In The Loop: March 13, 2022
Greetings, Downtown Loopers!
I wanted to share with you my plans to take the KC Downtown Loop to another level later this year. I plan to expand the amount of original content using freelancers and paid interns, produce more contemporary news features (while always keeping the historical components), introduce stories that focus on Downtown people, publish eGuides and eBooks with Downtown content, and eventually branch out with increased video elements, podcasts, and other media and platforms.
Of course, additional content translates to additional time, labor, and money. One way to grow these resources is to monetize The Loop with a paywall. So, I will be moving to a paid subscription model later this year. It will likely be a mix of paid and free content, so that everyone can continue to be a part of The Loop community, whether they pay or not.
Before moving to a subscription format, however, I will be asking for your help in the form of a Kickstarter campaign (hopefully in April). This is a crowd-funding mechanism that will allow you to contribute to my funding goal, so that I can implement plans for The Loop that will be outlined in more detail in the campaign. If we reach the goal, my project is funded. If we don’t, nobody is out any money.
What’s cool is that I will offer “rewards” for you at each contribution level. Among the premiums: A chance to vote for or against Downtown baseball in an online poll (only $1 a vote!), online dedications to people (or places) you love in the city, a link to hi-res Downtown images, KC Downtown Loop apparel, The Loop’s Downtown eGuide, and your opportunity to be “Editor for a Day,” among other things.
I’ll let you know as soon as the campaign is ready to be unveiled. I’m pretty excited by the possibilities—and maybe the chance to work with many of you soon. In the meantime, I appreciate your readership and support and the kind words that many have sent my way.
This Friday will mark the date when the Kansas City Club christened its new 14-story tower at 13th and Baltimore 100 years ago. Despite construction being impeded by issues related to World War I, the international influenza pandemic, and financing challenges related in part to rising costs and rapidly growing membership, the $2.5 million structure opened to members on Saturday, March 18, 1922. A larger celebration—a formal “housewarming”—would be held two months later, at which 1,500 attendees were serenaded by six orchestras placed throughout several floors and rooms of the building.
During the exclusive club’s history, well-known members and guests included presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, hotelier Kersey Coates, political boss Tom Pendergast, Gen. Omar Bradley, E.B.T.’s Thomas Bullene, lumber magnate R.A. Long, Sen. James A. Reed, Mayor H. Roe Bartle, banker R. Crosby Kemper, Ambassador Charles H. Price II, and Royals founder Ewing Kauffman.
The club boasted dining rooms, billiard rooms, card rooms, meeting and event spaces, areas to lounge or entertain, handball courts, a two-story gymnasium, a bowling alley, private sleeping rooms, a swimming pool on the 13th floor, and a rooftop restaurant and garden.
As a men’s-only club most of its years (women weren’t allowed as members until 1975), the building also included a separate ladies’ entrance on 13th Street, a ladies’ parlor, and ladies’ dining room. The club also had a history of discrimination that did not allow membership by people of color or of the Jewish faith. Black residents of Kansas City weren’t even allowed as guests inside the club’s dining room until the mid-1960s.
The “822 Club,” founded in 1925, was an “inner club” within the larger club. An inner club was when two or more members rented a private room (in this case—you guessed it—Room 822) on a monthly basis. The 822 Club averaged about 35 members from the thousands who belonged to the Kansas City Club.
According to the Truman Library: “[The 822 Club’s] main purpose was probably to provide its members an opportunity to evade the prohibition laws in congenial surroundings.” And, yes, pre-presidential Harry Truman had been invited to Room 822 on several occasions. After assuming the Oval Office, he was made an honorary lifetime member of both the 822 Club and the Kansas City Club
Also from the Truman Library: “Most of the members of the 822 Club were Republicans. When a club member congratulated Truman [a Democrat] on winning the election in November 1948, Truman responded, ‘How's 822? Suppose most of 'em are pretty quiet now.’” In those less divisive days, the former Truman would later invite all of his fellow 822 Club members to a private tour of his nearly finished presidential library (and they accepted).
