Northwest mo online relocation community guides

A Brief Word From The Editor

With over 10 years in the industry, producing local community guides, relocation guides, maps, NATIONAL raceway tracks, high school sports posters, sports event memorable, and college sports schedules we know ADVERTISING!

With a long (emphasis on long) time in this industry, we searched for a more effective, and up to date way to get our readers our informational magazine. With all of the IPads, Kindles, Androids, and cellphones we searched high and low for a way to reach newmovers. The first idea was “we could produce books with information about a county and set up distribution points so new movers could find out the attractions, events, and also aware new-comers of local businesses, but wait how would that help customers that,

haven’t decided yet, or people that don’t pick up magazines like this, and what if we produce too many we would just be hurting t​he environment, so we came up for away to solve all of those problems. On-line Guides! No extra waste, no extra liter!, also in this day and age how much is actually done in hard copy anymore, newspapers are digital, and people like the idea of being able to take media like this with them so they can take it anywhere and read it at their leisure, and it’s kinda hard to lose this copy, because all of our publications are readable by all of the leading digital readers, tablets, and cell phones, if you have internet access then you have our magazine! We also do print hard copies for people that request them.

4

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

5

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

Advertise here!

Contact a staff member to find out how you can advertise in this spot!

309-966-0526

7

Liberty is a city in Clay County, Missouri and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census the population was 29,149.

Liberty is the county seat of Clay County. Liberty is home to William Jewell College.

History Liberty was settled in 1822, and shortly later became the county seat of Clay County.

In 1830, David Rice Atchison established a law office in Liberty. He was joined three years later by colleague Alexander William Doniphan. The two argued cases defending the rights of Mormon settlers in Jackson County, served Northwest Missouri in Missouri’s General Assembly, and labored for the addition of the Platte Purchase to Missouri’s boundaries.

ordered to capture the leaders, he defended Joseph Smith in trial and won him a change in venue. While en route to their new venue, Smith and his followers escaped and left Missouri for the new Mormon settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Atchison relocated to Plattsburg in Clinton County, as Doniphan continued to make his name in Liberty.

Doniphan would join a company of Clay County men and command the 1st Missouri Mounted Volunteers Regiment during the Mexican-American War. The wartime fervor was covered by the Liberty Tribune, founded in April 1846.

In September 1861, in the Battle of Liberty Union troops unsuccessfully attempted to stop Confederate sympathizers led by Atchison from crossing the Missouri River to reinforce Confederate position in the Battle of Lexington I. There were 126 casualties. The Union army used William Jewell College as a hospital and buried their dead on campus.

Liberty was to also see action in the August 1862 siege of Independence.

Southern sentiment remained in the city long after the Civil War—city hall reportedly refused to fly the United States Flag until the start of World In 1849, Liberty became War I. the home of William Jewell Liberty was the site of the College. first daytime bank robbery

During the Civil War, sympathies for the Confederacy were prevalent in Liberty. In the 1860 Presidential Election, no votes in Clay County went In October 1838, the two were to Abraham Lincoln. ordered by Governor Lilburn Boggs to arrest Mormon A few days after the firing on prophet Joseph Smith Jr. at Fort Sumter a Confederate the Far West settlement in mob seized the Liberty Caldwell County. Immediately Arsenal disrupting Missouri’s after the conclusion of the plans to remain with the Mormon War, Smith and Union but neutral. The seizure, other Mormon leaders were which was the first skirmish incarcerated at the Liberty Jail in the state during the war, for the winter as Doniphan eventually led to the eviction labored for a quicker trial of Missouri’s elected governor date. Although Doniphan led and has sometimes been called “Missouri’s Fort Sumter” a force of Missouri volunteers

in the United States during peacetime, on February 13, 1866 at the Clay County Savings Association. Former confederate guerrillas were responsible. Consensus is that Arch Clement was the leader of the gang.

Education opportunities grew in the latter half of the 19th century. Liberty High School was chartered in 1890. Liberty Ladies College opened on a hill due west of Jewell that same year. The school burned down in 1913, resulting in its merger with Jewell. Liberty also housed many privately owned Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

8

boarding schools. At one operated by Professor Love, a complacent student named Carrie Nation was driven to tears when she was unable to formulate an argument for a class debate concerning animal sentience.

Also in 1913, Liberty was connected to Kansas City by way of the Interurban rail system. Transportation links between the growing metropolis and Liberty increased with the addition of State Route 10 in 1922 and its conversion to U.S. Route 69 in 1926. The electric railway ceased operations in 1933.

The addition of Interstate 35 in the 1960s along portions of US 69 brought new expansion to Liberty, creating car-filled suburban neighborhoods oriented toward Kansas City.

In 1943, German and Italian prisoners of World War II were brought to Missouri and other Midwest states as a means of solving the labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war effort.

Camp Funston at Fort Riley established 12 smaller branch camps, including Liberty.

William Jewell was the NFL Training Camp for the Kansas City Chiefs until 1991.

On May 4, 2003, a “high end” F2 tornado that was part of the May 2003 tornado Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

outbreak sequence struck the downtown square, William Jewell campus, and businesses and residences to the east on County Road H. Numerous buildings and homes were heavily damaged or completely destroyed. Although the claim for physical damage to the campus amounted to $7.4 million, no one at the school, or the adjoining neighborhoods, was killed. Classes at William Jewell resumed in the fall of that year.

21st century The city limits of Kansas City touch the western and southern borders of Liberty. Some businesses formerly in Liberty moved across I-35 to Kansas City, lured by tax abatements and room for expansion.

Liberty is redeveloping the Liberty Triangle, an 88 acre (360,000 m²) parcel bound by I-35 and Routes 152 and 291.

Liberty proposed annexing three unincorporated areas in 2005/2006. The first two went to a vote in 2006 and one was approved. A third area is expected to be put on the ballot in the near future and would more than double the city in size. All three areas would increase out the city boundaries to the school district boundaries.

Geography Liberty is located at 39°14′27″N 94°25′35″W (39.240852, -94.426502). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.15 square miles (75.50 km2), of which, 29.03 square miles (75.19 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.31 km2) is water.

Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 29,149 people, 10,582 households, and 7,555 families residing in the city.

The population density was 1,004.1 inhabitants per square mile (387.7 /km2). There were 11,284 housing units at an average density of 388.7 per square mile (150.1 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.4% White, 3.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 10,582 households of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with

9

no wife present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.

them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The The median age in the city was average household size was 36.4 years. 26.6% of residents 2.62 and the average family size was 3.08. were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 In the city the population was and 24; 26% were from 25 to spread out with 27.6% under 44; 26.5% were from 45 to the age of 18, 10.4% from 64; and 11.1% were 65 years 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to of age or older. The gender 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and makeup of the city was 48.7% 10.4% who were 65 years of male and 51.3% female. age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males.

2000 census For every 100 females age As of the census of 2000, there 18 and over, there were 89.6 were 26,232 people, 9,511 males. households, and 6,943 families residing in the city. The The median income for a population density was 973.3 household in the city was people per square mile (375.8/ $52,745, and the median km²). There were 9,973 housing income for a family was units at an average density of $61,273. Males had a median 370.0 per square mile (142.9/ income of $41,713 versus km²). The racial makeup of the $28,516 for females. The per city was 93.75% White, 2.59% capita income for the city African American, 0.40% was $23,415. About 3.8% Native American, 0.61% of families and 5.0% of the Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, population were below the 0.99% from other races, and poverty line, including 5.1% of 1.59% from two or more races. those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.68% of the population.

Economy There were 9,511 households

distribution warehouse. Liberty is also home to the operations headquarters for Ferrellgas, the largest retail provider of propane in the United States.

The B&B Theatres corporate office is located in Liberty, the 17th largest theater chain in the U.S. Education The Liberty Public School District serves Liberty, Glenaire, along with portions of Kansas City and unincorporated Clay County.

Its has 10 elementary, 4 middle, and 2 senior high schools.

Notable people

• David Allen, former American Football Running Back for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and St. Louis Rams.

• Ken Boyer, former third baseman and coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

• James Dewees, keyboardist and back-up vocalist of The Get Up Kids, and started Reggie and the Full Effect.

• Hubert Eaton, visionary and developer of the world famous Forest Lawn cemeteries in California.

• Gatewood Lincoln, Governor of American Samoa.

• Craig Stevens, star of the 1950s television series Peter Gunn. out of which 38.9% had children Major employers in Liberty Matt Wertz, soft rock under the age of 18 living with include the Hallmark • Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

10

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

11

singer/songwriter.

• Alexander William Doniphan, Mexican-war general and preventer of the execution of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith.

Clay County is a county located in Northwest Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 221,939, making it the seventh most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Liberty. The county was organized January 2, 1822 and named in honor of U.S. Representative Henry Clay from Kentucky, later member of the United States Senate and United States Secretary of State.

Clay County is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area and consists of many of the city’s northern suburbs.

History Clay County was settled primarily from migrants from the Upper Southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. They brought slaves and slaveholding traditions with them, and quickly started cultivating crops similar to those in Middle Tennessee and Kentucky: hemp and tobacco.

Clay was one of several counties settled mostly by Southerners to the north and south of the Missouri River. Given

Adjacent counties their culture and traditions, this area became known as • Clinton County (north) Little Dixie. In 1860 slaves • Ray County (east) made up 25 percent or more • Jackson County (south) of the county’s population. • Wyandotte County, Residents generally supported Kansas (southwest) the Confederacy during the • Platte County (west) Civil War, as the Confederate flag flew over the county Major highways courthouse for many years • Interstate 29 following the end of the Civil • Interstate 35 War. • Interstate 435 Many members of the Latter • U.S. Route 69 Day Saint movement found • U.S. Route 71 refuge in Clay County in • U.S. Route 169 November 1833. In 1836 • Route 1 mobs drove the members of • Route 9 the church from the county.

• Route 10 Leaders of this church, most • Route 33 notably President Joseph • Route 92 Smith, Jr., were imprisoned • Route 152 for some months in Clay • Route 210 County in the jail at Liberty • Route 291 (see Liberty Jail). In May 2012 the LDS Church opened a Midwest National Air Center Kansas City Missouri Temple six miles southwest of the Clay County owns and operates Liberty Jail site at 7001 Searcy the Midwest National Air Creek Parkway in Kansas City, Center in Excelsior Springs.

Missouri.

Geography According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the county has a total area of 408.86 square miles (1,058.9 km2), of which 396.35 square miles (1,026.5 km2) (or 96.94%) is land and 12.52 square miles (32.4 km2) (or 3.06%) is water.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

12

Demographics Historical population Census Pop. %± 1830 5,338 — 1840 8,283 55.2% 1850 10,382 25.3% 1860 13,023 25.4% 1870 15,564 19.5% 1880 15,571 0.0% 1890 19,856 27.5% 1900 18,903 −4.8% 1910 20,302 7.4% 1920 20,455 0.8% 1930 26,811 31.1% 1940 30,417 13.4% 1950 45,221 48.7% 1960 87,474 93.4% 1970 123,322 41.0% 1980 136,488 10.7% 1990 153,411 12.4% 2000 184,006 19.9% 2010 221,939 20.6% Est. 2012 227,577 2.5% U.S. Decennial Census 2012 Estimate

As of the census of 2010, there were 221,939 people, 72,558 households, and 50,137 families residing in the county.

The population density was 558 people per square mile (216/km²). There were 93,918 housing units at an average density of 236 per square mile (91/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.46% White, 5.18% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 1.77% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races.

Approximately 5.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000 23.3% were of German, 14.5% American, 11.0% English, 10.8% Irish and 5.6% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

There were 72,558 households There are 151,042 registered out of which 33.80% had voters. children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 32.30% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,347, and the median income for a family was $56,772. Males had a median income of $40,148 versus $27,681 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,144. About 3.80% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.40% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.

