(This post originally ran on April 23, 2017) When Barbara Bescher bought a lot at the corner of 39th and Main in 1901, the home she built for herself was practically the only thing on the block. But just two decades later, in 1924, the savvy businesswoman sold the property for more than 20 times what […]
The NE Corner of 39th and Main Holds Layers of History Read More »
As Thanksgiving approached in 1927, it’s a pretty good bet that Effie Kauffman of Central Hyde Park was working on her holiday planning. Mrs. Kauffman’s prize-winning Thanksgiving menu was shared in the Nov. 22 Kansas City Star that year. It included a grapefruit cocktail, turkey with oyster dressing, peas in cream, leaf lettuce with Thousand
How Central Hyde Park Prepared for Thanksgiving Read More »
As Kansas City neighborhoods filled up with residents after the turn of the 20th century, this block, like many others in Midtown, became home to many immigrants. In 1910, the residents of the area from Summit to Jefferson between 34th to 35th Streets came from Russia, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Canada, mixing in with other families who
In 1910, a Block of Immigrant Families in Valentine Read More »
J.C. Nichols, certainly one of the most important residential developers in Kansas City, started developing this block of the Country Club Plaza in 1922. Nichols had been building residential neighborhoods to the south of Brush Creek since 1907, and he saw the need for an area to provide goods and services for the new residents
In 1923, Work Began on First Block of Country Club Plaza Read More »
The building at the corner of 31st and Main is one of Midtown’s most distinctive, known as the Jeserich or the Tower Building. Around 1900, the corner housed a drug store, and in the 1940 photo above, it was the factory and salesroom of the Kaufman Window Shade Company. It is part of the block
A Historic Building at Thirty-First and Main Read More »
Before the establishment of what would become UMKC, the block bounded by 51st and 52nd between Rockhill and Holmes was home to one of Kansas City’s most splendid mansions. Walter Dickey, a prominent businessman, chose the site for his 25-room home on the crest of a wooded hill. The Dickey mansion, now used by UMKC as Scofield
UMKC Block Includes Historic Carriage House Slated for Demolition Sept. 24 Read More »
It must have been quiet on this Summit Street block when D.P. and Sophia Thomson moved in around 1900. Although the Roanoke subdivision had been platted and laid out, it had been slow to develop. When the Thomsons moved in, theirs was the only home on the block that is today’s focus: Summit Street (now
Pioneering Photographer Was First Owner of This Roanoke Block Read More »
The Southmoreland block between Warwick and McGee from 39th to 40th Streets has seen a lot of history – huge social events packed into its fine homes, a flu epidemic that impacted a funeral, and the ups and downs of pioneer families. Like many areas of Midtown, the block’s heyday came in the early 1900s, when expansion south
Dinner for 100 on this Southermoreland Block Read More »
If old houses hold the memories of those who have lived in and visited them, this home at 3959 Warwick would have had more stories to tell than most. The home—now replaced by an apartment building—was the long-time residence of lawyer and prominent philanthropist Sanford Ladd, and in his waning years, it was the frequent
Scores of Schoolchildren, Judges and Bishops Visited this Southmoreland Home Read More »
In the late 1800s, a popular entertainment site at Thirty-Ninth and Roanoke was called one of the most beautiful spots in Kansas City. For many years, German immigrant Frederick Esslinger’s house, vineyards, and wine garden were popular destinations for many Westport and Kansas City residents. After the wine garden was closed around 1900 and the house
A Westport Wine Garden at 39th and Roanoke Read More »