Timeline of Kansas City, Missouri
The following is a timeline of the history of Kansas City, Missouri, United States.
19th century
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- 1838 - Settlement named Town of Kansas.[1]
- 1840 - City Market active.[1]
- 1846 - Population: 700.[2]
- 1850 - June 3: Town of Kansas formally organized municipality in Jackson County.[3]
- 1853
- March 28: City of Kansas incorporated by Missouri.[3]
- William S. Gregory elected as first mayor.
- 1854
- First city council president, Johnston Lykins, became second mayor.
- Bleeding Kansas - violent confrontations 1854-1859.
- 1855 - Harris-Kearney House was built in Westport.
- 1856 - Alexander Majors House built.[4]
- 1857
- Chamber of Commerce established.[2]
- November 9 - Union Cemetery founded by a special act of the Missouri General Assembly, as the private corporation Union Cemetery Assembly[5]
- The historic Quality Hill neighborhood developed by Kersey Coates
- 1858
- John Wornall House built.
- Fr. Bernard Donnelly hires 300 Irish workers to carve streets out from the bluffs. [6]
- 1859 - Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company sends first stagecoach to Denver.
- 1860 - Population: 4,418.[7]
- 1863
- August 13: The collapse of the Union Women's Prison kills four and maims several other women, which the pro-Confederate bushwhackers will cite revenge as a justification for the Sacking of Lawrence.[8]
- General Order No. 11 removes settlers south of Brush Creek.
- 1864 - October 23: Battle of Westport.
- 1865 - Lincoln College Preparatory Academy founded.
- 1867
- March 1: First meeting of the Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education.[9]
- The Kansas City Times was founded.
- 1868 - George Muehlebach Brewing Company founded. (Acquired by Schlitz in 1956.)
- 1869 - July 3: Hannibal Bridge over the Missouri River opens, first railroad bridge across the river.[1][10]
- 1870
- Coates Opera House built. (Burned down in 1901.)
- Population: 32,260.[11]
- 1871
- Kansas City Bar Library Assoc. formed.[12]
- The Kansas City Stockyards established.
- 1872 - Elmwood Cemetery established.
- 1875 - Fetterman Circulating Library in business.[12]
- 1880
- The Kansas City Star newspaper founded.
- Population: 55,785.[7]
- 1882
- Kansas City Club founded.
- Electric lights first installed in KC by KCP&L
- 1883 - Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built. Golden dome added in 1960.
- 1884 - The Barstow School founded.
- 1885
- Kansas City Art Institute founded, later attended by Walt Disney
- First overhead electric trolleys in the US used here.[7]
- 1886 - Bon Ami Company (now Faultless Brands) founded.
- 1887 - J. Rieger & Co. distillery originally founded.
- 1888 - The Savoy Hotel opened.
- 1889
- The city of Kansas City formed by merger of Westport and City of Kansas.[1]
- Electric streetcars begin replacing cable cars.
- Kansas City Public Library building opens.[13]
- 1890 - Population: 132,716.[7]
- 1892
- August Meyer appointed president of the city's first park board.
- Kansas City's Parks and Boulevard system is designed by George Kessler.
- First Court House built.[7]
- 1893
- City Hall built.[7]
- Kansas City Athletic Club active.
- 1895 - Kansas City School of Law founded.
- 1897
- City workhouse castle opened, old workhouse abandoned.[14][15]
- Children's Mercy Hospital founded. [16]
- 1899 - The American Royal began as a cattle show in the Kansas City Stockyards.
- 1900
- July 4: 1900 Democratic National Convention held. [7]
- Federal Building constructed.[7]
- Population: 163,752.[7]
20th century
[edit]1900s-1940s
[edit]- 1900 - 1900 Democratic National Convention
- 1902
- Sunshine Biscuits (formerly The Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company) founded.
- First Orthodox synagogue built. [17]
- 1903
- Flood of 1903: Kansas River flooded the West Bottoms.
- Automobile Club of Kansas City active.
- 1906 - J.C. Nichols begins developing Country Club District neighborhoods.
- 1907 - Electric Park opened at 46th and Paseo.
