Among the earliest homes in what is now Midtown were those of wealthy Westport settlers built in the mid-1800s. Those homes, such as the lavish Bernard mansion in what is now the Valentine neighborhood, were often replaced to make room for “modern” homes in the early 1900s. Because they sometimes occupied key intersections, many of […]
Corner of 39th and Pennsylvania Was Home to Westport Pioneer Family Read More »
A careful observer of things in Midtown, Diane Capps, noticed the lettering on a window at 313 Westport Road and noticed the name “Little’s Hall” was embedded in the leaded glass. The first floor of the building is now used as an antique store, and the sign for a long-term tenant, the Broadway Hardware Company,
Westport’s Oldest Settlers Fiddled and Danced at Little’s Hall Read More »
An important homestead once stood where the south edge of the Valentine neighborhood touches Westport, near what is now the parking lot of the Sunfresh grocery store. The home of Westport pioneer George Schaefer proudly occupied the corner of Pennsylvania and Schaefer Street (now known as West 39th Street Terrace). The family built the home
Valentine Mansion Once Housed Pioneer Family, Children of Working Mothers 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 »
A Midtown Memorial Day tribute goes to George Sedgewick, a Kansas City pioneer who lived at Armour and Virginia before his 20 acres were platted as Sedgewick Place. Like many pioneers, Sedgewick wasn’t born here but was attracted to the growing railroad hub and potential for Kansas City’s growth. When Sedgewick, born in 1823, was
Pioneer George Sedgewick and his Block of Armour and Virginia Read More »
Early maps of this Valentine neighborhood street show that most of it was once owned by Nellie G. Nelson, the daughter of Kansas City pioneer A.B.H. McGee. In 1890, Nellie married William W. Nelson, the son of a prominent family, in one of the most celebrated weddings in Kansas City history of a pioneer fa.
Pioneer Family Owned this Valentine Block Read More »