HOME DE SOTO

And so–De Soto, born out of a vision of a “river metropolis” is becoming more and more a town of HOMES, served by the needed businesses. As I write, HISTORY is being made, but FAST. New residential SUBURBS are being developed...New utility services are being extended to these areas as fast as the city fathers can do it; new homes stretch along the highway southwest of town; every available lot being built upon; ...we are rapidly nearing what I have always prophesied I would live to see–De Soto a distant suburb of Kansas City. Today 100 years old, we are almost there. This is my De Soto today, my own beloved HOME SWEET HOME!

The Space in De Soto was a crusade of former De Soto City Clerk, Lana McPherson, who reminds us that space needs to be in our town’s name. Likewise, De Soto, Missouri agrees. However, DeSoto, Texas deletes the space.

At a recent De Soto Chamber of Commerce luncheon, guest speaker Bill Sevins graciously recalled what Sara Ritter had told him back in 2002, “There’s a space in here for you, and you don’t have to live here to be part of the De Soto Community.”

Twenty years later, the Overland Park resident is still part of De Soto. A member of the De Soto Economic Council for many years, he agrees, “Downtown is the heart beat of De Soto, and we are setting the table for great things ahead.”

With all my love and loyalty, Dot Ashlock-Longstreth excerpts from “1942 Sunflower Ordnance Works,” De Soto, Kansas is 100 Years Old

Interestingly, this was written over 80 years ago–a foretelling of our current times in 2023. Once again, the City of De Soto is on the brink of much change and growth.

I grew up in the South Suburbs of Chicago, and as an adult lived in the near north side of Chicago–taking the “L” to my job at in downtown Chicago at The Chicago Tribune. There I worked alongside writers and photographers as a senior graphic designer.

Marrying my husband, Bill, prompted a move to Moline, Illinois, with my coworkers chiming “Green acres is the place to be.” However the Quad Cities, comprised of four large towns, was far from that. It was when my husband’s employer, John Deere, uprooted the marketing department in 1999, and moved us to Kansas–then we would be part of rural life. As fate would have it, we found our homestead in De Soto, with five acres and a house (remodeled twice in our 22 years here). Six years ago, we purchased an additional 32 acres bordering our land. “Green acres is the place to be.”

I share this, as De Soto embarks on substantial growth. I’ve developed an appreciation of small-town, rural life here in De Soto. I’ve seen God’s hand in many ways in publishing Discovering De Soto for the past eight years, (and developing my rural and inspirational photography).

I love the sense of “God and Country” and know I’ll always run into a familiar face downtown! I enjoyed our four kids years in the school district where there was great comradery. But I also do know living in larger towns and cities, you still run into familiar faces, and people still know your name. So do not lose heart as De Soto grows.

–by Rose M. Burgweger, publisher/editor

The doorways shown on the cover of this issue reflect the many diverse homes and communities that are part of De Soto–new and old subdivisions, downtown historical homes, estate lots, and homesteads on acres of rural land.

Discovering De Soto