- 1908
- General Hospital built.[7][18]
- Henry Perry "Father of Kansas City barbecue" began business.
- 1909 - Kansas City Zoo opens in Swope Park
- 1910
- Hall Brothers (Hallmark Cards) founded.
- Corinthian Hall was built by lumber baron Robert A. Long.
- Rockhurst University founded by Fr. Michael Dowling, S.J.
- Population: 248,381.[7]
- 1913
- City Center Bank founded (UMB Financial Corporation).
- [Cook Paint and Varnish Company]] founded.
- 1914
- Western Auto Building built.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and Paseo YMCA[19] open.
- Union Station opens, replacing the Union Depot.[20]
- Mack B. Nelson mansion built at 55th and Ward Parkway.
- 1915
- Black & Veatch founded.
- Kansas City Polytechnic Institute established.[21]
- The Hotel Muehlebach opened.
- 1917 - Rockhurst College opens.[1]
- 1918 - William Thornton Kemper Sr. acquires City Center Bank.
- 1919
- Truman and Jacobson's haberdashery in business.[22]
- The Call African-American newspaper founded by Chester A. Franklin.
- 1920
- Kansas City Monarchs baseball team established in the Negro National League.
- AMC Theatres founded. (Originally Dubinsky Bros.)
- Population: 324,410.[1]
- 1921
- Laugh-O-Gram Studio founded by Walt Disney
- Monroe Hotel built.[23]
- 1922 - WPE radio begins broadcasting.
- 1923
- Country Club Plaza opens.
- Russell Stover Candies founded.
- Fairyland Amusement Park opens at 7501 Prospect.
- Laugh-O-Gram Studio files bankruptcy and closes
- 1925
- Political boss Tom Pendergast becomes Chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Party.
- Hotel President built.
- Electric Park burned down.
- 1926
- Blues shouter and KC native Big Joe Turner performs and tends bar at The Sunset.[24]
- Ararat Shrine Temple and Bagdad Theatre[25] open.
- Liberty Memorial dedicated to World War I veterans, opens
- 1927 - Downtown Airport opens, dedicated by Charles Lindbergh
- 1928
- June: 1928 Republican National Convention.
- The Blue Room jazz club opened in the Street Hotel at 18th and Paseo. (Closed 1954) [26]
- F. W. Woolworth Building constructed.
- 1929 - Count Basie joins the Bennie Moten Orchestra to play Kansas City jazz. [27]
- 1930 - First official Plaza Lighting Ceremony took place on Thanksgiving night.
- 1931
- Kansas City Power and Light Building constructed.
- Hotel Phillips built.
- 1932 - First annual Plaza Art Fair held on the Country Club Plaza. [28]
- 1933
- The Sunset Jazz Club opened. (Closed 1938) [29]
- Kansas City Philharmonic established. (Dissolved 1982.)
- June 17: Kansas City massacre at Union Station.
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opened.
- Jackson County Courthouse built.
- 1936 - Holy Land Christian Mission founded.[16]
- 1937
- Kansas City City Hall rebuilt.
- Charlie "Bird" Parker was playing with Jay McShann in Kansas City.[30]
- 1939 - Tom Pendergast convicted of income tax evasion and served 15 months in prison.
- 1940 - Kansas City Museum opens.
- 1945 - Vice President Harry S Truman sworn in as President after Franklin Roosevelt's sudden death
- 1946
- Linda Hall Library established.
- William E. Kemp becomes mayor.
- Gates Bar-B-Q founded by George and Arzelia Gates.
- 1948
- Harry S Truman wins 1948 United States presidential election
- First national leadership conference of the Future Homemakers of America (FHA), now Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).
- 1949
- Crest Drive-In cinema active (approximate date).[25]
- Richard Walker Bolling becomes U.S. representative for Missouri's 5th congressional district.[31]
- Industrial Bearings Transmission, now IBT, Inc. founded at 1625 Grand
1950s-1990s
[edit]- 1951 - July: Great Flood of 1951.[32]
- 1954
- U.S. Weather Bureau Severe Local Storms Unit relocated to Kansas City.
