Finding Aids

Collection of 122 8' x 10' color photographs documenting the winners of biannual architecture and urban design awards granted by the Kansas City Art Commission from 1964 through 1988. Subjects include buildings, neighborhoods, parks, signage, streetscapes, gardens, and other features of the built environment that were considered to have enhanced the visual beauty of the city.

The Miscellaneous Landmarks Commission Collection contains images produced by various Kansas City, Missouri city departments during the 1920s through the 1980s. This subcollection is a part of the Landmarks Commission Collection (P34).

This collection consists of a booklet with photographs created to document public improvements of the 1947 Bond Program proposed by a Citizens Bond Committee. The Citizens Bond Committee was founded in 1946 by the Citizens Regional Planning Council, a group made up of officials from Kansas City, MO; North Kansas City; Independence; and Kansas City, KS.

The Landmarks Commission was established in 1970 to locate and identify Kansas City’s historic and architecturally significant structures and districts. This collection of slides contains images of Kansas City’s residences, businesses, churches, landmarks, and views of the city.

The Army Corps of Engineers 1993 Flood Photographs collection includes 21 color photographs of the flood that occurred between July 10 and August 25, 1993.

This collection contains 44 photographs of the American Royal Parade by amateur photographer, Carl A. Flueckinger. The photographs show scenes from the American Royal parades ca. 1948-1950.

The Union Station Construction Photographs collection consists of 49 photographs of Kansas City’s Union Station and corresponding infrastructure while under construction. The photos are identified, dated between 1910-1911, and offer insight into the scope of work put into the building that would serve as the primary transportation hub of Kansas City into the middle of the 20th century.

This collection contains three oversize photographs of the WDAF Radio Studio from the 1920s and 1940s-1950s. The station began broadcasting on June 2, 1922, from the basement of the old Kansas City Star Building at 18th and Grand.

Joe Sanders was born in Thayer, Kansas, and spent the majority of his childhood in the Kansas City area. He started his musical performances as a boy soprano in local church choirs and graduated from Westport High School. After World War I he organized an orchestra with Carleton Coon called the Nighthawks which played on the local radio and traveled the country. After Mr. Coon's untimely death in 1932, Sanders continued as a composer, piano player, singer, and conductor of his own band. Sanders died in 1965.
This collection of material, such as scrapbooks, travelogues, photos, sheet music, etc., provides information and detail about Sanders, covering his formative musical years and later successful band career. It also contains information on the relationship between Carleton Coon and Joe Sanders and the formation and travels of their band in the 1920s.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

Collection of correspondence, publications, photographs, newspaper clippings (including obituaries), etc., belonging to Harvey Rettberg, co-founder of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks Fan Club. Includes information on Joe Sanders, Carleton Coon, and many other musicians like Phil Baxter, Boyd Senter, Jimmy Cullum, Curt Hitch, Tony Parenti, Harry and Edmond Souchon, Carleton Coon family, etc.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

Collection of material contained in five boxes that relates to the publication of "The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks: The Band That Made Radio Famous," authored by Fred Edmiston. This book recounts the Nighthawks formation and early years up to Carleton Coon's death in 1932. The collection includes primarily correspondence, photocopies of newspaper articles, photographs, audio recordings, and motion pictures, as well as a scrapbook that features Johnny Coon, Carleton Coon's son.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

Collection contains seven scrapbooks and other items compiled by Clyde Hahn, co-founder of the Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawks Club. Within the collection can be found photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other items.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

This collection consists of records, correspondence, publications, and photographs from the Kansas City Posse of Westerners, the local chapter of a national social organization interested in preserving the history and heritage of the American West. The Kansas City Posse was formed in 1955 and the originally male-only membership included hobby scholars and prominent local historians like A. Theodore Brown and Kenneth LaBudde, PhD. The group held monthly dinner meetings that included speakers on a range of Western history and culture topics; membership dues also sponsored several publications that are referred to and/or present in the collection.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

Collection of cards used for advertising purposes in the late 19th century. Includes colorful illustrations for many types of products. The over 600 cards from Kansas City businesses have been digitized.

Local History Index (Citations), Advertising Cards, Finding Aids

These business or company name vertical files for the advertising cards from the late nineteenth century (circa 1880s-1900) have information about the company or business or people involved.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

Charles Johnson, ragtime musician and composer and arranger, spent most of his life in Kansas City, Missouri. It is believed that he made the first orchestra arrangement for the song "Missouri Waltz" and tried to sell it to music publishers in 1914. Johnson arranged music for the American Royal previous to World War II, was the musical director of the annual "Nit-Wits" show of the University Club, and was an arranger for the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He died at the age of 75 in 1950. Collection contains music manuscripts, both published and in manuscript form, one recording, photos, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

The Stereoscope Card Collection contains stereoscope card assortments documenting the 1904 World’s Fair (also known as The Louisiana Purchase Exposition) and the events of World War I. Included with this collection is one black and white
stereoscope card of Philae Island in the Nile River in Egypt, and one stereoscope viewer.

Finding Aids, Local History Index (Citations)

The Missouri Valley Historical Society (1913-1940) was the successor to the Kansas City Historical Society (1906-1913) and the Early Settler's Society and Historical Association (1896-1906). All these organizations focused on the history of the Kansas City area and the region in general. The Society was especially active during the presidency of John Barber White (1913-1923).The collection consists of official records, correspondence, and business records of the organization. Historical material may be found in vertical files, manuscripts, scrapbooks, etc. The collection also includes the papers of the Gold Star League which contains photographs, correspondence, and biographical sheets on soldiers of World War I from the Kansas City area.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

Collections consisting of various rosters, programs, notes, membership cards, etc., of Kansas City area clubs.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

This Local Schools Collection consists of various pamphlets, booklets, brochures, etc., about different types of area schools. It does not include the public schools.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

Assortment of abstracts, most of them for historical Kansas City areas, but a few are of other places. Documents are transcriptions or copies of transcriptions of the original documents. Abstracts include a variety of related documents, including will, divorce decrees, and similar documents that would affect ownership of property.
Includes abstract for Shawnee Lands in Wyandotte County, Kansas involving the Bluejacket family; various properties in Westport and McGee's Addition; and McCoy's Lot 9 where Boone's Trading Post was built.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

This collection contains 59 unique abstracts for residential property located primarily in Johnson County, Kansas, and in the Missouri counties of Jackson and Clay. This property resides in 12 municipalities including Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs, and Raytown in Missouri as well as in Kansas City, Prairie Village, Topeka, Overland Park, Shawnee, Fairway, Leawood, and Roeland Park in Kansas. The abstracts begin with a record of the early land transactions and most contain related documents to circa 1950-60. They were donated by the First Federal Bank of Kansas City.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

This collection consists of manuscripts, correspondence, and other documents of Robert V. Harman, a local high school civics teacher and textbook author, that cover the span of years from 1905 to 1956.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

This collection consists of records pertaining to the development of Pioneer Park, a memorial park located in and commemorating the early history of the Westport area of Kansas City, Missouri.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids

This postcard collection includes a wide variety of subjects such as buildings, parks, streets, people, and festivals. Although the cards cover a wide geographical area, the two major portions of the collection are cards referring to Kansas City and St. Louis. Most are in color and originate from the early 20th century. Only one image has been digitized.

Local History Index (Citations), Finding Aids