The West Plaza neighborhood is one of Midtown’s historic areas where working-class families owned and rented homes in these photos. This block of Belleview and Jarboe between 45th and 46th is a great example. Residents in these 1940s photos included streetcar and meatpacking workers, a movie theater projectionist, and the owner of a watch repair business. […]
Small Bungalows Lined Belleview, Jarboe in 1940 Read More »
On one block of Westport around 1900, black families lived next to white families, and a church founded by a former slave and his brother stood just down the block from a grocery store in one of the oldest buildings in Kansas City. The block of Westport from Pennsylvania to Mill between 40th and Westport Road has seen
Black, White Families, Church, Businesses shared Westport block in Early 1900s Read More »
As one of the oldest parts of Kansas City, the block of Westport from Pennsylvania to Mill between 40th and Westport Road has seen several distinct stages of development. The area first came to life in the mid-1800s, when historic churches, courtrooms, wagon-making, and grocery shops mingled with small frame homes. Despite efforts to preserve
On Westport Block, Frontier History Meets 20th Century Read More »
Although Westport is best known for its role as a frontier trading outpost, few remnants of that pioneer past remain standing. The Westport we know today, including this block from Westport Road to Archibald and from Broadway to Central, was mostly built in the early years of the 20th century, with Westport Road making the
Do You Remember this Block of Westport Road from Broadway to Central? Read More »
If they hadn’t left behind their name on Armour Boulevard and several neighborhoods south of the Plaza, the Armour family’s brief prominence in Kansas City might easily be forgotten. Best known as part of the Chicago-based meatpacking dynasty, the Armours who ran the Kansas City branch of the company were a major influence on social
Armour Family Left Name, Legacy in Midtown Read More »
In the early 1900s, Armour Boulevard and its surrounding blocks were the center of life for many wealthy Kansas Citians, who built large mansions and lived comfortable lives attended by their servants. That’s true of the block between Armour and 36th Street from Walnut to Warwick. But by 1940, Armour’s elite residents had moved on,
The Heyday of a Block of Armour Read More »
Like many blocks of Midtown in 1940, this section of Manheim Park from Troost to Forest between 42nd and 43rd was a mixture of homes and commercial establishments that served the families there. Along Troost, a typical commercial streetcar corridor, business names changed frequently, including automobile sales, chicken sales and supplies, grocery stores, and drug
Troost Block Served Manheim Park Residents Read More »
This block of Midtown, from Armour to 34th between Cherry and Kenwood, is perhaps best known as the home of the Longan School (now Academie Lafayette) and the Trinity United Methodist Church. However, the block was not completely dominated by these institutions. It also offered three homes along Kenwood, four on Cherry, and a luxury
Church, School, Homes Share a Block Read More »
A 1930s snapshot of one Midtown block highlights its transformation from a neighborhood of working-class families to a commercial corridor along a major traffic route. Although those photos are NOT available for this block, other historical records offer a glimpse of how the block has changed from the 1930s to today. A 1909-1950 Sanburn map of
Southwest Trafficway Used to Be Summit Street Read More »
The history of Midtown Kansas City is full of tales of fortunes made and lost in real estate, but the Plaza Westport neighborhood’s past tells a different kind of story. A real estate developer and builder there, Will Corbin, is remembered for finding a way to help working-class people in Kansas City afford the modern
Neighborhood Builder Helped Working People Buy Homes Read More »