- Paseo Bridge opens
- 1955
- H&R Block founded
- Philadelphia Athletics of the American League relocate becoming the Kansas City Athletics.
- H. Roe Bartle becomes mayor.
- 1956 - First runway opens at Kansas City Industrial Airport, now KCI
- 1957
- Kansas City Ballet founded.
- Ruskin Heights Tornado (F-5).
- Last electric streetcar retired.
- KCUR-FM radio went on the air.
- 1959 - Five KC firefighters killed in gas tank explosion on Southwest Blvd.[33]
- 1961 - Freedom, Inc. founded.
- 1963
- The Dallas Texans of the American Football League relocate becoming the Kansas City Chiefs
- University of Missouri–Kansas City established.
- Ilus W. Davis becomes mayor.
- Bruce R. Watkins elected as first African-American city council member.
- 1964 - Kansas City Repertory Theatre founded[34]
- 1967
- Kansas City Chiefs lose the first Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers
- Kansas City Athletics relocate to Oakland at the conclusion of the season
- Sister city relationship established with Seville, Spain.[35]
- 1968 - April: 1968 Kansas City, Missouri riot.
- 1969
- Kansas City Royals baseball team formed.,[36]
- Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl IV
- 1970 - Population: 507,330.[1]
- 1971
- Charles Wheeler becomes mayor.
- Crown Center opens.
- 1972
- Arrowhead Stadium opens
- NBA Cincinnati Royals became the Kansas City Kings
- Kansas City International Airport becomes the city's primary passenger airport
- Sister city relationship established with Kurashiki, Japan.[35]
- 1973
- Worlds of Fun opens.
- Kauffman Stadium opens as Royals Stadium.
- Sister city relationship established with Morelia, Mexico.[35]
- 1974
- First Hospital Hill Run takes place with 99 runners.[37]
- Kemper Arena opens.
- NHL comes to Kansas City with the establishment of the Scouts as an expansion team
- Black Archives of Mid-America founded by Horace M. Peterson III.[38]
- Sister city relationship established with Freetown, Sierra Leone.[35]
- 1976
- 1977
- River Quay bombings [39]
- Fairyland Park closes after extensive damage by windstorm.
- 1978
- Coates House Hotel fire claimed 20 lives. [40]
- Sister city relationship established with Tainan, Taiwan.[35]
- 1979 - Richard L. Berkley becomes mayor.
- 1980
- Hyatt Regency hotel opens.
- The Kansas City Royals lose World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies
- 1981 - July 17: Hyatt Regency walkway collapse.
- 1982
- Kansas City Symphony established.
- Oceans of Fun opens
- National Museum of Toys and Miniatures opens
- 1985
- World Series won by Kansas City Royals with Manager Dick Howser
- Harris-Kearney House opens as a museum.
- 1986 - Town Pavilion hi-rise built.
- 1988
- ACT UP chapter founded.[32]
- One Kansas City Place built.
- Serial killer Bob Berdella apprehended as "Kansas City Butcher"
- November 29: Construction site explosion kills 6 firefighters
- 1989
- Boulevard Brewing Company founded
- Sister city relationship established with Xi'an, China.[35]
- 1990
- Population: 435,146.[11]
- The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum founded.
- The Kansas City Times ceased publication.
- 1991
- Emanuel Cleaver becomes mayor.
- Kansas City Stockyards close.
- Firefighters' Memorial Fountain dedicated at 31st & Broadway
- The Arabia Steamboat Museum opens in the River Market.
- Sister city relationship established with Guadalajara, Mexico.[35]
- 1993
- Great Flood of 1993
- Sister city relationships established with Hannover, Germany and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.[35]
- 1994 -
- Sky Stations sculptures installed on pylons of Bartle Hall.
- Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opens.
- 1995 - Sister city relationship established with Arusha, Tanzania.[35]
- 1997
- City website goes online (approximate date).[41][chronology citation needed]
- American Jazz Museum opens.
- Sister city relationship established with San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico.[35]
- 1998 - Sister city relationship established with Ramla, Israel.[35]
- 1999
- Kay Barnes becomes mayor.
