South Hyde Park Became a “Streetcar Suburb”

There was a day in Kansas City when almost every kid could walk to an ice cream parlor like this one at 4338 Troost. That memory is preserved in a series of 1940 photographs showing every home and commercial business on the 4300 blocks of Troost and Harrison that year.

This area of South Hyde Park developed in the early 1900s, as the Troost streetcar made it easy for potential homeowners to escape the city and buy a home in the “streetcar suburbs.” Developers built large, comfortable single-family homes up and down Troost and Harrison and filled in the vacant lots with six-plex and larger apartment buildings.

In these 1940s photos, Troost supported a handful of commercial businesses, including a funeral home at 4316. The photos below show the rest of the homes and businesses on the block in 1940.

As part of our Uncovering History Project, the Midtown KC Post is examining each block in Midtown. A set of 1940 tax assessment photos is available for many blocks.