13

Communities • • • • • • •

Avondale Birmingham Claycomo Ectonville Excelsior Estates Excelsior Springs Gladstone

• • • • • •

Education Public Schools • Excelsior Springs School District No. 40 – Excelsior Springs • E l k h o r n Elementary School (K–5) • Lewis Elementary School (PK–5) • We s t v i e w Elementary School (K–5) • Excelsior Springs Middle School (6–8) • Excelsior Springs High School (9–12) • Excelsior Springs Technical High School (12) – Alternative/Technical School • Kearney R-I School District – Kearney • D o g w o o d Elementary School (Pre-K–5) • Hawthorne Elementary School (K–5) • Holt Elementary School (K–5) • K e a r n e y Elementary School (K–5) • Southview Elementary School (K–5) • Kearney Middle School (6–7) • Kearney Junior

Glenaire Holt Kansas City Kearney Lawson Liberty

• • • • • •

Missouri City Mosby North Kansas City Oaks Oakview Oakwood

High School (8–9) • Kearney High School (10–12) • Liberty School District No. 53 – Liberty • Liberty Early Childhood Education Center (Pre-K) • Alexander Doniphan Elementary School (K–5) • F r a n k l i n Elementary School (K–5) • Kellybrook Elementary School (K–5) – Kansas City • Lewis & Clark Elementary School (K–5) • Liberty Oaks Elementary School (K–5) – Kansas City • L i l l i a n Schumacher Elementary School (K–5) • Manor Hill Elementary School (K–5) • Ridgeview Elementary School (K–5) • Shoal Creek Elementary School (K–5) • Warren Hills Elementary School (K–5) • Liberty Middle School (6–7)

• • • • • •

Oakwood Park Pleasant Valley Prathersville Randolph Smithville Sugar Creek

South Valley Middle School (6–7) • Liberty Junior High School (8–9) • South Valley Junior High School (8–9) • Liberty High School (10–12) • Liberty North High School (10–12) • Missouri City School District No. 56 – Missouri City • Missouri City Elementary School (K–8) • North Kansas City School District No. 74 – North Kansas City • Bell Prairie Elementary School (K–5) • Briarcliff Elementary School (K–5) • Chapel Hill Elementary School (K–5) • C h o u t e u Elementary School (Pre-K–5) • C l a r d y Elementary School (2–5) • Crestview Elementary School (K–5) • D a v i d s o n Elementary School (Pre-K–5) • Fox Hill Elementary School (K–5) • G a s h l a n d •

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

14

Elementary School (K–1) • G r a c e m o r Elementary School (Pre-K–5) • L a k e w o o d Elementary School (Pre-K–5) • Linden West Elementary School (K–5) – Gladstone • Maplewood Elementary School (K–5) • Meadowbrook Elementary School (K–5) • N a s h u a Elementary School (K–5) • Northview Elementary School (K–5) • Oakwood Manor Elementary School (K–5) • Ravenwood Elementary School (K–5) • T o p p i n g Elementary School (K–5) • West Englewood Elementary School (Pre-K–5) • Wi n n w o o d Elementary School (Pre-K–5) • Antioch Middle School (6–8) • Eastgate Middle School (6–8) • Maple Park Middle School (6–8) • New Mark Middle School (6–8) • Northgate Middle School (6–8) • North Kansas City High School (9–12) • Oak Park High School (9–12) • Staley High School (9–12) • Winnetonka High Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

School (9–12) • Smithville R-II School District – Smithville • Smithville Elementary School (Pre-K–2) • Smithville Upper Elementary School (3–5) • Smithville Middle School (6–8) • Smithville High School (9–12) Private schools

• Faith Academy – Kansas City (Pre-K–12) – Nondenominational Christian • St. Charles Borromeo School – Kansas City (K–9) – Roman Catholic • St. Gabriel Catholic School –Kansas City (K–9) – Roman Catholic • St. Patrick School – Kansas City (NS/Pre-K–8) – Roman Catholic • St. Pius X High School – Kansas City (9–12) – Roman Catholic • Liberty Montessori Center – Liberty (K–1) – Montessori • St. James School – Liberty (K–9) – Roman Catholic

• Outreach Christian Early Education Center – Avondale (Pre-K–12) – Nondenominational Christian • Gladstone KinderCare – Gladstone (NS–Pre-K) – Nonsectarian • Oakhill Day School – Gladstone (Pre-K–7) – Post Secondary Nonsectarian – (Special Programs Emphasis) • William Jewell College • St. Andrew the Apostle – Liberty – A private, four-year Parish School – Gladstone (K– Liberal Arts college.

9) – Roman Catholic • Northern Hills Christian Politics Academy – Holt (K–9) – Baptist Local • Prairie Church School – Holt (K–6) – Nondenominational Christian • Chouteau and Parvin KinderCare – Kansas City (NS–Pre-K) – Nonsectarian • Covenant Memorial Baptist Day School – Kansas City (K) – Baptist • Eagle Heights Christian School – Kansas City (Pre-K–12) – Baptist

The three person Clay County Commission oversees the issues of Clay County. The current makeup of the commissioners is two Republicans and one Democrat.

15

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

16

Clay County, Missouri Elected countywide officials Cathy Assessor Democratic Rinehart Stephen Circuit Clerk Democratic Haymes Sheri County Clerk Republican Chapman Lydia Collector Republican McEvoy Commissioner Pamela Republican (Presiding) Mason Commissioner Luann Republican (District 1) Ridgeway Commissioner

(District 2)

Gene Owen Democratic

Prosecuting Attorney

Public Administrator Recorder Sheriff Treasurer

Dan White Democratic Debra L. Democratic Gwin Jay Lawson Republican Paul Vescovo Republican Ted Graves Republican

State Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

Year

Republican

38.64% 41,518 46.70% 44,763 2000 46.57% 36,983 1996 34.29% 23,524 2008 2004

Democratic

58.95% 63,341 51.72% 49,573 51.31% 40,747 63.54% 43,593

Third Parties

2.40% 2,583 1.58% 1,520 2.12% 1,689 2.18% 1,493

Clay County is divided into six legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, five of which are held by Republicans and one by a Democrat.

•

District 31 – Jay Swearingin (D-North Kansas City). Consists of the communities of Avondale and North Kansas City, and under a tenth of the city of Kansas City.

Missouri House of Representatives - District 31 – Clay County (2010) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Democratic Jay Swearingin 4,669 51.27 Republican Matthew K. Thompson 4,437 48.73

• District 33 – Jerry Nolte (R-Gladstone). Consists of the communities of Claycomo, Gladstone, Oaks, Oakview, Oakwood, Oakwood Park, and Pleasant Valley, and a small part of the city of Kansas City.

•

Missouri House of Representatives - District 33 – Clay County (2010) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Jerry Nolte 7,853 65.13 Democratic Jim Stoufer 4,204 34.87

District 34 – Myron Neth (R-Liberty). Consists of the communities of Birmingham, Glenaire, Liberty, Randolph, and a small portion of the city of Kansas City.

Missouri House of Representatives - District 34 – Clay County (2010) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Myron Neth 6,551 54.56 Democratic Mark Ellebracht 5,457 45.44

• District 35 – T.J. Berry (R-Kearney). Consists of the communities of Holt, Kearney, Missouri City, Mosby, Pleasant Valley, Smithville, and a small portion of the city of Kansas City.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

17

•

•

Missouri House of Representatives - District 35 – Clay County (2010) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican T.J. Berry 13,656 69.49 Democratic Jim Baldwin 5,997 30.51

District 36 – Bob Nance (R-Excelsior Springs). Consists of the communities of Excelsior Estates, Excelsior Springs, Lawson, and Prathersville.

Missouri House of Representatives - District 36 – Clay County (2010) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Bob Nance 2,272 69.65 Democratic Barbara Lanning 990 30.35

District 38 – Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City). Consists of a portion of Gladstone and less than a tenth of the city of Kansas City.

Missouri House of Representatives - District 38 – Clay County (2010) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Ryan Silvey 9,133 69.65 Democratic Debbie Colozza 3,979 30.35

Clay County is divided into two districts in the Missouri Senate, both of which are held by Republicans.

• District 17 – Luann Ridgeway (R-Smithville). Consists of the communities of Avondale, Birmingham, Claycomo, Gladstone, Glenaire, Holt, Liberty, Missouri City, Mosby, North Kansas City, Oaks, Oakview, Oakwood, Oakwood Park, Pleasant Valley, Prathersville, Randolph, Smithville, Sugar Creek, and a fifth of the city of Kansas City.

•

Missouri Senate - District 17 – Clay County (2008) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Luann Ridgeway 50,451 53.09 Democratic Sandra Aust 44,578 46.91

District 21 – Bill Stouffer (R-Napton). Consists of the communities of Excelsior Estates, Excelsior Springs, Kearney, and Lawson.

Missouri Senate - District 21 – Clay County (2008) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Bill Stouffer 6,035 59.72 Democratic Joe Sadeghi 4,071 40.28

Federal All of Clay County is included in Missouri’s 6th Congressional District and is currently represented

by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives – Missouri’s 6th Congressional District – Clay County (2010) Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Sam Graves 45,210 65.17 Democratic Clint Hylton 24,142 34.80 Year 2008 2004 2000 1996

Past Presidential Elections Results Republican

49.55% 54,516 53.07% 51,193 48.75% 39,083 41.85% 28,935

Democratic

Third Parties

48.86% 53,761 1.59% 1,748 46.31% 44,670 0.62% 597 48.75% 39,084 2.50% 2,006 47.15% 32,603 11.00% 7,609

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

18

Notable natives Frank James, born in Clay County in 1843 • Jesse James, born in Clay County in 1847 • John Ellis Martineau, Governor of Arkansas (1927– 1928), born in Clay County in 1873 •

1838 Mormon War The Mormon War is a name sometimes given to the 1838 conflict which occurred between Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and their neighbors in the northwestern region of the US state of Missouri. This conflict is also sometimes referred to as the Missouri Mormon War to differentiate it from the Utah Mormon War (also known as the “Utah War”) and the lesser known Illinois Mormon War. The specific dates of the war are from August 6, 1838, (the Gallatin election battle) to November 1, 1838, when Joseph Smith surrendered at Far West. During the conflict 22 people were killed (3 Mormons and 1 non-Mormon at Crooked River, one Mormon prisoner fatally injured while in custody, and 17 Mormons at Haun’s Mill). An unknown number of non-combatants died due to exposure and hardship as a result of being Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

expelled from their homes in known as Mormons, began Missouri. to settle in Jackson County The conflict was preceded by in 1831 to “build up” the city the eviction of the Mormons of Zion. Tensions built up from Jackson County, between the rapidly growing Mormon community and the Missouri, in 1833. earlier settlers for a number of All of the conflicts in the reasons: Mormon War occurred in a They believed that if corridor 100 miles (160 km) • to the east and northeast of they were righteous they would inherit the land held by others Kansas City, Missouri. in Missouri.

As a result of the war, nearly • Their economic all Mormons in Missouri, cohesion allowed the Mormons estimated at more than ten to dominate local economies. thousand, were forced to • They believed that the leave the state. Most of these Indians were descendants of refugees settled in or near Israelites, and proselytized what would become the city of among them extensively.

Nauvoo, Illino • Most Mormon immigrants to Missouri Background came from areas which were Shortly after organizing the sympathetic to abolitionism.

They tended to vote Church of Jesus Christ of • Latter Day Saints in 1830, in blocs. Where there was a Joseph Smith Jr. revealed that critical mass of Mormons in the Second Coming of Christ the community, they were was near, that the City of frequently viewed as having Zion would be near the town sold the election to the highest of Independence in Jackson bidder, although there is no County, Missouri, and that recorded proof of this ever taking place. his followers were destined to inherit the land held by the These tensions led to current settlers. harassment and mob violence If ye are faithful, ye shall against the Mormon settlers. assemble yourselves together In October 1833, anti-Mormon to rejoice upon the land of mobs drove the Mormons from Jackson County, Missouri.

Missouri, which is the land of your inheritance, which is now At that time, opponents of the the land of your enemies.

Mormons used a pattern that would be repeated four times, Smith’s followers, commonly culminating in the expulsion

19

[ thinkGreen [ Here is what you can do:

l Start a recycling program at your school l Car pool l Use public transportation l Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence

l Change incandescent bulbs to fluorescent bulbs l Use both sides of the paper l Plant a tree l Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently

If every person takes one small step toward being more conscientious of the environment, the collective effort will change the planet.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

20

Investing. With a plan.

Picture the path to your financial future.

We’ll help you plan the journey.

Not everyone aspires to the same financial goals. That’s why we believe in thoroughly reviewing each client’s financial picture, then applying a holistic approach to planning.

Waddell & Reed, Inc. Member SIPC

18769 (08/13)

Dean “Rocky” Buford, CFP® & Jennifer Malone, CMFC — Financial Advisors 105 N. Stewart Ct., Ste. 224 • Liberty, MO 64068 (816) 792-5072 • www.buford-malone.wrfa.com buford@wradvisors.com or jmalone@wradvisors.com Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

21

of the Mormons from the entire state. Lilburn Boggs, as a Jackson county resident, and as Lieutenant Governor, was in a position to observe and assist in executing the tactics described by one Mormon historian:

for confiscated and damaged property was refused. In 1834, Latter Day Saints attempted to effect a return to Jackson County with a quasi-military expedition known as Zion’s Camp, but this effort also failed when the governor failed to In 1833 Boggs passively provide the expected support. saw community leaders and New converts to Mormonism officials sign demands for continued to relocate to Mormon withdrawal, and next Missouri and settle in Clay force a gunbarrel contract to County. Tensions rose in abandon the county before Clay County as the Mormon spring planting...anti-Mormon population grew. In an effort goals were reached in a few to keep the peace, Alexander simple stages. Executive William Doniphan of Clay paralysis permitted terrorism, County pushed a law through which forced Mormons to the Missouri legislature that self-defense, which was created Caldwell County, immediately labeled as an Missouri specifically for “insurrection,” and was put Mormon settlement in 1836. down by the activated militia Mormons had already begun of the county. Once Latter- buying land in the proposed day Saints were disarmed, Caldwell County, including mounted squads visited areas that were carved off Mormon settlements with to become parts of Ray and threats and enough beatings Daviess Counties. They had and destruction of homes to also founded the Caldwell force flight.

County town of Far West as their Missouri headquarters.

Forcefully deprived of their Once they were established in homes and property, the Latter a county of their own, a period Day Saints temporarily settled of relative peace ensued. in the area around Jackson According to an article in the County, especially in Clay Elders’ Journal – a Latter Day County.