- Union Station reopens after restoration.
- 2000 - Population: 441,545.[42]
21st century
[edit]- 2000 - Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden opened.[43]
- 2001 - Regional Kansas City SmartPort economic development group established.
- 2002 - First Fridays began in the Crossroads Art District[44]
- 2003 - First Kansas City Irish Fest at Crown Center.
- 2004
- 2005
- 2007
- Sprint Center (arena) opens.
- Irish Museum and Cultural Center active.
- Mark Funkhouser becomes mayor.
- 2010
- Population: 459,787.[46]
- Christopher S. Bond Bridge opens, replacing demolished Paseo Bridge
- 2011
- Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opens.
- Sly James becomes mayor.
- Population: 463,202; metro 2,052,676.[47]
- 2012
- Google Fiber service begins.[48][49]
- Kansas City Startup Village established.[50]
- 2014 - J. Rieger & Co. distillery re-established after 95 years
- 2015 - World Series won by Kansas City Royals
- 2016 - KC Streetcar entered service.
- 2019 - Quinton Lucas elected mayor
- 2020 - Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV
- 2021 - Chiefs lose Super Bowl LV
- 2022 - Kansas City Public Schools regained full accreditation.
- 2023
- Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII
- New Kansas City flag design adopted.
- 2024
- Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII
- Kansas City Parade Shooting
- 2025 - Chiefs win AFC Championship.
See also
[edit]- List of mayors of Kansas City, Missouri
- History of the Kansas City metropolitan area
- Timeline of St. Louis
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Nergal 1980.
- ^ a b Federal Writers' Project 1941.
- ^ a b Shortridge, James R. (2012). Kansas City and How it Grew, 1822-2011. University of Press of Kansas.
- ^ Nickel, Jamie. "Alexander Majors House Museum". Clio: Your Guide to History. Clio Foundation. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
- ^ "Union Cemetery". Kansas City Parks & Rec. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "Building Through the Bluffs". HMdb.org. The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Britannica 1910.
- ^ "Collapse of the Union Women's Prison in Kansas City | Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865". civilwaronthewesternborder.org. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.), July 4, 1897. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063615/1897-07-04/ed-1/seq-3/>
- ^ Rick Montgomery; Shirl Kasper (1999). Kansas City: An American Story. Kansas City Star Books. ISBN 978-0-9604884-0-7.
- ^ a b Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, US Census Bureau, 1998
- ^ a b Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ Whitney 1908.
- ^ "Ready for Its Hobo Guests". The Kansas City Times. December 20, 1897. p. 3. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^ Lawson, Ben (January 2, 2018). "Taste & See KC: Kansas City Workhouse Castle becoming a ruin". KSHB. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Mike Tigas and Sisi Wei, ed. (May 9, 2013). "Kansas City, Missouri". Nonprofit Explorer. New York: ProPublica. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Congregation Beth Shalom". Midtown KC Post. Midtown KC Post. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Jeffress, Sylvia. "General Hospital (1908-1976)". Clio: Your Guide to History. Clio Foundation. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Nina Mjagkij (1994). Light in the Darkness: African Americans and the YMCA, 1852-1946. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2801-3.
- ^ "Timeline". Union Station Kansas City. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Member Institutions in Missouri". Washington DC: American Association of Community Colleges. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ^ "Truman: Chronology". Independence, Mo.: Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ Stahly, Nichole. "Monroe Hotel Building". Clio: Your Guide to History. Clio Foundation. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
- ^ Conrads, David. "Joe Turner". kchistory.org. Kansas City Public Library. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ a b "Movie Theaters in Kansas City, MO". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ "Learn About Kansas City's Jazz Heyday!". mocsa.org. MOCSA. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Conrads, David. "William (Count) Basie". kchistory.org. Missouri Valley Special Collections: Biograph. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Plaza Art Fair History". plazaartfair.com. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Learn About Kansas City's Jazz Heyday!". mocsa.org. MOCSA. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Clay, Elonda. "Charlie Parker". kchistory.org. Kansas City Public Library. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Missouri". Official Congressional Directory. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1953. hdl:2027/mdp.39015038055821.
