Schools, churches, dance halls, saloons, and other places where Midtown people mixed outside their homes.
The Roanoke at 813 W. 39th Street was one of Midtown’s early neighborhood theaters. It also drew large crowds after 1946, when it started showing Mexican movies. The theater, which no longer exists, was just off the corner of 39th and Summit, where Missie B’s operates today. It is part of the block we’re featuring […]
Theater at 39th and Summit Showed Mexican Movies? Read More »
The site today. Many in Kansas City have memories of an imposing five-story building at the southwest corner of Troost and 31st Street. The corner is a vacant lot and a busy bus stop today, but from 1917 to 1997, it was the site of the Wirthman Building, which housed a drug store, street-level shops,
Troost Corner Served the Neighborhood Read More »
Decades ago, Midtown Kansas City had a grocery store in almost every neighborhood. Before the advent of large chain “supermarkets,” grocery stores were often literally mom-and-pop businesses. They grew up along streetcar lines and within walking distance of Midtown residential areas. This map shows all the groceries within Midtown boundaries in 1949, based on a
Neighborhood Grocery Stores Were Everywhere Read More »
In 1910, as the desire for new “modern” homes in Midtown Kansas City continued, an “old fashioned, two-story” frame home at 39th and Gillham was being prepared to be moved. The Kansas City Times published this sketch and told the story on Feb. 4 of that year: An Old House Being Moved: Henry C. Flower
A Dairy Farm Became Notre Dame de Sion Read More »
Today, we call the area around 31st and Oak Street “Martini Corner” in honor of the bars and restaurants that fill it. A look back to the 1940s shows that the buildings in this area have housed a constantly changing array of local businesses that serve Midtown since they were originally built. While not much
Martini Corner Has Always Been a Neighborhood Business Center Read More »
On the corner of 43rd Street and Tracy, the renovated Bancroft School is bringing new life to the Manheim Park neighborhood. With plans for new infill housing in the area and residents rehabbing older homes, people are rediscovering Manheim, a neighborhood with a lot of history. The Bancroft School has been converted into apartments. It
Bancroft School Area Full of Memories Read More »
Homes in the Center City neighborhood at 33rd and Troost around 1900. In the early 1900s, developers such as the Cowherd Brothers were building “modern” middle-class homes across what is now Midtown. One area where development was occurring was today’s Center City neighborhood, from 31st to Armour Boulevard and Troost to the Paseo. Center City’s strategic
Jewish Immigrants Settled Around Synagogue Read More »
The Karnopp Building at 43rd and Main in 1930. Today’s block includes residences and apartment buildings in the Southmoreland neighborhood, from 43rd Street south to 44th Street and Main Street east to Walnut Street. The Karnopp Building, at 43rd and Main, is pictured. The building still stands on the corner. In 1930, it housed Paul
Main Street Drug Store Served the Neighborhood Read More »
Today, we examine residences and businesses in the Squier Park neighborhood, from Armour Boulevard south to 36th and Troost east to Forest. As you can see from the photos in the gallery below, Troost was packed with small local businesses that served the neighborhood, including the Lee Yun Laundry at 3535 Troost. Squier Park also
Armour and Troost Offered Neighborhood Businesses Read More »
Today, we look at residences and businesses in the West Plaza neighborhood, from 45th Street south to 46th Street, from Bell to State Line. The block included several businesses, including Phillips Market and Wright’s Lunch on 45th, and several small residences. Photos courtesy Kansas City Public Library, Missouri Valley Special Collections.
Midtown Once Had Many Corner Stores Read More »