Saint newspaper published in Mormon petitions and lawsuits Far West – “The Saints here failed to bring any satisfaction: are at perfect peace with all the the non-Mormons in Jackson surrounding inhabitants, and refused to allow the Mormons persecution is not so much as to return and reimbursement once named among them...”

John Corrill, one of the Mormon leaders, remembered: “Friendship began to be restored between (the Mormons) and their neighbors, the old prejudices were fast dying away, and they were doing well, until the summer of 1838” Compromise breaks down, 1838 In 1837, problems at the Church’s headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio, centering around the Kirtland Safety Society bank, led to schism.

The Church relocated from Kirtland to Far West, which became its new headquarters.

Mormon settlement increased as hundreds of members from Kirtland and elsewhere poured into Missouri. Latter Day Saints established new colonies outside of Caldwell County, including Adam-ondiAhman in Daviess County and De Witt in Carroll County.

In the eyes of many nonMormon citizens (including Alexander Doniphan), these settlements outside of Caldwell County were a violation of the compromise. Mormons felt that the compromise only excluded major settlements in Clay County and Ray County, not Daviess County and Carroll County.

The

earlier

settlers

saw

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

22

expansion of Mormon communities outside of Caldwell County as a political and economic threat. In Daviess County, where Whigs and Democrats had been roughly evenly balanced, Mormon population reached a level where they could determine election results.

Salt Sermon and Danites Main articles: Salt Sermon and Danite At the same time, a leadership struggle between the church presidency and Missouri leaders led to the excommunication of several high-placed Mormon leaders, including Oliver Cowdery (one of the Three Witnesses and the church’s original “second elder”), David Whitmer (another of the Three Witnesses and Stake President of the Missouri Church), as well as John Whitmer, Hiram Page, William Wines Phelps and others. These “dissenters,” as they came to be called, owned a significant amount of land in Caldwell County, much of which was purchased when they were acting as agents for the church. Possession became unclear and the dissenters threatened the church with lawsuits.

as threats. In his famous Salt Sermon, Sidney Rigdon announced that the dissenters were as salt that had lost its savor and that it was the duty of the faithful to cast the dissenters out to be trodden beneath the feet of men.

At the same time Mormons, including Sampson Avard, began to organize a secret society known as the Danites, whose purposes included obeying the church presidency “right or wrong” and expelling the dissenters from Caldwell County. Two days after Rigdon preached his Salt Sermon, 80 prominent Mormons including Hyrum Smith signed the socalled Danite Manifesto, which warned the dissenters to “depart or a more fatal calamity shall befall you.” On June 19, the dissenters and their families fled to neighboring counties where their complaints fanned anti-Mormon sentiment.

On July 4, Sidney Rigdon gave an oration, which was characterized by Mormon historian Brigham Henry Roberts as a “’Declaration of Independence’ from all mobs and persecutions.” The text of this speech was endorsed by Joseph Smith, who appeared at the event and participated in the raising of a liberty pole.

The presidency responded by urging the dissenters to leave In the speech, Rigdon the county, using strong words declared that the Latter Day that the dissenters interpreted Saints would no longer be Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

driven from their homes by persecution from without or dissension from within, and that if enemies came again to drive out the Saints, “And that mob that comes on us to disturb us, it shall be between us and them a war of extermination; for we will follow them until the last drop of their blood is spilled; or else they will have to exterminate us, for we will carry the seat of war to their own houses and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed...”

Gallatin Election Day Battle The Gallatin Election Day Battle was a skirmish between Mormon and non-Mormon settlers in the newly formed Daviess County, Missouri, on August 6, 1838.

William Peniston, a candidate for the state legislature, made disparaging statements about the Mormons, calling them “horse-thieves and robbers”, and warned them not to vote in the election. Reminding Daviess County residents of the growing electoral power of the Mormon community, Peniston made a speech in Gallatin claiming that if the Missourians “suffer such men as these [Mormons] to vote, you will soon lose your suffrage.” Around 200 nonMormons gathered in Gallatin

23

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

24

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

25

on election day to prevent to assess the situation, they Black and others filed Mormons from voting. discovered there were no truths complaints against Smith and to the rumors. the other identifiable Mormon When about thirty Latter Day Saints approached the polling When the Mormons heard a participants. On September place, a Missourian named rumor that Judge Adam Black 7, Smith and Lyman Wight Dick Weldon declared that in was gathering a mob near appeared before Judge Austin Clay County the Mormons had Millport, one hundred armed A King to answer the charges. not been allowed to vote, “no men, including Joseph Smith, King found that there was more than negroes.” One of surrounded Black’s home. sufficient evidence to have the Mormons present, Samuel They asked if the rumor was the defendants appear before Brown, claimed that Peniston’s true, and demanded that he a grand jury on misdemeanor charges. statements were false and then sign a document disavowing declared his intention to vote. any connection to the vigilance This triggered a brawl between committees. Black refused, but the bystanders. after meeting with Smith, he At the start of the brawl, wrote and signed a document Mormon John Butler let out stating that he “is not attached a call, “Oh yes, you Danites, to any mob, nor will attach here is a job for us!” which himself to any such people, rallied the Mormons and and so long as they [the allowed them to drive off their Mormons] will not molest me, I will not molest them.” Black opponents. later confirmed that he had felt A number of Missourians threatened by the large number left the scene to obtain guns of hostile armed men. and ammunition and swore that they would “kill all the The Mormons also visited William Morgan Saints they could find, or drive Sheriff them out of Daviess County, and several other leading sparing neither men, women Daviess County citizens, also or children.” The crowd forcing some of them to sign dispersed, and the Mormons statements disavowing any ties to the vigilance committees. returned to their homes.

The skirmish is often cited At a meeting at Lyman as the first serious violence Wight’s home between leading of the 1838 Mormon War in Mormons and non-Mormons, both sides agreed not to protect Missouri. anyone who had broken the Rumors among both parties law, and to surrender all spread that there were offenders to the authorities. casualties in the conflict. When With peace restored, Smith’s Joseph Smith and volunteers group returned to Caldwell rode to Adam-ondi-Ahman County.

Mormons expelled from De Witt In the spring of 1838, Henry Root, a non-Mormon who was a major land-owner in Carroll County, visited Far West and sold his plots in the mostly vacant town of De Witt to church leaders. De Witt possessed a strategically important location near the intersection of the Grand River and the Missouri River. Two members of the Far West High Council, George M. Hinkle and John Murdock, were sent to take possession of the town and to begin to colonize it.

On July 30, citizens of Carroll County met in Carrollton to discuss the Mormon colonization of De Witt. The question of whether or not Mormons should be allowed to settle in the county was placed on the August 6 ballot; a heavy majority favored expulsion of the Mormons. A committee sent to De Witt ordered the Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

26

Latter Day Saints to leave.

Hinkle and Murdock refused, citing their right as American citizens to settle where they pleased.

Sentiment among the antiMormon segment of Carroll County’s population hardened, and some began to take up arms. On August 19, 1838, Mormon settler Smith Humphrey reports that 100 armed men led by Colonel William Claude Jones took him prisoner for two hours and threatened him and the rest of the Mormon community.

Initial reaction by Missourians was mixed. While Mormons were viewed as deluded or worse, many Missourians agreed with the sentiment expressed in the Southern Advocate: By what color of propriety a portion of the people of the State, can organize themselves into a body, independent of the civil power, and contravene the general laws of the land by preventing the free enjoyment of the right of citizenship to another portion of the people, we are at a loss to comprehend.

Ray, and other nearby counties organized vigilance committees sympathetic to the Carroll County expulsion party.

the home and stables of Smith Humphrey. The citizens of De Witt sent non-Mormon Henry Root to appeal to Judge King and General Parks for Some isolated Mormons in assistance. Later that day, the outlying areas also came under Carroll County forces sealed off the town. attack. In Livingston County, a group of armed men forced The besieged town resorted Asahel Lathrop from his home, to butchering whatever loose where they held his ill wife livestock wandered into town in and children prisoner. Lathrop order to avoid starvation while wrote “I was compeled to waiting for the militia or the leave my home my house Governor to come to their aid. was thronged with a company General Parks arrived with the of armed men consisting of Ray County militia on October fourteen in number and they 6, but his order to disperse was abusing my family in allmost ignored by the mob. When his every form that Creturs in own troops threatened to join the shape of human Beeings the attackers, Parks was forced could invent.” After more than to withdraw to Daviess County a week, a company of armed in hopes that the Governor Mormons assisted Lathrop would come to mediate. Parks in rescuing his wife and two wrote his superior, General of his children (one had died Atchison, that “a word from while prisoner). Lathrop’s his Excellency would have wife and remaining children more power to quell this affair died shortly after their rescue. than a regiment.”

On September 20, 1838, about one hundred fifty armed men rode into De Witt and demanded that the Mormons leave within ten days. Hinkle and other Mormon leaders informed the men that they would fight. They also sent a request for assistance to Governor Boggs, noting that the mob had threatened “to exterminate them, without regard to age or sex.”

As tensions built in Daviess County, other counties began to respond to Carroll County’s request for assistance in expelling the Mormons from their county. Citizens in Saline, Howard, Jackson, Chariton, On October 1, the mob burned Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

On October 9, A C Caldwell returned to De Witt to report that the Governor’s response was that the “quarrel was between the Mormons and the mob” and that they should fight it out.

On October 11, Mormon leaders agreed to abandon the settlement and move to Caldwell County.

On the first night of the march out of Carroll County, two

27

Mormon women died. One woman died of exposure, the other (a woman named Jenson) died in childbirth. Several children also became ill during the ordeal and died later.

Daviess County expedition General David R. Atchison wrote a letter to Governor Lilburn Boggs on October 16, 1838. He stated that General Parks reported to him that “a portion of the men from Carroll County, with one piece of artillery, are on their march for Daviess County, where it is thought the same lawless game is to be played over, and the Mormons to be driven from that county and probably from Caldwell County.”

Atchison said further, “I would respectfully suggest to your Excellency the propriety of a visit to the scene of excitement in person, or at all events, a strong proclamation” as the only way to restore peace and the rule of law. Boggs, however, ignored this plea and continued to wait as events unravelled.

Meanwhile, a group of nonMormons from Clinton, Platte, and other counties began to harass Mormons in Daviess County, burning outlying homes and plundering property.

Latter Day Saint refugees began to flee to Adam-ondiAhman for protection and

shelter against the upcoming winter. Joseph Smith, returning to Far West from De Witt, was informed by General Doniphan of the deteriorating situation.

Doniphan already had troops raised to prevent fighting between Mormons and antiMormons in Daviess County.

On Sunday, October 14, a small company of state militia under the command of Colonel William A. Dunn of Clay County arrived in Far West.

Dunn, acting under the orders of Doniphan, continued on to Adam-ondi-Ahman. Although he was sympathetic to the Mormons’ plight, Doniphan reminded the Latter Day Saints that the Caldwell County militia could not legally enter Daviess County, and he advised Mormons traveling there to go in small parties and unarmed.

Ignoring this counsel, a Mormon judge in Caldwell County called out the Caldwell militia, led by Colonel George M. Hinkle. Although county officials could only legally act within the county, this judge authorized Hinkle to defend Latter Day Saint settlements in neighboring Daviess County.

as vigilantes and marched under arms in three groups to the Missourian settlements of Gallatin, Millport and Grindstone Fork.

The Missourians and their families, outnumbered by the Mormons, made their way to neighboring counties.

Having taken control of the Missourian settlements, the Mormons plundered the property and burned the stores and houses. The county seat, Gallatin, is reported to have been “completely gutted” – only one shoe store remained unscathed. Millport, Grindstone Fork and the smaller Missourian settlement of Splawn’s Ridge were also plundered and had some houses burned.

During the days that followed, Latter Day Saint vigilantes under the direction and encouragement of Lyman Wight drove Missourians who lived in outlying farms from their homes, which were similarly plundered and burned.

According to one witness, “We could stand in our door and see houses burning every night for over two weeks... the Mormons completely gutted Daviess County. There was scarcely a Missourian’s home left standing in the county.

Nearly every one was burned.”

Colonel Hinkle and Mormons of the Caldwell County militia were joined by church leaders including Joseph Smith and also by elements of the Danite organization. On October 18, these Mormons began to act The Missourians evicted from their homes were no better Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

28

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

29

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

30

prepared than the Mormon refugees had been. After the stress of being expelled from Millport into the snow, Milford Donaho’s wife gave birth prematurely, and the child was severely injured during the birth.

Even Missourians who had been friendly to the Mormons were not spared. Jacob Stollings, a Gallatin merchant, was reported to have been generous in selling to Mormons on credit, but his store was plundered and burned with the rest. Judge Josiah Morin and Samuel McBrier, both considered friendly to the Mormons, both fled Daviess County after being threatened.

McBrier’s house was among those burned.

When a Mormon band plundered and burned the Taylor home, one young Mormon, Benjamin F Johnson, argued his fellow vigilantes into leaving a horse for a pregnant Mrs Taylor and her children to ride to safety.

Ironically, as a result of his kindness, he was the only Mormon who was positively identified to have participated in the home burnings. After several non-Mormons made statements to the authorities that Johnson had acted as a moderating influence on the Danites, he was allowed to escape rather than stand trial.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

Many Latter Day Saints were greatly troubled by the occurrences. Mormon leader John Corrill wrote, “the love of pillage grew upon them very fast, for they plundered every kind of property they could get a hold of.” Some Latter Day Saints claimed that some of the Missourians burned their own homes in order to blame the Mormons. None of these claims, however, purport to be eye-witness accounts.

