Midtown households in the 1930s were predominantly made up of typical nuclear families: a working father, stay-at-home mother, and several children. But a glimpse at the 1930 makeup of the Valentine neighborhood block from Pennsylvania to Jefferson between 37th and Valentine shows other trends: a proportionally large number of households headed by widows, families that […]
Valentine Block Was Home of School Board President 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 »
A bank building now sits at the southwest corner of Armour Boulevard and Main Street, offering no hint of the important mansion that once occupied the site. But from the time it was built in 1888 until it was razed in 1927, the Thomas H. Mastin home was one of the best known mansions in
Mastin Mansion Once Dominated the Block at Armour and Main Read More »
Census records from the 3700 block of Washington Street in the Valentine neighborhood show a pattern repeated across Kansas City. In the early 1900s, the owners shared these large homes with extended family members and servants. But by 1930, almost every family had given up its servants and had taken in one or several lodgers.
Valentine Was Home to First Female Livestock Exchange Member 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 »
Last week, the 3400 block of Broadway was in the news as the city council took action to advance a proposed project on the MGE site at 34th Street. That area has undergone significant changes over the years. Like other major Midtown thoroughfares such as Main Street and Troost Avenue, Broadway began as a residential street
Broadway Saw Major Changes Over the Decades Read More »
A home on the 3100 block of Summit in 1940. Before Penn Valley Community College was built, several hundred homes filled in the area between 31st and 33rd Streets, from Broadway to Southwest Trafficway. In the late 1960s, communities across the United States formed community college districts fueled by changes in society that seemed to
Video: Lost Homes of the Valentine Neighborhood Read More »
A reader named Natalia asked us about her 3500 block of Pennsylvania. Since that’s right down the street from Midtown KC Post headquarters, and we are currently working on a book on Valentine neighborhood history, we’re happy to oblige. Today’s slideshow photos feature 35th Street south to Valentine Road and Jefferson Street east to Pennsylvania
Broadway Block Changed from Residential to Commercial Read More »
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. Today, we look at residences, businesses, and apartment buildings that were once considered part of the Valentine neighborhood but have since been demolished to make room for Penn Valley Community College. This
Homes Where Penn Valley Community College Now Stands Read More »
Midtown’s Norman School is one of 12 sites nominated for the National Register of Historic Places by the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation this month. The application document offers a glimpse of the history of Kansas City and the relationship between its schools and neighborhoods around the turn of the century. The nomination prepared
Norman School Historical Nomination Highlights Role in Community Read More »