were collecting signatures to have the name change stopped. And now, due to our efforts, the city will be able to vote in November to decide the fate of The Paseo. To read about the history of The Paseo and how the name change happened, click here!

April 2019- Fr. Bernard Donnelly: “The Builder” of Kansas City. Often referred to as Kansas City’s first historian and “the builder,” Fr. Donnelly’s appointment to the edge of the frontier changed the course of one fledgling city that wished to grow from the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. The area was first settled by French Catholic families that helped erect a church known as St. John Francis Regis (or “Chouteau’s Church”) in the 1830s. When he came to the area in 1847, the Town of Kansas was less than ten years old and had many challenges. Fr. Donnelly had training as a civil engineer and was able to work with city officials to transform the future of Kansas City through his visions carved out of the bluffs. To read about Fr. Donnelly’s contributions to early history of our city, click here!

May 2019- Kansas City’s Terrifying Tornado in 1886 Claims Dozens of Lives. No one could see it coming; it looked like it was just going to rain. Before the city could even get inside their homes, businesses and schools, the winds and rain began and a cyclone emerged from the sky. Buildings constructed in haste were no match to the winds and horror would be found underneath the rubble. Thirty lives were claimed in the 1886 tornado that hit the very heart of the city- and most of the deaths were children. To read about this tornado and see photographs of its destruction, click here!

The Podcast! Kansas City: 2, States, 1 Story. My newest “job” is recording a podcast! Co-hosted by 610 Sports radio personality, Bob Fescoe, this podcast is a great way to listen to us discuss some of our fun local history in a low-risk way. We love to joke around and make history fun! Even if you aren’t familiar with podcasts (I’m still learning, too!), this is really, really easy to subscribe to through your phone or online. With an iPhone or Android, you can download the free Radio.com app and then search for the podcast by name. That’s it! Then, you can listen as you work out, clean your house, have a cocktail outside or cook dinner! We will release a new episode around the 15^th of each month for you to enjoy. Here are some links to our first podcasts. Just click on the title to open it up and take a listen!

Episode 1: The Border Wars! 

Episode 2: The Paseo

Episode 3: The Founding of Kansas City

Bob Fescoe and me!

That’s it- another year in review! I am so deeply humbled by all of the support that I get from each of you. If someone would have told me four years ago that my blog would lead me to writing a bimonthly column in a newspaper, have me pursuing a second masters in history, and have me recording a podcast, I would have never believed it.

That's in addition to being a full time teacher and still bartending once a week. :)

A lot of people ask me how I keep up.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Never throughout history has a man who has lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” It is my hope that my passion for our past continues to invigorate you- that you are able to look at our city with a renewed, fresh perspective as you are transported back into time through these different stories of our past.

Cheers, readers. I couldn’t continue this calling without the comments, questions, likes and shares from you all. As I continue, I am satisfying my own hunger to learn, preserve and impart these stories for years to come.

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