Overwhelmingly, these claims are contradicted by the majority of both Missourian and Latter Day Saint testimony (which implicate the Mormons in the burnings) and also by the evidence of the looted property found in the possession of Latter Day Saints. Even Mormon leader Parley P Pratt conceded that some burnings had been done

by Mormons. Based on the available evidence, LeSueur estimates that Mormons were responsible for the burning of fifty homes or shops and the displacement of one hundred non-Mormon families.

two small children when her home was burned. With one child in each arm, she waded across an icy creek to safety in Adam-ondi-Ahman. Nathan Tanner reported that his militia company rescued another woman and three small children who were hiding in the bushes as their home burned. Other Mormons, fearing similar retribution by the Missourians, gathered into Adam-ondiAhman for protection.

Marsh affidavit Thomas B. Marsh, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church, and fellow Apostle Orson Hyde were alarmed by the events of the Daviess County expedition.

On October 19, 1838, the day after Gallatin was burned, Thomas B. Marsh and fellow apostle Orson Hyde left the association of the Church.

On October 24, they swore out affidavits concerning the burning and looting in Daviess County. They also reported the existence of the Danite group among the Mormons and repeated a popular rumor that a group of Danites was planning to attack and burn Richmond and Liberty.

Local citizens were outraged by the actions of the Danites and other Mormon bands.

Several Mormon homes near Millport were burned and their inhabitants expelled Battle of Crooked River into the snow. Agnes Smith, Fearing attack, many citizens a sister-in-law of Joseph, was of Ray County moved their chased from her home with wives and children across the

31

Missouri River for safety. A militia under the command of Samuel Bogart was authorized

by General Atchison to patrol the no-man’s land between Ray and Caldwell Counties known as “Bunkham’s Strip” – an unincorporated territory 6 miles (9.7 km) east to west and 1-mile (1.6 km) north to south.

Instead of staying in the strip, Bogart passed into southern Caldwell County and began to harass Latter Day Saints, who were forcibly disarmed.

Rumor reached Far West that a mob of vigilantes from Ray County had taken Mormons prisoner and an armed party was quickly assembled to rescue these prisoners and push the mob out of the county.

When the Mormons arrived on the scene, the state militia unit was camped along Crooked River in the Bunkham’s Strip just south of Caldwell County.

The Mormons divided into three columns led by David W. Patten, Charles C. Rich, and James Durphee. The Missourians had the advantage of position and fired, but the Mormons continued to advance. The state militia broke ranks and fled across the river. Although Mormons won the battle, they took heavier casualties than the Missourians. Of the Missourians, only one, Moses Rowland, was killed. On the

Mormon side, Danite leader Gideon Carter was killed in the battle and nine other Mormons were wounded, including Patten, who soon after died from his wounds. According to one Latter Day Saint witness, the deaths “threw a gloom over the whole place.”

Extermination Order Main

article: Missouri Executive Order 44

News of the battle quickly spread and contributed to an all-out panic in northwestern Missouri. Exaggerated initial reports indicated that nearly all of Bogart’s company had been killed. Generals Atchison, Doniphon and Parks decided they needed to call out the militia to “prevent further violence.” This is how it was explained in a letter to US Army Colonel R. B. Mason of Ft. Leavenworth:

gathered, Missourian vigilante parties continued to act on their own, driving Latter Day Saints inward to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Meanwhile, exaggerated reports from the Battle of Crooked River made their way to Missouri’s governor, Lilburn Boggs. Boggs held strong preconceptions against the Latter Day Saints, dating from the time when both he and they had lived in Jackson County, and the governor believed the reports. Although he had refrained from stopping the illegal anti-Mormon siege of De Witt, he now mustered 2,500 state militia to put down what he perceived to be a Mormon insurrection against the state.

Possibly playing on Rigdon’s July 4 sermon that talked of a “war of extermination,” Boggs issued Missouri Executive Order 44, also known as the “Extermination Order,” which stated that “the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace...” The Extermination Order was finally rescinded on June 25, 1976 by Governor Christopher Samuel “Kit” Bond.

“The citizens of Daviess, Carroll, and some other normal counties have raised mob after mob for the last two months for the purpose of driving a group of fanatics, (called mormons) from those counties and from the State. These things have at length goaded the mormons into a state of desperation that has now made them the Haun’s Mill Massacre aggressors instead of acting on Main article: Haun’s Mill the defensive.”

Massacre While the state militia Agitation against the Latter Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

32

Day Saints had become particularly fierce in the sparsely settled counties north and east of Caldwell County.

Mormon dissenters from Daviess County who had fled to Livingston County reportedly told Livingston County militia under Colonel Thomas Jennings that Mormons were gathering at Haun’s Mill to raid into Livingston County.

One 19th century Missouri historian noted: “The Daviess County men were very bitter against the Mormons, and vowed the direst vengeance on the entire sect. It did not matter whether or not the Mormons at Haun’s mill had taken any part in the disturbance which had occurred [in Daviess County]; it was enough that they were Mormons. The Livingston men became thoroughly imbued with the same spirit, and were eager for the raid ... feel[ing] an extraordinary sympathy for the outrages suffered by their neighbors” Although it had just been issued, it is unlikely that the governor’s “Extermination Order” would have already reached these men, and in any event the order would not have authorized them to cross into Caldwell County to raid.

It should also be noted that none of the participants in the raid ever cited the order as Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

justification for their actions.

On October 29, this large vigilante band of some 250 men assembled and entered eastern Caldwell County.

When the Missourian raiders approached the settlement on the afternoon of October 30, some 30 to 40 Latter Day Saint families were living or encamped there. Despite an attempt by the Mormons to parley, the mob attacked.

Thomas McBride surrendered his rifle to Jacob Rogers, who shot McBride with his own gun, then mangled his body with a corn knife while he was still alive. Other members of the mob opened fire, which sent the Latter Day Saints fleeing in all directions.

While Mormon women and children scattered and hid in the surrounding woods and nearby homes, Mormon men and boys rallied to defend the settlement. They moved into a blacksmith shop which they hoped to use as a makeshift defensive fortification.

Unfortunately, the shop had large gaps between the logs which the Missourians shot into and, as one Mormon later recalled, it became more “slaughter-house rather than a shelter.” The mob gave no quarter. After most of the defenders in the blacksmith shop had been killed or mortally wounded, some of the

Missourians entered to finish the work. Finding 10-year-old Sardius Smith hiding behind the bellows, William Reynolds of Livingston County shot and killed the boy, saying: “Nits will make lice, and if he had lived he would have become a Mormon” In all, 17 Latter Day Saints were killed in what came to be called the Haun’s Mill Massacre. When survivors of the massacre reached Far West, the reports of the savagery of the attack played a significant part in the decision of the Mormons to surrender.

None of the Missourians were ever prosecuted for their role in the Haun’s Mill Massacre.

Siege of Far West and capture of church leaders Most Mormons gathered to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman for protection. Major General Samuel D. Lucas marched the state militia to Far West and laid siege to the Mormon headquarters.

Surrounded by the state militia, the mood in besieged Far West was uneasy. Joseph Smith ordered Colonel George M. Hinkle, the head of the Mormon militia in Caldwell County, to ride out and meet with General Lucas to seek terms. According to Hinkle, Smith wanted a treaty with

33

the Missourians “on any terms short of battle.” Other Latter Day Saint witnesses remembered that Smith said to “beg like a dog for peace.”

Lucas’ terms were severe.

The Latter Day Saints were to give up their leaders for trial and to surrender all of their arms. Every Mormon who had taken up arms was to sell his property to pay for the damages to Missourian property and for the muster of the state militia. Finally, the Mormons who had taken up arms were to leave the state.

Colonel Hinkle stated that the Latter Day Saints would help bring to justice those Mormons who had violated the law, but he protested that the other terms were illegal and unconstitutional.

Colonel Hinkle rode to the church leaders in Far West and informed them of the offered terms. According to Latter Day Saint witness Reed Peck, when Smith was told that the Mormons would be expected to leave the state, he replied that “he did not care” and that he would be glad to get out of the “damnable state” anyway.

Smith and the other leaders rode with Hinkle back to the Missouri militia encampment.

The militia promptly arrested Smith and the other leaders.

Smith believed that Hinkle had betrayed him, but Hinkle

maintained his innocence and claimed that he was following Smith’s orders. To William Wines Phelps, a fellow Latter Day Saint and witness to the events, Hinkle wrote: “When the facts were laid before Joseph, did he not say, ‘I will go’; and did not the others go with him, and that, too, voluntarily, so far as you and I were concerned?”

up, and the terms of the treaty complied with, before this, you and your families would have been destroyed and your houses in ashes.’”

The Far West militia was marched out of the city and forced to turn over their weapons to General Lucas.

The men under the command of Lucas were then allowed to ransack the city to search for weapons. Brigham Young recounts that, once the militia was disarmed, Lucas’s men were turned loose on the city:

Joseph Smith Jr. and the other arrested leaders were held overnight under guard in General Lucas’ camp, where they were left exposed to the [They commenced their ravages elements. by plundering the citizens Hyrum Smith, Brigham of their bedding, clothing, Young, and other leaders left at money, wearing apparel, and Far West warned the veterans every thing of value they could of Crooked River to flee. “If lay their hands upon, and found, they will be shot down also attempting to violate the like dogs,” warned Hyrum. chastity of the women in sight Joseph Smith Jr attempted of their husbands and friends, to negotiate with Lucas, but under the pretence of hunting it became clear that Lucas for prisoners and arms. The considered his conditions to soldiers shot down our oxen, be non-negotiable. At 8:00 am, cows, hogs and fowls, at our Joseph sent word to Far West own doors, taking part away to surrender. and leaving the rest to rot in Ebenezer Robinson described the streets. The soldiers also turned their horses into our the scene at Far West, fields of corn.

“General Clark made the following speech to the brethren Trials of Mormon leaders on the public square:...’The orders of the governor to See also: Joseph Smith and the me were, that you should be criminal justice system exterminated, and not allowed to remain in the state, and had Lucas tried Joseph Smith Jr. your leaders not been given and other Mormon leaders by Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

34

Robert W. Haas, M.D. Santosh George, M.D. Ryan R. Snyder, M.D. David J. Steinbronn, M.D. Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine 252 Glenn Hendren Dr, Suite 204 Liberty, MO 64068

816-781-6066

www.libertyorthopedics.com

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

www.ritashearing.com

35

Rita's Hearing Center 1914 N Plymouth Rd, Independence, MO 64058

(816) 796-8165 Hours of Operation: Open Monday to Friday, willing to work around your schedule.Call today for an appointment.

We will choose the right instrument that suits your lifestyle and make sure you know all about the device and how it works. This way you can care and maintain your device. But if you have any troubles with a hearing device you bought from us or from another vendor, feel free to drop it by and we’ll take a look.

We understand and appreciate the value of your business. That’s why we have made it our mission to provide you with reliable, quality hearing aid products and solutions. Even though our company continues to grow, our belief in the value of an honest, one-on-one relationship remains the same.

Take Control Of Your Career.

MidAmerica Nazarene University’s newly expanded Liberty location gives you options. Attend class just 1 night a week and earn a degree in as little as 1 year. Some programs offer part-time or full-time options.

We’re committed to helping you succeed.

Degrees for working adults - in Liberty.

Available Programs: Professional

Graduate

Applied Organizational Leadership RN to BSN Associate of Arts

mnu.edu/liberty

MBA Master of Science in Nursing Master of Arts in Counseling

816.407.3070

liberty@mnu.edu

W o r210, l d V iLiberty, e w s G u i dMO e s | 64068 June 2014 105 N. Stewart Ct., Suite

36

court martial on November 1, the evening of the surrender.

After the court martial, he ordered General Alexander William Doniphan:

robbery and larceny.

all their lands in order to pay for the state militia muster.

During a transfer to another prison in the spring of 1839, Mormon leaders appealed to Smith escaped. The exact the state legislature to overturn circumstances that allowed for the requirement that they leave him to escape are not certain. the state, but the legislature John Whitmer recounts that tabled the issue until a date well Smith bribed the guards. after that when the Mormons would have left the state.

It is also believed that

You will take Joseph Smith and the other prisoners into the public square of Far West and shoot them at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning.

Smith’s imprisonment had become an embarrassment, Doniphan refused to obey the and that an escape would be order, replying: convenient for Boggs and the It is cold-blooded murder. rest of the Missouri political I will not obey your order. establishment.

My brigade shall march for Smith and the other Mormons Liberty to-morrow morning, at resettled in Nauvoo, Illinois, 8 o’clock, and if you execute beginning in 1839. those men, I will hold you responsible before an earthly Daviess County residents were outraged by the escape tribunal, so help me God! of Smith and the other leaders.