In May of 2015, falling in line with a nationwide trend of declining private city clubs, the Kansas City Club filed for bankruptcy. By August of that year, an auction house listed Kansas City Club items up for bid, including Truman’s poker table, a 19th-century grandfather clock, Belgian/Flemish wool tapestries, bronze sculptures, a carved-wood cigar-store Indian, and a hand-colored engraving of George Caleb Bingham’s “The County Election,” among other items.
Today, the club building at 1228 Baltimore has reopened as the Hotel Kansas City.
Tomorrow is the date that the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department commemorates its founding in 1868. The city appointed a fire chief as early as 1867, and a steam fire engine was delivered on March 12 of the next year, but the day the new equipment was tested by the chief and several volunteers—March 14, 1868—is considered the official founding date of the department. Water from a pond just south of Fifth Street between Main and Central was used to test the pumping mechanisms as the steamer sat near Wyandotte Street. After a successful practice run, Chief Francis Foster accepted the steamer, and it was christened “John Campbell No. 1” after one of KC’s earliest, and richest, promoters.
The Brothers McFadden—Lonnie and Ronald—haven’t performed together in 10 years, but that’s about to change at Lonnie’s Reno Club inside the Ambassador Hotel on Grand. Learn more about this duo, who are veterans of Wayne Newton’s shows in Las Vegas, in the Kansas City Star:
The Columbus Park neighborhood will resume its Third Friday art crawls this year, beginning on May 20. Artists living or working in the neighborhood are invited to apply to showcase their work at the Trap Gallery, 815 Gallery, Don Bosco Community Center, and possibly other sites. All artistic media are welcome—musicians and performers are encouraged to showcase their talents as well. For more information, contact Dan Frueh at danfrueh525@yahoo.com.
The road closures related to the Buck O’Neil Bridge replacement that were postponed last week will begin after midnight tonight. The simple way to explain it is that the northwest quadrant of the Loop will be closed (I-35 northbound will stop at 12th Street), but it’s a little more complicated than that, so have a look at MoDOT:
And, now we finally know what’s up with that hole in the ground on historic Delaware Street. Turns out, a fellow North Kansas City High School alum and his partners will be building a hotel/condo/commercial building in that sliver of land that had been a patch of grass for years. Kevin Collison at CitySceneKC has more:
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….
Concertgoers attending the Stephanie Mills featuring Freddie Jackson and Lo Key performance tonight at the Midland
Alt-metal fans rocking out at the Tool concert March 15 at T-Mobile Center
Classic rock fans attending the Journey concert with special guest Toto, March 16 at T-Mobile Center
Hoops junkies heading to Municipal Auditorium for the 84th Annual NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship, March 17-22
Thrill-seekers and rodeo enthusiasts headed to PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast March 18-19 at T-Mobile Center
Hot rod and custom car fans attending the 62nd Annual O’Reilly World of Wheels March 18-20 at Bartle Hall
Also…
Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring the Wolfpack at the Midland, March 15
John Keck LIVE! in the Lounge at the Folly Theater, March 15
Mean Girls–The Broadway Musical at the Music Hall, March 15-20
Tones and I at the Midland, March 16
Cowtown Show Down 2022 at Hale Arena, March 16-19
Kaleo at the Midland, March 18
Sergei Babayan, Master Pianist at the Folly Theater, March 18
Madeon at the Midland, March 19
Golden! Girls Gone Wild! Part 2 at the Folly Theater, March 19
The Royale at KC Rep Copaken Stage, through March 27
And before I wrap this up, some cool news to share: You can now read The KC Downtown Loop in the new Substack app for iPhone.
With the app, you’ll have a dedicated Inbox for my Substack (The Loop) and any others you subscribe to. New posts will never get lost in your email filters, or stuck in spam. Longer posts will never cut-off by your email app. Comments and rich media will all work seamlessly. Overall, it’s a big upgrade to the reading experience.
The Substack app is currently available for iOS. If you don’t have an Apple device, you can join the Android waitlist here.
Thanks for reading!
Until next week—enjoy the city!