In The Loop: December 25, 2022
Your connection to Downtown Kansas City
Merry Christmas!
Hoping that you all got exactly what you wished for this Christmas — including a complete Chiefs uniform with helmet and football, if that’s your thing. Here’s the whole NFL collection in the J.C. Penney catalog from 1970 — the same year that the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl.
Otherwise, here’s wishing you a very healthy and prosperous new year, in addition to a joyous holiday season to all of you and yours. 🕎🎄🎉
And now, on to the The Loop….
Truman opens Jackson County Courthouse
On Tuesday’s date in 1934, Judge Harry S Truman dedicated the brand-new Jackson County Courthouse at 415 E. 12th Street. The courthouse was the first of two buildings that would anchor a planned Downtown civic center (City Hall, opened in 1937, being the other) .
Designed by architects Wight and Wight in an Art Deco style, Truman also recruited architect Edward F. Neild to serve as a consultant for the Downtown KC courthouse. Truman had admired Neild’s Caddo Parish courthouse in Shreveport, Louisiana, which opened in 1928, and wanted the Jackson County courthouse to have a similar design.
In fact, Truman appreciated Neild’ s work so much, that he would later pick the Louisiana architect to design his presidential library in Independence. Nield, however, would not see the project through: He died at the Kansas City Club on July 6, 1955, while working on the library design. He was 70 years old.
Arthur Bryant passes away
On Wednesday's date in 1982, Kansas City lost one of the giants of barbecue when Arthur Bryant died of a heart attack at his world-famous restaurant near 18th and Brooklyn.
In 1946, Bryant took over his brother Charlie’s restaurant — which had been founded years before by the “Father of Kansas City Barbecue,” Henry Perry. In 1958, Bryant moved the restaurant to its current location at 1727 Brooklyn.
New York author and Kansas City native Calvin Trillin helped make Arthur Bryant’s famous when, in the April 1972 issue of Playboy, he described the establishment (somewhat tongue-in-cheek, in response to an adjacent article about hoity-toity cuisine in France) as “ THE SINGLE BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD.”
Today, Bryant’s is famous not only for its ’cue, but also for the celebrities (Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg), and presidents (Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama) who have visited.
City dwellers beware
A coyote was spotted a few days ago in Columbus Park near Caddy Shack on Third Street.
Not only could this be a concern for pet cats and small dogs, but soon after I saw this post from Blake Ramsey on Facebook, I scrolled through Twitter to see a video of a coyote (in the Los Angeles area; not in Kansas City) attack a two-year-old girl earlier this month. Thankfully, her parents were right there.
Here’s a link on what to do if you are aware of a coyote in your area, or if you would happen to encounter one:
LINK: How to Avoid Conflicts with Coyotes
1907
Artful City: One weekly selection with a Downtown connection
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Who are all these people?
Answering the question “Who are all these people and where are they going?”, The Loop brings you a list of some of the biggest events happening Downtown each week. Please give a friendly Downtown-Kansas City welcome to audiences and attendees of….
TODAY
Merry Christmas!
MONDAY the 26th
Trans-Siberian Orchestra at T-Mobile Center
SATURDAY the 31st
New Year’s Eve celebrations all across Downtown
ONGOING
Maya the Exhibition: The Great Jaguar Rises, most days through January 1, at Union Station
For a more exhaustive list of everything happening Downtown, go to the VisitKC events page and use the “regions” function to search for Downtown, Westside/Southwest Blvd, West Bottoms, River Market, Power & Light, Crown Center, Crossroads, 18th & Vine — or anywhere you want to go in the KC Metro
For live Kansas City Jazz performances, visit LiveJazzKC.com
#TheLoopWantsToKnow
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Got a tip or question about Downtown KC?
Write to: tips@kcdowntownloop.com or contact The Loop via social media
Kevin Worley, Co-Publisher/Editorial
Joe Nichols, Co-Publisher/Business
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