The defendants, consisting of William Bowman, one of the about 60 men including Joseph guards, was dragged by his Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon, hair across the town square. were turned over to a civil Sheriff Morgan was ridden court of inquiry in Richmond through town on an iron bar, under Judge Austin A. King, and died shortly afterward on charges of treason, murder, from the injuries he suffered arson, burglary, robbery, during the ride. larceny and perjury. The court of inquiry began November 12, Aftermath 1838. After the inquiry, all but General Clark viewed a few of the Mormon prisoners Executive Order 44 as having were released, but Joseph been fulfilled by the agreement Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman of the Mormons to evacuate Wight, Caleb Baldwin, Hyrum the state the following spring.

Smith and Alexander McRae The militia was disbanded in were held in the Liberty Jail late November. in Liberty, Clay County on charges of treason against the Missouri blamed the Mormons state, murder, arson, burglary, for the conflict and forced the Latter Day Saints to sign over Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

With the refusal of the Governor or Legislature to intervene, and having surrendered the bulk of their firearms, Mormons were left nearly defenseless to face the mob. Mormon residents were harassed and attacked by angry residents who were no longer restrained by militia officers.

Judge Austin A King, who had been assigned the cases of the Mormons charged with offenses during the conflict, warned “If you once think to plant crops or to occupy your lands any longer than the first of April, the citizens will be upon you: they will kill you every one, men, women and children.”

Flight of Mormons to Illinois Stripped of their property, the Mormons were then given a few months to leave the state. Most refugees made their way east to Illinois, where residents of the town of Quincy helped them.

When faced with the Mormon refugees from Missouri, the people of Quincy, Illinois, were outraged by the treatment

37

the Mormons had experienced. The Missouri Argus published One resolution passed by the an editorial on December Quincy town council read: 20, 1838, that public opinion Resolved: That the gov of should not permit the Mormons Missouri, in refusing protection to forcibly be expelled from the state: to this class of people when pressed upon by an heartless mob, and turning upon them a band of unprincipled Militia, with orders encouraging their extermination, has brought a lasting disgrace upon the state over which he presides.

Eventually, the large portion of the Mormons regrouped and founded a new city in Illinois which they called Nauvoo.

Political fallout When events in Daviess County caused Missourians to see the Mormon community as a violent threat, nonMormon public opinion hardened in favor of a firm military response. Even militia commanders such as Clark, Doniphan, and Atchison who were sympathetic to the Mormons came to see a military response as the only way to bring the situation under control.

They cannot be driven beyond the limits of the state—that is certain. To do so, would be to act with extreme cruelty. Public opinion has recoiled from a summary and forcible removal of our negro population;— much more likely will it be to revolt at the violent expulsion of two or three thousand souls, who have so many ties to connect them with us in a common brotherhood. If they choose to remain, we must be content. The day has gone by when masses of men can be outlawed, and driven from society to the wilderness, unprotected. . . .

The refinement, the charity of our age, will not brook it.

Even people who otherwise would have had no sympathy for the Mormons were appalled by Boggs’ Executive Order and the treatment of the Mormons by the mobs. One contemporary critic of the Many of Boggs’ constituents Mormons wrote: felt that he had mis-managed Mormonism is a monstrous the situation, by failing to evil; and the only place where intervene earlier in the crisis, it ever did or ever could shine, and then by overreacting on the this side of the world of despair, basis of partial and incorrect is by the side of the Missouri information. mob.

LeSueur notes that, along with other setbacks, Boggs’ mishandling of the Mormon conflict left him “politically impotent” by the end of his term.

Boggs assassination attempt Main article: Attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs On May 6, 1842, Boggs was shot in the head at his home three blocks from Temple Lot. Boggs survived, but Mormons came under immediate suspicion.

Sheriff J.H. Reynolds discovered a revolver at the scene, still loaded with buckshot. He surmised that the perpetrator had fired upon Boggs and lost his firearm in the night when the weapon recoiled due to its unusually large shot. The gun was found to have been stolen from a local shopkeeper, who identified “that hired man of Ward’s” as the most likely culprit.

Reynolds determined the man in question was Orrin Porter Rockwell, a close associate of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. However, Reynolds was unable to capture Rockwell.

John C. Bennett, a disaffected Mormon, reported that Smith had offered a cash reward to anyone who would assassinate Boggs, and that Smith had Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

38

admitted to him that Rockwell seat, Kansas City serves as had done the deed. a second county seat and the Joseph Smith vehemently center of county government. denied Bennett’s account, The county was organized speculating that Boggs— December 15, 1826 and named no longer governor, but for President Andrew Jackson (elected 1828). campaigning for state senate— was attacked by an election opponent. One historian notes that Governor Boggs was running for election against several violent men, all capable of the deed, and that there was no particular reason to suspect Rockwell of the crime. Other historians are convinced that Rockwell was involved in the shooting.

Whatever the case, the following year Rockwell was arrested, tried, and acquitted of the attempted murder, although most of Boggs’ contemporaries remained convinced of his guilt. A grand jury was unable to find sufficient evidence to indict him, convinced in part by his reputation as a deadly gunman and his statement that he “never shot at anybody, if I shoot they get shot!... He’s still alive, ain’t he?”

Jackson County is a county located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri.

As of the 2010 census, the population was 674,158. making it the second most populous county in the state (after St. Louis County).

Although Independence retains its status as the original county Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

commanding position” along the river within the current boundaries of Jackson County that in 1808 became Fort Osage. This stockade and trading post was one of the first U.S. military installations Jackson County is included within the Louisiana purchase in the Kansas City, MO-KS territory, and remained active until 1822.

Metropolitan Statistical Area.

In 1821, Jackson County became part of the newly Early years admitted state of Missouri.

Jackson County was home to Jackson County was organized members of the Osage Native on December 15, 1826 and American tribe. The first named for Andrew Jackson, known European explorers U.S. Senator (and later were French trappers who President) from Tennessee. used the Missouri River as a Its county seat was designated highway for “explorations” and as Independence, which was trading with Native American at the time only a minuscule tribes. Jackson County was a settlement near a spring. part of New France, until the However, the rapid increase British victory in the French in Westward exploration and and Indian War in 1763 expansion ultimately made resulted in the cession of this Independence the starting territory to Great Britain’s ally, point for three of the great Spain. Spain was forced by the Westward Trails: the Santa Third Treaty of San Ildefonso Fe Trail, the Oregon Trail in 1800 to return its Louisiana and the California Trail. With Territory (of which modern the American Civil War and Jackson County then formed a the coming of the railroads, part) to France, which in turn nearby Kansas City ultimately sold it to the United States eclipsed Independence, though in the Louisiana Purchase of both towns remain county 1803. seats.

Explorers Merriwether Lewis In 1838, a small piece of and William Clark passed land was bought along the through Jackson County Missouri River in northern on their famous Lewis and Jackson County by the “Town Clark expedition in 1804.

Company,” which established Among other items, their “Westport Landing” (today the report indicated a “high,

39

River Market district). The area outside of Westport Landing was renamed the “Town of Kansas,” after the local Kanza Native Americans, in 1839.

The town was chartered by Jackson County in 1850 and incorporated by the State of Missouri as the “City of Kansas” in 1853. In 1889, with a population of around 60,000, the city adopted a new charter and changed its name to Kansas City. In 1897, Kansas City annexed Westport.

Latter Day Saints Jackson County figures prominently in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Beginning in March 1831, Church founder Joseph Smith, Jr. claimed that a location on the Missouri– Kansas border was to be a latter-day “New Jerusalem” with the “center place” located in Independence, the County Seat. Traveling to the area in the Summer of 1831, Smith and some associates formally proclaimed Jackson County as the site, in a ceremony in August 1831.

was Zion meant much to Joseph Smith and the members of the Mormon Church. According to Mormon belief, Zion is a place where the pure in heart live.

This can mean that Zion can be anywhere, but when God referred to Jackson County as Zion he also told Joseph that this land would be the New Jerusalem. “...The saints were eager to begin building up Zion so that they could further the preparations for the coming of Christ.

“After receiving this revelation, Joseph began making arrangements to build up a city. On August 2, 1831, he helped lay the logs for the first house built in Zion. The first log was carried and placed by twelve men to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Sidney Rigdon also was asked to dedicate and consecrate the land for the gathering of the Saints...”

Many members of the LDS Church—including Joseph Smith and Brigham Young— have believed that Jackson County was the site of the “Joseph Smith was then biblical Garden of Eden. told that the members of the Although formed in upstate Church should buy as much New York in 1830, the land as possible west from LDS Church leadership and Independence up to the line members began moving to that designated the land of the Jackson County as soon as word Native Americans. Learning of the August 1831 dedication that Jackson County Missouri ceremony was published. Open

conflict with earlier settlers ensued, driven by religious and cultural differences, and the perception by pro-slavery Missourians that the “Yankee” “Mormons” were abolitionists.

Vigilantes in the public and private sector used force to drive individual Saints from Jackson to nearby counties within Missouri; eventually, Latter Day Saints were given until the end of November 6, 1833 to leave the county en masse. On November 23, 1833, the few remaining Mormon residents were ordered to leave Jackson County. By mid1839, following the Missouri Mormon War, Mormons were driven from the state altogether, not to return to Jackson County or Missouri in significant numbers until 1867.

Today several Latter Day Saint churches are represented in Jackson County, most notably the Community of Christ, the LDS Church, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) and the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message—the first and last three of these have their worldwide headquarters there.

Joseph Smith prophesied that a temple would be built in Independence “in this generation”. The Community of Christ remains the only Latter Day Saint organization (as of 2014) to have a temple Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

40

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

41

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

42

in the city on part of the 66 acres (270,000 m2) larger temple area designated by Smith. Smith’s original temple site, a smaller five-acre section within that 66 acres (containing stones originally placed by Smith to mark the corners of his intended structure), is currently owned by the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), which hopes to build a temple of its own sometime in the future.

Although the Kansas City Missouri Temple opened in May 2012 in adjacent Clay County, the LDS Church still believes that a temple will also be built on the Independence Temple Lot (currently owned by the Church of Christ (Temple Lot)) at some future time. An LDS visitors’ center is currently situated adjacent to the Temple Lot, with the Community of Christ temple directly across the street.

Civil War During the Civil War, Jackson County was the scene of several engagements, the most notable of which was the Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as “the Gettysburg of Missouri,” in 1864. The decisive Union victory here firmly established Northern control of Missouri, and led to the failure of Confederate General Sterling Price’s Missouri expedition. Other Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

noteworthy battles were fought in Independence in 1862, Lone Jack a few days later, and again in Independence in 1864. All three battles resulted in Confederate victories.

and the building of stockyards led to the rapid expansion of Kansas City in the late 19th century. During the 1920s and 30s, the city became a noted center for Jazz and Blues music, as well as the headquarters of Hallmark Cards and the location of Walt Disney’s first animation studio. The county fared better than many during the Great Depression, as local political boss Thomas Pendergast worked for implementation of a $50,000,000 public works project that provided thousands of jobs (and a great deal of money for the corrupt Pendergast). One of Pendergast’s political proteges was a young World War I veteran from Independence: Harry S. Truman, who had been his nephew’s commanding officer in the war, was elected Presiding Judge (equivalent to a County Executive) of Jackson County with Pendergast support in 1926, went on to become a U.S. Senator from Missouri, Vice President, and in 1945, following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-third President of the United States.

Jackson County was heavily affected by Union General Thomas Ewing’s infamous General Order No. 11 (1863). With large numbers of Confederate sympathisers living within its boundaries, and active Confederate operations in the area a frequent occurrence, the Union command was determined to deprive Confederate bushwhackers of all local support. Ewing’s decree practically emptied the rural portions of the county, and resulted in the burning of large portions of Jackson and adjacent counties. According to American artist George Caleb Bingham, himself a resident of Kansas City at the time, one could see the “dense columns of smoke arising in every direction”, symbolic of what he termed “a ruthless military despotism which spared neither age, sex, character, nor condition”. The legacy of Ewing’s “imbecilic” (according to Bingham) order Suburban sprawl became haunted Jackson County for a part of Jackson County’s decades after the war. landscape following World War II, as returning soldiers and other workers moved Twentieth century into new homes being built in The coming of the railroads

43

subdivisions that increasingly encroached on rural portions of the county. Independence, Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit experienced growth during this period, which continues to the present. Kansas City, on the other hand, experienced the same problems with urban decay afflicting many large American cities during this time. Recent building projects have sought to reverse this trend, including work on the city’s famous City Market, the Westport district, the 18th and Vine Historic District and most recently the Kansas City Power & Light District.

voters of the whole county.

Member terms are 4 years, beginning on January 1 following the election.

There are 244,570 registered voters.

Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 616.41 square miles (1,596.5 km2), of which 604.84 square miles (1,566.5 km2) (or 98.12%) is land and 11.57 square miles (30.0 km2) (or 1.88%) is water.

The Missouri River comprises Jackson County’s northern border (with the exception of one small portion North of the river around the intersection of highway 291 and highway 210 as well as all of the 291 bridge).

The county has historically been a major traveling point for American river travel.

