Local History Blog

Why Are Two Cities Named Kansas City?

It sure seems like Kansas City ought to be named Missouri City, doesn’t it? Although, our neighbors to the north in Clay County where the actual Missouri City is located might have something to say about that. To better understand why Kansas City…

Swope Park’s Swinging Bridge - What's Your KC Q?

Imagine for a moment that you’re enjoying a pleasant day at the Kansas City Zoo. You’ve seen lions, tigers and even a swimming polar bear. You notice a path leading away from the main trail and what looks like a bridge straight out of Jurassic Park…

Did Wild Bill Ump a Baseball Game in KC? - What's Your KC Q?

It’s a story that has become a part of Kansas City baseball lore: a local team enlisting famed frontier lawman Wild Bill Hickok to umpire a game against a heated rival. How much, if any of it, is true? After listening to a Library audiobook version…

NEW COLLECTION - Organized Crime Files

We are pleased to announce the addition of the Organized Crime Files collection to KCHistory. Compiled by The Kansas City Star from the 1930s through the 1970s, the files were used by reporters covering the crime beat. Each is filled with police mug…

Winston Churchill's Kansas City Connection

Walk past the small courtyard at the corner of Wornall Road and Ward Parkway, and you can’t miss them. The bronze likenesses of Winston Churchill and his beloved wife Clementine have shared a seat there for more than 36 years.

Urban Demolition Leads to Preservation

Platted and developed during a citywide building boom at the turn of the 20th century, Kansas City’s Hyde Park neighborhood boasts not just one, not two or three, but four areas added to the National Register of Historic Places between 1980 and…

New Maps Added to KCHistory

The Kansas City Public Library and Missouri Valley Special Collections are proud to announce the addition of 34 newly scanned maps to KCHistory.org.

Western Auto: A Sign of the Times

The bold, bright Western Auto sign is an iconic piece of Kansas City’s downtown skyline and central to a recent What’s Your KC Q inquiry: How did the Western Auto company get its start here, and how was it tied to the distinctive, 12-story…

Tragic Turn: KCQ Revisits Historic Cliff Drive

In a tragic twist of fate, the recreational roadway that was one of Mahoney’s proudest achievements would also cost him his life and have a profound impact on his family for generations.

Hail to the King, Baby - Happy Henry Perry Day

The man who first assumed the title of Barbecue King of Kansas City way born on March 16, 1874, in Shelby County, Tennessee. By the age of 15, Henry Perry had started learning his trade working in steamboat kitchens traveling up and down the…