Do you remember the northeast corner of Main and Thirty-first?

The corner of Thirty-first and Main in 1940.

The corner of Thirty-first and Main in 1940.

The corner of 31st and Main today.

The corner of 31st and Main today.

(Note: This post was originally published in September of 2015).

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 from 30th to 31st, Main Street to Walnut, the focus of today’s look back at Kansas City in 1940.

The corner was an important crossroad in Kansas City, with streetcars traveling down both Main and 31st Streets making this a crowded area.

In the early 1900s, the South Side Hospital (later the Windsor Hotel) dominated the north end of the block of Main Street near 30th. Main also was home to Standard Heating and Plumbing at 3037 Main, the Lowell Press at 3021, and the Old Heidleberg bar at 3043. (See photos of every building of this block in 1940 in the slideshow below)

The 1896-1907 Sanford Fire Insurance map shows the c=block.

The 1896-1907 Sanford Fire Insurance map shows the block.

Around the corner on Walnut Street a row of flats and six houses provided homes for early South Side residents.

There’s a lot more history to the block. Do you have memories of the area to share? If so, email us and let us know what you remember.

As part of our Uncovering History Project, the Midtown KC Post is taking a look at the 1940 tax assessment photos of each block in Midtown. 

Would you like us to focus on your block next week? Send us an email.

 Our new book, Kansas City’s Historic Midtown Neighborhoods, is available now. Let us know if you want us to come to your neighborhood association or organization’s meeting to share what we’ve learned about Midtown neighborhood history and tell your members how they can help preserve Midtown history. Order the book 

Historic photos courtesy Kansas City Public Library – Missouri Valley Special Collections.

 

 

 

3 Comments

  1. rene star says:

    “…Let us know if you want us to come to your neighborhood association or organization’s meeting to share what we’ve learned about Midtown neighborhood history …”

    I live in a south OP senior campus now, but grew up in the 1940s in the Valentine area, going to the Norman School and ice skating at the Playmor rink. I think many here also grew up in midtown KC.
    Thus I’m wondering if you would consider speaking at our campus. If so, I’ll pass on your info to the program manager here.

  2. G C says:

    Looks like tomorrow will be the final day for these buildings… Tonight on local news I saw a report that the group of buildings will be demolished tomorrow, I’ve lived in midtown for over a decade now and had eaten at the Lutfi’s fish in the building to the left in the photo, it is my understanding that there had been some major water damage to the foundation of these buildings due to a burst pipe that was unknown for a long time… not sure if this was the only reason but it’s sad to see more of our historic buildings razed.

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