In The Loop: Jan 16, 2022
This Friday, January 21, marks the date in 1879 when the Kansas Senate voted on a resolution that would have allowed, through annexation, the the city of Kansas City, Missouri, to become part of the Sunflower State.
But this wasn’t the first time that Kansas pursued our fair city. In fact, the switch was considered several times in the 1800s, and some in Missouri welcomed the idea because they wanted to see a larger pro-slavery population in the Kansas territory.
In Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society 1909-1910, an account by Judge H.C. McDougall alleged that before this 1879 vote (in 1855, to be exact), KC newspaper editor and politician Col. Robert T. Van Horn (a Union Army vet from Missouri who favored keeping the nation unified by balancing Northern and Southern states); Mobillion McGee (a pro-slavery Missouri resident elected by illegal votes to the Kansas legislature), and an un-named “Kansas friend” traveled to Washington D.C. to get the pro-slavery Congress’s consent for annexation of the then-Town of Kansas to the Territory of Kansas. However when the trio reached the nation’s capital, “…our Kansas friend met and fell in love with a lady with whom he took a trip to Europe, and was not heard from in these parts for over two years.” Congress never entertained a vote on the proposal in either house.
As for the later 1879 annexation attempt: It fell apart because the Missouri legislature refused to adopt a corresponding resolution.
And thus, the 1985 All-Missouri World Series was preserved.
A drive through many inner cities, including Kansas City, might make one think that empty lots and decaying buildings are chiefly the result of individual and community neglect. But a relatively new Twitter account, @SegByDesign, uses “data and historic photography to document the destruction of communities of color by redlining, urban renewal, and freeways.” It’s somewhat horrifying to watch the destruction caused in this animation, which shows the aftermath of freeway construction in Oakland, Calif. Pay attention, in particular, to all the homes lost—not just in the path of the highways—but also for blocks and blocks beyond the roadways. If you can’t see the animation below, it’s also available on Facebook.
Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day (his actual birthday was yesterday), and I was wondering if the charismatic minister and civil rights legend spent much time in Kansas City, particularly Downtown. Lo and behold, I found a Flatland article from last year giving me the answers to all my questions—and it’s written by Brian Burnes, whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Turns out Dr. King visited KC at least six times, including Downtown-area visits to St. Stephen Baptist Church at 1414 E. Truman Road, twice at Municipal Auditorium, and once at the Downtown Airport before traveling to Manhattan to make a speech at Kansas State University. Here’s Burnes’s full story, which includes quotes from historian Bill Worley who—and I know some of you will ask—is no relation.
LINK: MLK in Kansas City
A 13-story apartment tower proposed for the City Market parking lot next to Minsky’s and stretching north toward City Market Park is one step closer to breaking ground after the Port Authority Development Committee voted to support the plan. In addition to the unusual height of the structure in this part of Downtown (the FAA still hasn’t given full approval of the height), the 300-apartment structure will only have 260 spaces in its garage, perhaps signaling a new way of thinking about cars, parking, and development along the streetcar line and specifically in the River Market. Kevin Collison of CitySceneKC has the full story:
Earlier this week, the History Channel’s “Beyond Oak Island” broadcast an episode focusing on the Hawley family’s search for two sunken steamboats in Missouri. I was lucky enough to accompany the Hawleys on a dig several years ago near Orrick, Mo., and this episode captures the process—and the thrill—of hunting sunken steamboats as well as anything I’ve seen. You can watch it for free at the link below, but there are ads that will interrupt the stream at certain intervals.
And good news: On Tuesday, the Missouri State Board of Education voted unanimously to confer full accreditation to Kansas City Public Schools, effective immediately….
Here’s the full story from the KCPS website:
Artful City: One weekly selection with a Downtown connection
Quick Clip: The city in motion—just a few seconds at a time
Downtown Lens: A single image depicting the urban aesthetic
Give a friendly Downtown-Kansas City welcome to….
Coaches and administrators attending the United Soccer Coaches Association Annual Convention, Wednesday through Sunday at Bartle Hall
Participants and fans at Rockstar Championships cheer and dance competitions, next weekend at Municipal Auditorium
Attendees of the last day of Kansas City Engaged Wedding Show at Bartle Hall.
Audiences for the last week of Wicked: The Broadway Musical, running through January 23 at the Music Hall
Participants and spectators at the Heart of America Region USA Volleyball – Martin Luther King Day Tournament, today and tomorrow at Bartle Hall
Got a tip about Downtown KC?
Know a favorite artwork by a Downtown artist, or a piece located in a Downtown art gallery or art museum? Let me know, and I might feature it in “Artful City.”
Take a recent snapshot of Downtown that you’d like to share? Send it my way for consideration in “Downtown Lens.”
Live in a cool Downtown home, or know someone who does? Drop me a line to be considered for “Downtown Digs.”
Have an upcoming Downtown event? Let me know. Send details and links.
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Write to: tips@kcdowntownloop.com or contact me via social media
Thanks for reading!
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Until next week—enjoy the city!