Census

Pop. %± 2,823 — 7,612 169.6% 14,000 83.9% 22,913 63.7% 65,011 183.7% 82,825 27.4% 160,510 93.8% 195,193 21.6% 283,522 45.3% 367,846 29.7% 470,454 27.9% 477,828 1.6% 541,035 13.2% 622,732 15.1% 654,558 5.1% 629,266 −3.9% 633,232 0.6% 654,880 3.4% 674,158 2.9% Est. 2012 677,377 0.5% U.S. Decennial Census 2012 Estimate 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

2010 census

As of the 2010 census Jackson County had a population of Law and government 674,158. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was Jackson County was the second 63.3% non-Hispanic white, county to adopt a home-rule 23.7% non-Hispanc black, charter under the Missouri 0.5% Native American, 1.6% constitution. The Jackson Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander County Charter was adopted alone or in combination with by the voters in 1970 and was one or more other races, 0.1% amended in 1985 and 1986. non-Hispanic from some other Adjacent counties Executive power of the race, 3.8% reporting two or • Clay County (north) county is vested in the county Ray County (north-east) more races and 8.4% Hispanic executive, which is a full- • or Latino.

Lafayette County (east) time salaried position. The • Johnson County (southcounty executive is elected by • 2000 census east) the general population of the • Cass County (south) As of the census of 2000, there county for a four-year term.

• Johnson County, Kansas were 654,880 people, 266,294 Ordinances are passed by (south-west) households, and 166,167 a county legislature. The • Wyandotte County, families residing in the county. legislature is made up of nine Kansas (north-west) The population density was members, six elected from 1,083 people per square mile smaller districts within the (418/km²). There were 288,231 Demographics county and three elected “at housing units at an average Historical population large” from larger districts by Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

44

density of 476 per square mile (184/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 70.10% White, 23.27% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 2.43% from other races, and 2.25% from two or more races.

5.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

16.7% were of German, 9.1% American, 8.9% Irish and 8.8% English ancestry according to the 2000 census.

There were 266,294 households out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.40% were married couples living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.60% were non-families. 31.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.05.

were 89.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,277, and the median income for a family was $48,435. Males had a median income of $35,798 versus $27,403 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,788. About 9.00% of families and 11.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.40% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

spanning the Kansas–Missouri border. Founded in the 1830s as a port on the Missouri River and originally called Kansas, this became confusing upon the establishment of Kansas Territory in 1854, creating the name Kansas City to distinguish the two.

Sitting on the western border of Missouri, with downtown near the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, the modern city encompasses 316 square miles (820 km2) in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. It is one of two county seats of Jackson County. The 18th and Vine Neighborhood gave birth to the musical styles of Kansas City jazz and Kansas City blues.

It is also known for Kansas City-style barbecue. The area is infamous for the Border War that occurred during the American Civil War, including the Battle of Westport and Bleeding Kansas.

Large suburbs include Independence and Lee’s Summit in Missouri and Overland Park, Olathe and Kansas City in Kansas.

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2010), Jackson County is sometimes regarded as being on the northern edge of the Bible Belt, with evangelical Protestantism being the most predominant religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Jackson County who adhere to a religion are Roman Catholics (19.51%), Southern In the county the population Baptists (17.96%), and nonwas spread out with 25.80% denominational evangelical under the age of 18, 9.10% Christians (11.52%).

Kansas City, Missouri, was from 18 to 24, 31.10% from officially incorporated on 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to Kansas City, Missouri March 28, 1853. The territory 64, and 12.50% who were Kansas City or K.C. is a straddling the border between 65 years of age or older. The city of 464,310 people and Missouri and Kansas at the median age was 35 years. For largest municipality in the confluence of the Kansas every 100 females there were U.S. state of Missouri. It is the and Missouri rivers was 92.90 males. For every 100 central city of the Kansas City considered a good place to females age 18 and over, there build settlements. metropolitan area, a region Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

45

Exploration and settlement

(1763), but were not to play a major role in the area other than taxing and licensing all traffic on the Missouri River.

The French continued their fur trade on the river under Spanish license. The Chouteau family operated under the Spanish license at St. Louis in the lower Missouri Valley as early as 1765, but it would be 1821 before the Chouteaus reached Kansas City, when François Chouteau established Chouteau’s Landing.

The first documented European visitor to Kansas City was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River.

Criticized for his handling of his Native American attack on Fort Détroit, he had deserted his post as commander of the fort and was avoiding the French authorities. Bourgmont lived with a Native American wife in the Missouri village about 90 miles (140 km) east After the Louisiana Purchase, near Brunswick, Missouri, and in 1804, Lewis and Clark illegally traded furs. visited the confluence of the In order to clear his name, Kansas and Missouri rivers, he wrote “Exact Description noting it was a good place to build a fort. of Louisiana, of Its Harbors, Lands and Rivers, and Names of the Indian Tribes That Occupy It, and the Commerce and Advantages to Be Derived Therefrom for the Establishment of a Colony” in 1713 followed in 1714 by “The Route to Be Taken to Ascend the Missouri River.” In the documents he describes the junction of the “Grande Riv[ière des Cansez” and Missouri River, being the first to refer to them by those names. French cartographer Guillaume Delisle used the descriptions to make the first reasonably accurate map of the area.

English spelling of “Cansez.”

In 1850 the landing area was incorporated as the Town of Kansas.

By that time, the Town of Kansas, Westport, and nearby Independence, had become critical points in America’s westward expansion. Three major trails – the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon – all passed through Jackson County.

On February 22, 1853, the City of Kansas was created with a newly elected mayor. It had an area of 0.70 square miles (1.8 km2) and a population of 2,500. The boundary lines at that time extended from the middle of the Missouri River south to what is now Ninth Street, and from Bluff Street on the west to a point between Holmes Road and Charlotte Street on the east.

In 1831 a group of Mormons from New York settled in an area that would later be part of Kansas City. They built the first school within the current boundaries of the city, but were forced out by mob violence in Civil War 1833 and their settlement was The Kansas City area was left vacant. rife with animosity during In 1833 John McCoy the period just prior to the established West Port along the Civil War. Already situated Santa Fe Trail, three miles (5 just inside a state bitterly km) away from the river. Then divided on the issue of slavery, in 1834, McCoy established southern sympathizers in the Westport Landing on a bend area immediately recognized in the Missouri River to serve the threat posed by the as a landing point for West neighboring state of Kansas Port. Soon after the Kansas that was petitioning to enter the Town Company, a group of Union under the new doctrine The Spanish took over the investors, began to settle the of popular sovereignty. region in the Treaty of Paris area, taking their name from an Infuriated by the idea of Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

46

Kansas becoming a free state, many from the area crossed into Kansas to sway the state towards allowing slavery, at first by ballot box and then by bloodshed.

During the Civil War, the Kansas City, Missouri and its immediate environs were the focus of intense military activity. Although the First Battle of Independence in August 1862 resulted in a Confederate victory, the Southerners were unable to follow up their win in any significant fashion, as Kansas City was occupied by Union troops and proved too heavily fortified for them to assault. The Second Battle of Independence, part of Sterling Price’s Missouri expedition of 1864, also resulted in a Confederate triumph. Once again the Southern victory proved hollow, as Price was decisively defeated in the pivotal Battle of Westport the next day, effectively ending Confederate efforts to occupy the city.

Moreover, General Thomas Ewing, in response to a successful raid on nearby Lawrence, Kansas, led by William Quantrill, issued General Order No. 11, forcing the eviction of residents in four western Missouri counties— including Jackson—except those living in the city and Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

nearby communities and those R.A. Long Building for the whose allegiance to the Union Long-Bell Lumber Company, was certified by Ewing. his home, Corinthian Hall After the Civil War, Kansas now the Kansas City Museum, City grew rapidly. The selection and Longview Farm, he was known and respected. of the city over Leavenworth, Kansas, for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad bridge over the Missouri River brought about significant growth. The population exploded after 1869, when the Hannibal Bridge, designed by Octave Chanute, opened. The boom prompted a name change to Kansas City in 1889 and the city limits to extend south and east. Westport became part of Kansas City on December 2, 1897. In 1900, Kansas City was the 22nd largest city in the country, with 163,752 residents.

Kansas City, guided by architect George Kessler, became a forefront example of the City Beautiful movement, developing a network of boulevards and parks around the city.

The relocation of Union Station to its current location in 1914 and the opening of the Liberty Memorial in 1923 gave the city two of its most identifiable landmarks. Robert A. Long, president of the Liberty Memorial Association, was a driving force in the funding for construction. Long was a longtime resident and wealthy businessman having built the

Further spurring Kansas City’s growth was the opening of the innovative Country Club Plaza development by J.C. Nichols in 1925 as part of his Country Club District plan.

Pendergast era At the start of the 20th century, political machines attempted to gain clout in the city, with the one led by Tom Pendergast emerging as the dominant machine by 1925. Several important buildings and structures were built during this time, including the Kansas City City Hall and the Jackson County Courthouse—both added new skyscrapers to the city’s growing skyline. The machine fell in 1939 when Pendergast, riddled with health problems, pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

Post–World War development

II

Kansas City’s suburban development originally began with the implementation of streetcars in the early decades of the 20th century. The city’s first suburbs were in the neighborhoods of Pendleton Heights and Quality Hill. After

47

World War II, many relatively affluent residents left for suburbs like Johnson County, Kansas and eastern Jackson County, Missouri. Many also went north of the Missouri River, where Kansas City had incorporated areas between the 1940s to 1970s.

In 1950, blacks represented 12.2% of Kansas City’s population. The sprawling characteristics of the city and it environs today mainly took shape after the race riots of the 1960s in Kansas City.

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. was a catalyst for the 1968 Kansas City riot.

At this time, slums were also beginning to form in the inner city, and those who could afford to leave, left for the suburbs and outer edges of the city.

The post–World War II idea of suburbs and the “American Dream” also contributed to the sprawl of the area. As the city’s population continued to grow, the inner city also continued to decline. The city’s most populous ethnic group, nonHispanic white, has declined from 89.5% in 1930 to 54.9% in 2010.

In 1940, the city had about 400,000 residents; by 2000, the same area was home to only about 180,000. From 1940 to 1960, the city more than doubled its physical size, while increasing its population

by only about 75,000. By 1970, the city had a total area of approximately 316 square miles (820 km2), more than five times its size in 1940.

This valley is an eastward continuation of Turkey Creek valley. It is the closest major city to the geographic centre of the contiguous United States, or “Lower 48”.

The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse was a major disaster Kansas City, Missouri, is that occurred on July 17, 1981, organized into a system of killing 114 people and injuring more than 240 neighborhoods, more than 200 others during a some with histories as tea dance. At the time it was the independent cities or the sites deadliest structural collapse in of major events. Downtown, U.S. history. the center of the city, is currently undergoing major redevelopment with new Geography condos, apartments, offices According to the United States and The Power & Light District Census Bureau, the city has (shopping/entertainment a total area of 319.03 square development) complete with miles (826.28 km2), of which, bars, restaurants, a grocery 314.95 square miles (815.72 store with a roof-top pool club km2) is land and 4.08 square called The Jones, a performing miles (10.57 km2) is water. arts center, and The Sprint Much of urban Kansas City Center. All these things have sits atop bluffs overlooking the made downtown/midtown an rivers and river bottoms areas. attractive residential option, Kansas City proper is bowlmore so than in the past. shaped and is surrounded Near Downtown, the urban to the north and south by core of the city has a variety limestone and bedrock cliffs of neighborhoods, including that were carved by glaciers. historic Westport, Ivanhoe, Kansas City is situated at the Hyde Park, Squire Park, the junction between the Dakota Crossroads Arts District, 18th and Minnesota ice lobes and Vine Historic District, during the maximum late Pendleton Heights, Quality Independence glaciation of the Hill, the West Bottoms, and the Pleistocene epoch. The Kansas River Market. Two other “near” and Missouri rivers cut wide downtown neighborhoods valleys into the terrain when the that are very popular and glaciers melted and drained. A have unique appeal are the partially filled spillway valley Country Club Plaza (or simply crosses the central portion the “Plaza”), south Plaza and of Kansas City, Missouri.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

48

nearby Brookside The city’s skyline is what one might envision for a major Midwest city, with some notable exceptions.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum opened the stunning Euro-Style Bloch addition in 2007, and the soaring shells or wings of the Safdie-designed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2011. The towering Power and Light Building is influenced by the Art Deco style and contains a glowing sky beacon. The new world headquarters of H&R Block is a 20 story all glass oval which is bathed from top to bottom in a soft green light.

The four Industrial art works atop the support towers of the Kansas City Convention Center (Bartle Hall) were once the subject of ridicule but now define the night skyline near the new Sprint Center along with One Kansas City Place (the tallest office tower structure in Missouri), the KCTVTower with its hundreds of lit bulbs (the tallest freestanding structure in Missouri), and the Liberty Memorial, a WWI memorial and museum, which flaunts simulated flames and smoke billowing into the night skyline. Kansas City is home to significant national and international architecture firms including ACI Boland, BNIM, 360 Architecture, HNTB, Populous. Frank Lloyd Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

Wright designed two private residences and the Community Christian Church.

Kansas City contains a collection of over 200 working fountains. Some of the most notable are on the Country Club Plaza. From French inspired traditional to modern, these fountains offer visitors to the city an unexpected bonus.

Among the most notable: the Black Marble H&R Block fountain in front of Union Station with its synchronized water jets shooting high into the air, the Nichols Bronze Horses at the corner of Main and JC Nichols Parkway at the entrance to the Plaza Shopping District and the fountain at Hallmark Cards World Headquarters in Crown Center.

1.