- ^ a b Kansas City Public Library. "Local history & genealogy: Alphabetical List of Special Collections". Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "On 60th anniversary, firefighters highlight changes deadly Southwest Boulevard fire created". August 16, 2019.
- ^ "History of the Rep". Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Kansas City Sister Cities". kcsistercities.org. Sister City Association of Kansas City, MO. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
- ^ "Royals Timeline". MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on April 29, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Hospital Hill Run to Celebrate its 50th Anniversary Event on Saturday, June 3, 2023". runningusa.org. Running USA. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Trowbridge, David J. "Black Archives of Mid-America". Clio: Your Guide to History. Clio Foundation. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
- ^ "Organized Crime and Use of Violence: Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, Second Session". 1989.
- ^ Le, Karen. "The Coates House Hotel". Clio: Your Guide to History. Clio Foundation. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
- ^ "City of Kansas City, Mo". Archived from the original on April 13, 1997 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000". Kansas City city, Kansas QuickLinks. State & County QuickFacts. US Census Bureau.
- ^ Trowbridge, David J; Stahly, Nichole. "Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden". Clio: Your Guide to History. Clio Foundation. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Kaufmann, Gina. "How Kansas City's Crossroads Became An Arts District, And The Story Behind First Fridays". kcur.org. KCUR. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Civic Impulse, LLC. "Members of Congress". GovTrack. Washington, D.C. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ "Kansas City (city), Missouri". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ "30 Cities: An Introductory Snapshot". American Cities Project. Washington, DC: Pew Charitable Trusts. 2013.
- ^ "Google Fiber: Why does Kansas City get to go high-speed?", Christian Science Monitor, July 27, 2012
- ^ "Two Cities With Blazing Internet Speed Search for a Killer App", New York Times, September 5, 2014
- ^ "Entrepreneurs reflect back on Kansas City Startup Village". Associated Press News. 2019.
Bibliography
[edit]19th century publications
[edit]- Business directory, 1866
- Theo. S. Case, ed. (1888). History of Kansas City, Missouri. Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason.
- William Griffith (1900), History of Kansas City, Kansas City, Mo: Hudson-Kimberly Pub. Co., OCLC 181275439, OL 23304661M
20th century publications
[edit]- "Kansas City, Mo.". Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, including a complete business directory of Kansas City, Mo. R.L. Polk & Co. 1908.
- Carrie Westlake Whitney (1908), Kansas City, Missouri: its History and its People 1808-1908, Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., OL 6544377M
- . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). 1910. pp. 661–662.
- Federal Writers' Project (1941), "Kansas City", Missouri: A Guide to the 'Show Me' State, American Guide Series, New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - "Kansas City, Heartland U.S.A.", National Geographic Magazine, vol. 150, Washington DC, 1976
- Ory Mazar Nergal, ed. (1980), "Kansas City, MO", Encyclopedia of American Cities, New York: E.P. Dutton, p. 179+, OL 4120668M
- Rick Montgomery; Shirl Kasper (1999). Kansas City: An American Story. Kansas City Star Books. ISBN 978-0-9604884-0-7.
21st century publications
[edit]- Paul S. Boyer, ed. (2001). "Kansas City". Oxford Companion to United States History. Oxford University Press. p. 417. ISBN 978-0-19-508209-8.
- Wishart, David J., ed. (2004). "Cities and Towns: Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri". Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-4787-7.
- American Cities Project (2013). "Kansas City (MO)". America's Big Cities in Volatile Times: City Profiles. Washington, DC: Pew Charitable Trusts.
- William S. Worley (2002). Kansas City: Rise of a Regional Metropolis. Heritage Media Corp.
- James R. Shortridge (2012). Kansas City and How it Grew, 1822-2011. University of Press of Kansas.
- Mildred Ray. Kansas City Public Library. "Armour Meat Packing".
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kansas City, Missouri.
- Kansas City Public Library. "Local History and Genealogy Research Guides".
- Items related to Kansas City, Mo., various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)