City Market

Since its inception in 1857, the City Market has been one of the largest and most enduring public farmers’ markets in the midwest, linking growers and small businesses to the Kansas City community. In addition, more than 30 full-time merchants are open year-round and offer specialty foods, fresh meats and seafood, restaurants and cafes, floral, home accessories and much more.

the south, Troost Avenue to the East, and State Line road to the West. Areas near Downtown Kansas City include the 39th Street District is known as Restaurant Row and features one of Kansas City’s largest selections of independently owned restaurants and boutique shops. It is a center of literary and visual arts and bohemian culture. Crown Center is the headquarters of Hallmark Cards and a major downtown shopping and entertainment complex. It is connected to Union Station by a series of covered walkways.

The Country Club Plaza, or simply “the Plaza”, is an upscale, outdoor shopping and entertainment district. It was the first suburban shopping district in the United States, designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile, and is surrounded by apartments and condominiums, including a number of high rise buildings.

The associated Country Club District to the south includes the Sunset Hill and Brookside neighborhoods, and is traversed by Ward Parkway, a landscaped boulevard known for its statuary, fountains and large, historic homes. Kansas City’s Union Station is home to Science City, restaurants, shopping, theaters, and the city’s Amtrak facility.

Downtown Kansas City is an area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) bounded by the Missouri River to the north, 31st Street to After years of neglect and seas

49

of parking lots, Downtown Kansas City currently is undergoing a period of change with over $6B in development since 2000. Many residential properties recently have been or currently are under redevelopment in 3 surrounding warehouse loft districts and the Central Business District.

The Power & Light District, a new, nine-block entertainment district comprising numerous restaurants, bars, and retail shops, was developed by the Cordish Company of Baltimore, Maryland. Its first tenant opened on November 9, 2007. It is anchored by the Sprint Center, a 19,000 seat complex that has become a top draw for sports and musical entertainment. Elton John was the first performer to play at the Sprint Center.

Climate Kansas City lies in the Midwestern United States, as well as near the geographic center of the country, at the confluence of the largest river in the country, the Missouri River, and the Kansas River (also known as the Kaw River). The city lies in the Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) zone, with four distinct seasons, and moderate precipitation, and is part of USDA plant hardiness zones 5b and 6a Most of the Greater

Kansas City metropolitan area sees a fairly mild climate for various periods in each season. However, there is also significant potential for extremes of hot and cold swings in temperature all year long. Unless otherwise stated, normal figures below are based on 1981–2010 data at Downtown Airport. The warmest month of the year is July, with a 24-hour average temperature of 81.0 °F (27.2 °C). The summer months are warm but can get hot and moderately humid, with moist air riding up from the Gulf of Mexico, and high temperatures surpass 100 °F (38 °C) on 5.6 days of the year, and 90 °F (32 °C) on 47 days. The coldest month of the year is January, with an average temperature of 31.0 °F (−0.6 °C). Winters are cold, with 22 days where the high is at or below the freezing mark and 2.5 nights with a low at or below 0 °F (−18 °C). The official record high temperature is 113 °F (45 °C), set on August 14, 1936 at Downtown Airport, while the official record low is −23 °F (−31 °C), set on December 22 and 23, 1989. Normal seasonal snowfall is 13.4 inches (34 cm) at Downtown Airport and 18.8 in (48 cm) at Kansas City Int’l. The average window for freezing temperatures is October 31 to April 4, while for measurable (≥0.1 in/0.25

cm) snowfall, it is November 27 to March 16 as measured at Kansas City Int’l. Precipitation, both in frequency and total accumulation, shows a marked uptick in late spring and summer.

Kansas City is situated on the edge of the “Tornado Alley”, a broad region where cold air from the Rocky Mountains in Canada collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the formation of powerful storms especially during the spring. A few areas of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area have had some severe outbreaks of tornadoes at different points in the past, including the Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957, and the May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence. The region can also fall victim to the sporadic ice storm during the winter months, such as the 2002 ice storm during which hundreds of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks. Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the Great Flood of 1993 and the Great Flood of 1951.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

50

Demographics Year 1853

Historic Populations

Population 2,500 1860 4,418 1870 32,260 1880 55,785 1890 132,716 1900 163,752 1910 248,381 1920 324,410 1930 399,746 1940 400,178 1950 456,622 1960 475,539 1970 507,087 1980 448,159 1990 435,146 2000 441,545 2010 459,787 2013 Est. 467,007

±% +76.7% +630.2% +72.9% +137.9% +23.4% +51.7% +30.6% +23.2% +0.1% +14.1% +4.1% +6.6% -11.6% -2.9% +1.5% +4.1% +1%

Area 1.04 3.89 3.89 5.17 13.24 26.67 59.8 59.8 59.8 59.8 80.98 128.4 314.5 314.5 317.44 317.46 319.03 319.03

Density 2,404 1,136 8,293 10,790 10,024 6,140 4,154 5,425 6,685 6,692 5,639 3,704 1,612 1,425 1,371 1,391 1,441 1,474

According to the 2010 census, heavily Mexican and Central the racial composition of American, is spread throughout Kansas City was as follows: the metro with some • White: 59.2% (Non- concentration in the northeast part of the city and southwest Hispanic Whites: 54.9%) • Black or African of downtown. The Asian population, mostly Southeast American: 29.9% • Hispanic or Latino (of Asian, is partly concentrated within NE Side to the any race): 10.0% • Some other race: 4.5% Columbus Park neighborhood in the Greater Downtown area, (primarily Latino) • Two or more races: 3.2% a historical Italian American neighborhood, UMKC area • Asian: 2.5% • Native American: 0.5% and in River Market, in northern Kansas City.

• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.2%

Kansas City has the second largest Sudanese and Somalian populations in the US. The Latino/Hispanic population of Kansas City, which is Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

The Historic Kansas City boundary is roughly 58 sq Miles and has a population Density of about 5,000 people per sq mile. It runs from The Missouri River to the North,

79th st. to the South, the Blue river to the East, and State Line Rd. to the West. During the 1960s and 1970s Kansas City Annexed large amounts of Land which is largely undeveloped to this day.

Between the 2000 and 2012 Census, the urban core of Kansas City continued to drop significantly in population. The areas of Greater Downtown in the center city, 435 and 470 in the south, and 152 in the north are the only areas of the city of Kansas City, MO to have gained population, with the Northland seeing the greatest population growth.

51

White

Racial composition

—Non-Hispanic

Black or African American Hispanic or Latino (of any

Economy Kansas City is one of ten regional office cities for the United States Government.

The U.S. Government is the largest employer in the Kansas City metro area, with more than 146 federal agencies maintaining a presence. The Internal Revenue Service maintains a large service center in Kansas City that is nearly 1,400,000 square feet (130,000 m2). The IRS facility is one of only two facilities in the nation to process paper returns. The IRS has approximately 2,700 full-time employees in Kansas City and upwards of 4,000 employees during peak tax season with the addition of temporary employees.

The General Services Administration has more than 800 employees in Kansas City, with most located at the Bannister Federal Complex in South Kansas City.

The Bannister Complex is also home to the Kansas City Plant, which is a National Nuclear Security Administration facility operated by Honeywell.

Honeywell employs nearly 2,700 at the Kansas City Plant, which produces and assembles 85 percent of the non-nuclear components of

race)

2010 59.2% 54.9% 29.9% 10.0%

1990 66.8% 65.0% 29.6% 3.9%

1970 77.2% 75.0% 22.1% 2.7%

1940 89.5% n/a 10.4% n/a

the United States nuclear bomb arsenal. The Social Security Administration has more than 1,700 employees in the Kansas City area, with more than 1,200 located at its Mid-America Program Service Center (MAMPSC) in downtown Kansas City.

effort most recently bolstered by the selection of Manhattan, Kansas, at one end of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, as the site for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, which is tasked, among other things, to research animalrelated diseases.

Ford Motor Company operates a large manufacturing facility just outside of Kansas City in Claycomo at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant, which currently builds the Ford F-150. It has previously assembled the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, and Mercury Mariner vehicle family. The General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant s located in adjacent Kansas City, Kansas.

Smith Electric Vehicles builds electric vehicles in the former TWA/American Airlines overhaul facility at Kansas City International Airport.

Numerous agriculture companies operate out of the city. Dairy Farmers of America, the largest Dairy Co-op in the United States is located here.

Kansas City Board of Trade is the principal trading Exchange for hard red winter wheat — the principal ingredient of bread.

One of the largest drug manufacturing plants in the United States is the Sanofi-Aventis plant located in south Kansas City on the campus developed by Ewing Kauffman’s Marion Laboratories. Of late, it has been developing some academic and economic institutions related to animal health sciences, an

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and The National Association of Basketball Coaches are based in Kansas City.

The business community is serviced by two major business magazines, the Kansas City Business Journal (published weekly) and Ingram’s Magazine (published monthly), as well as numerous other smaller publications, including a local society journal, the Independent (published weekly). Kansas City is literally “on the money.”

Bills issued by the Federal Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

52

Reserve Bank of Kansas City are marked the letter “J” and/ or number “10.” The single dollar bills have Kansas City’s name on them. The Kansas City Federal Reserve built a new bank building that opened in 2008 and relocated near Union Station. Missouri is the only state to have two of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank headquarters (St. Louis also has a headquarters). Kansas City’s effort to get the bank was helped by former Kansas City mayor James A. Reed who as senator broke a tie to get the Federal Reserve Act passed.

The national headquarters for the Veterans of Foreign Wars is headquartered just south of Downtown Kansas City.

With a Gross Metropolitan Product of $41.68 billion in 2004, Kansas City’s (Missouri side only) economy makes up 20.5% of the Gross State Product of Missouri. In 2014.

Kansas City was ranked as the number six city for real estate investment.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

Three international law firms, Lathrop & Gage, Stinson Leonard Street, and Shook, Hardy & Bacon are based in the City.

Kansas City, Missouri is the headquarters of:

Great Plains Energy • Hallmark Cards • H&R Block • HNTB • Hostess Brands • J.E. Dunn Construction Group • Kansas City Southern Railway • Lockton Companies • McCownGordon Construction • MMG Worldwide • The Music & More Foundation • Novastar Financial • Populous (company) • Russell Stover Candies • Smith Electric Vehicles • UMB Financial Corporation • Veterans of Foreign Wars • VML, Inc. • Walton Construction •

• 360 Architecture • Adknowledge • American Century Investments • AMC Theatres • Andrews McMeel Universal • Applebee’s • Assurant Employee Benefits • Barkley Inc. • Bernstein-Rein • Black & Veatch’s Global Water Business • BNIM • Boulevard Brewing Company • Burns and McDonnell Engineering Top employers • Cerner Corporation • Children International According to Kansas City’s • Commerce Bancshares 2011 Comprehensive Annual • Copaken, White & Blitt Financial Report, the top employers in the area are: • DST Systems • Freightquote.com

53

# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Employer

Federal government of the United States

State/County/City Government Public School System

HCA Midwest Sprint Corporation Saint Luke’s Health System Cerner Children’s Mercy Hospital DST Systems University of Kansas Hospital Truman Medical Center-Hospital Hill General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant Hallmark Cards Black & Veatch United Parcel Service Farmers Insurance Group The Home Depot

Culture Kansas City, Missouri, is often abbreviated as KC (abbreviations often refer to the metro area). It is officially nicknamed the City of Fountains. With over 200 fountains, the city claims to have the second most in the world, just behind Rome.

The fountains at Kauffman Stadium, commissioned by original Kansas City Royals owner Ewing Kauffman, are the largest privately funded fountains in the world. The city also has more boulevards than any other city except Paris and has been called “Paris of the Plains.” The overwhelming popularity of soccer, both professionally and as a youth sport, in the city as well as Sporting Park being a popular home stadium for the US Men’s National Team has led to the city being known to many as “The Soccer Capital of America”. Residents are

# of Employees 41,500 26,326 26,250 8,632 7,000 6,891 6,615 5,151 5,000 4,721 4,258 4,100 4,000 3,700 3,600 3,500 3,200 3,153

known as Kansas Citians.

It is sometimes referred to colloquially as the Heart of America as it is near both the population center of the United States and the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.

Performing arts The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the metropolitan area’s top professional theatre company and the Starlight Theatre, 8,105-seat outdoor theatre designed by Edward Delk are a popular theatre company and theatre respectively. The Kansas City Symphony was founded

by R. Crosby Kemper Jr. in 1982 to supersede the Kansas City Philharmonic, which was founded 1933. The symphony currently is located at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

The current music director and lead conductor of the

symphony is Michael Stern.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1958, offers one American contemporary opera production during its annual season consisting of either four or five productions. The Lyric Opera also is located at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, performs at the Folly Theater in downtown, and the UMKC Performing Arts Center. Every summer from mid-June to early July, The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival has a production at Southmoreland Park near the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Marilyn Strauss founded the festival in 1993 and it has gone on ever since.

The Kansas City Ballet, founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska, is a ballet troupe comprising 25 professional dancers and apprentices.

Between 1986 and 2000, it was combined with Dance Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

54

St. Louis to form the State Ballet of Missouri, although it remained located in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995, the Ballet was run by dancer and choreographer Todd Bolender.

Today, the Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons which ranges from classical to contemporary ballets. The Ballet also is located at The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Kansas City is also home to The Kansas City Chorale, a professional 24-voice chorus conducted by Charles Bruffy.

They perform an annual concert series in Kansas City and a concert in Phoenix each year with their sister choir, the Phoenix Chorale. The Chorale has achieved international renown with 9 recordings (3 with the Phoenix Chorale).

Kansas City jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. The 1979 documentary The Last of the Blue Devils portrays this era in interviews and performances by jazz notables from KC.

clubs were blown up in what ultimately resulted in the removal of Kansas City mob influence in the Las Vegas casinos. The annual “Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival”, which attracts top jazz stars nationwide and large out-oftown audiences, has been rated Kansas City’s “best festival.” by pitch.com

includes a large number of bands, multiple newspapers, the numerous Irish stores, including Browne’s Irish Market, and the Irish Museum and Cultural Center is the new center of the community. The first book that detailed the history of the Irish in Kansas City was Missouri Irish: Irish Settlers on the American Live music venues can be Frontier, published in 1984. found throughout the city, with Casinos the highest concentration in the Westport entertainment Missouri voters approved district centered on Broadway riverboat casino gaming on and Westport Road near the the Missouri and Mississippi Country Club Plaza, as well Rivers by referendum with a as the 18th & Vine area (jazz 63% majority on November 3, music). A variety of music 1992. The first casino facility in genres can be heard and have the state opened in September originated in Kansas City 1994 in North Kansas City by metro area, including: Rock Harrah’s Entertainment (now groups Puddle of Mudd, Isaac Caesar’s Entertainment). The James, Shooting Star, The Get combined revenues for the four Up Kids, Shiner, Flee The casinos successfully operating Seen, The Life and Times, in Kansas City exceeded $153 Reggie and the Full Effect, million per month in May 2008.

Coalesce, The Casket Lottery, The four casinos are Ameristar The Gadjits, The Rainmakers, Kansas City, Argosy Kansas Vedera, The Elders, Blackpool City, Harrah’s North Kansas Lights and The Republic City, Isle of Capri Kansas Tigers and Rappers Tech N9ne, City. A fifth area casino, the Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, 7th Street Casino, opened in Skatterman & Snug Brim, Mac Kansas City, KS in 2008. The Lethal, and Solè. number of casinos is growing, as Hollywood casino opened Irish culture in February 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas.

There is a large community

In the 1970s, Kansas City attempted to resurrect the glory of the jazz era in a sanitized family friendly atmosphere.

In the 1970s, an effort to open jazz clubs in the River Quay area of City Market along the of Irish-Americans in Kansas Cuisine Missouri ended in a gangland City, numbering around war in which three of the new 250,000. The Irish community Kansas City is most famous for Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

55

its steak and barbecue. During the heyday of the Kansas City Stockyards, the city was known for its Kansas City steaks or Kansas City strip steaks. The most famous of the steakhouses is the Golden Ox in the Kansas City Live Stock Exchange in the stockyards in the West Bottoms. The stockyards, which were second only to those of Chicago in size, never recovered from the Great Flood of 1951 and eventually closed.

Founded in 1938, Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse of the Martin City neighborhood has also gained nationwide fame. The famed Kansas City Strip cut of steak is largely identical to the New York Strip cut, and is sometimes referred to just as a strip steak.

Along with Texas, Memphis & North and South Carolina, Kansas City is a “world capital of barbecue.” There are more than 90 barbecue restaurants in the metropolitan area and the American Royal each fall hosts what it claims is the world’s biggest barbecue contest.

Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q was opened by one of Perry’s cooks. The Gates recipe added even more molasses. Although Bryant’s and Gates are the two definitive Kansas City barbecue restaurants they have just recently begun expanding outside of the Greater Kansas City Area. Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue is well regarded by many both locally and nationally. In 1977 Rich Davis, a psychiatrist, test-marketed his own concoction called K.C. Soul Style Barbecue Sauce. He renamed it KC Masterpiece and in 1986 he sold the sauce to the Kingsford division of Clorox. Davis retained rights to operate restaurants using the name and sauce. In 2009, Kansas City appeared on Newsmax magazine’s list of the “Top 25 Most Uniquely American Cities and Towns,” a piece written by current CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg. In determining his ranking, Greenberg cited the city’s renowned barbecue, among other factors.

The classic Kansas City-style barbecue was an inner-city Kansas City has several phenomenon that evolved from James Beard award winning/ the pit of Henry Perry from nominated chefs and the Memphis, Tennessee, area restaurants. Michael Smith, in the early 20th century and Celina Tio, Colby Garrelts, blossomed in the 18th and Vine Debbie Gold, Jonathan Justus, neighborhood. Arthur Bryant’s Martin Heuser and others. A was to take over the Perry majority of the James Beard restaurant and added molasses winning restaurants are to sweeten the recipe. In 1946 located in Crossroads district

downtown and Westport in midtown.

Points of interest Country Club Plaza • Kansas City Renaissance Festival • Negro Leagues Baseball Museum • Crossroads Arts District • Westport • Power and Light District • Kansas City Museum • Worlds of Fun • Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art • Thomas Hart Benton Studio State Historic Site • Science City at Union Station • Kansas City Zoo • Sprint Center Home of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament • KCI Expo Center • Crown Center • The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial • Kemper Arena • Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art • River Market, Kansas City • Arabia Steamboat Museum • Airline History Museum • American Royal Museum • Midland Theatre • Hallmark Visitors Center • Harris-Kearney House •

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

56

Museum • American Jazz Museum • Trailside Center • Hidden Valley Park Religion The proportion of Kansas City area residents with a known religious affiliation is 49.7%.

Source None/No affiliation 50.3% • Catholic 12.82% • Other Christian 7.15% • Baptist (African American denominations) 6.72% • Baptist (Other) 6.46% • Methodist 5.87% • Pentecostal 2.60% • LDS 2.48% • Lutheran 2.30% • Presbyterian 1.64% • Episcopalian 0.54% • Jewish 0.41% • Eastern 0.37% • Islam 0.35% •

Professional sports teams in Kansas City include the Kansas City Chiefs in football, the Kansas City Royals in baseball, and Sporting Kansas City in soccer. The Chiefs started play in 1960 as the Dallas Texans, and started playing in KC in 1963.

The Royals started in 1969 and are the only major league KC team that has neither moved nor changed its name. The Athletics baseball franchise played in the city from 1955 Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

to 1967, after moving from Philadelphia and before moving to Oakland. Major League Baseball returned to the city in 1969 with the Royals, who became the first American League expansion team to reach the playoffs, in 1976, the World Series, in 1980 and to win the World Series, in 1985 against the state-rival St. Louis Cardinals in the “ShowMe Series”.

an NBA team, which had originated as the Rochester Royals, before becoming the Cincinnati Royals. The team was called the Kansas CityOmaha Kings from 1972 to 1975 because it played home games in both cities. In 1975, the team played exclusively in Kansas City, and was known as the Kansas City Kings. The Kings played there until 1985, when the franchise relocated The Kansas City Wiz was and became the Sacramento Kings. a charter member of Major League Soccer in 1996 and In 1974, the NHL added an became the Wizards from 1997 expansion team in Kansas City. onwards. In 2011, the team The Kansas City Scouts began was renamed Sporting Kansas to suffer from an economic City and moved into their downturn in the Midwest. new Sporting Park stadium in For their second season, the Kansas City, Kansas.

Scouts sold just 2,000 of In college athletics, Kansas 8,000 season tickets and were City has been the home of the almost $1 million in debt. Due Big 12 College Basketball to their various on and off ice Tournaments. Men’s basketball disappointments, the franchise has been played at Sprint moved to Denver before Center since March 2008, and settling on the east coast as the New Jersey Devils. women’s basketball is played at Municipal Auditorium.

Arrowhead Stadium serves as the venue for various intercollegiate football games. It has hosted the Big 12 Championship Game five times. On the last weekend in October, the Fall Classic MIAA rivalry game between Northwest Missouri State University and Pittsburg State University takes place here.

The National Women’s Soccer League, beginning its first season in Spring 2013, will have a soccer team that will play in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas called FC Kansas City.

Kansas City is represented on the rugby pitch by the Kansas City Blues RFC, a former member of the Rugby Super League and current Division 1 Kansas City used to have club. They work closely with

57

Sporting Kansas City and split home-games between Sporting’s training pitch and Rockhurst University’s stadium.

Club

Sport

Founded League Venue 1960 (1963 In National Football League Arrowhead Stadium KC) Major League Baseball Kauffman Stadium 1969 Sporting Park (Kansas City, Major League Soccer 1996 Kansas)

Kansas City Chiefs

Football

Kansas City Royals

Baseball

Sporting Kansas City

Soccer

FC Kansas City

Women's Soccer

Kansas City Blues

Rugby Union 1966

2012

Kansas City Renegades Arena Football Kansas City Explorers Tennis

2012 1993

Missouri Mavericks

Hockey

2009

Missouri Comets

Indoor Soccer

2010

Kansas City Brass Kansas City Roller Warriors

Soccer Roller Derby

1997 2004

Women’s football

2004

Kansas City Storm

National Women’s Soccer Shawnee Mission District Stadium League (Kansas) USA Rugby Division 1

and

Swope Park Training Complex Heartland Rugby Division 3 Indoor Football League Kemper Arena WTT Barney Allis Plaza Independence Events Center CHL (Independence) Independence Events Center MISL (Independence) USL PDL Greene Stadium (Liberty) WFTDA

Municipal Auditorium

WTFA

North Kansas City High School

Parks and boulevard system Avenue through Indian Mound Kansas City has 132 miles (212 on Gladstone Boulevard at km) of spacious boulevards and Belmont Boulevard with parkways, 214 urban parks, many historical points and 49 ornamental fountains, 152 architectural landmarks. Ward ball diamonds, 10 community Parkway, on the west side of centers, 105 tennis courts, five the city near State Line Road, golf courses, five museums and is lined by many of the city’s attractions, 30 pools, and 47 most handsome homes. The park shelters, all overseen by Paseo is a major north–south the city’s Parks and Recreation parkway that runs 19 miles (31 km) through the center of the department. city beginning at Cliff Drive.

The parks and boulevard It was modeled on the Paseo system winds its way through de la Reforma, a fashionable the city. Much of the system, Mexico City boulevard. designed by George E. Kessler, was constructed from Swope Park is one of the 1893 to 1915. Cliff Drive, nation’s largest city parks, in Kessler Park on the North comprising 1,805 acres (730 Bluffs, is a designated State ha) (2.82 sq. mi.), more than Scenic Byway. It extends twice as big as New York’s 4.27 miles (6.87 km) from Central Park. It features a fullThe Paseo and Independence fledged zoo, a woodland nature

and wildlife rescue center, two golf courses, two lakes, an amphitheatre, day-camp area, and numerous picnic grounds.

Hodge Park, in the Northland, covers 1,029 acres (416 ha) (1.61 sq. mi.). This park includes the 80-acre (320,000 m2) Shoal Creek Living History Museum, a village of more than 20 historical buildings dating from 1807 to 1885. Riverfront Park, 955 acres (3.86 km2) on the banks of the Missouri River on the north edge of downtown, holds annual Fourth of July celebrations and other festivals during the year.

A program went underway to replace many of the fastgrowing sweetgum trees with hardwood varieties.

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

58

National political conventions • Missouri’s 6th Kansas City has hosted congressional district – all of the 1900 Democratic Kansas City proper north of National Convention, the the Missouri River and plus 1928 Republican National suburbs in eastern Jackson Convention, which nominated County beyond Independence Herbert Hoover from Iowa for and a vast stretch of suburbs President, and the memorable and rural areas extending all 1976 Republican National the way to the Iowa border and Convention, which nominated more than 100 miles (160 km).

Kansas U.S. Senator Bob Currently represented by Sam Graves (Republican) Dole for Vice President. The urban core of Kansas City consistently votes Democratic in Presidential elections, however on the state and local level Republicans often find some success, especially in the Northland and other parts of Kansas City that are predominantly suburban.

Federal representation Kansas City is represented by two members of the United States House of Representatives: • Missouri’s 4th congressional district - the southern portion of Kansas City in Cass County. Currently represented by Vicky Hartzler (Republican) • Missouri’s 5th congressional district – all of Kansas City proper in Jackson County plus Independence and portions of Cass County. It also covers Ray County, Lafayette County, and Saline County.

Currently represented by Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat) Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Kansas City. The Kansas City Main Post Office is located at 300 West Pershing Road.

Crime

Some of the earliest violence in Kansas City erupted during the American Civil War. Shortly after the city’s incorporation in 1850, the period which has become known as Bleeding Kansas erupted, affecting border ruffians and Jayhawkers, who both lived in the city. During the war, Union troops burned all occupied dwellings in Jackson County south of Brush Creek and east of Blue Creek to Independence in an attempt to halt raids into Kansas. After the war, the Kansas City Times turned outlaw Jesse James into a folk hero in its coverage. James was born in the Kansas City metro area at Kearney, Missouri, and notoriously robbed the Kansas City Fairgrounds at 12th Street

and Campbell Avenue.

In the early 20th century under Democratic political “Boss” Tom Pendergast, Kansas City became the country’s “most wide open town”. While this would give rise to Kansas City Jazz, it also led to the rise of the Kansas City mob (initially under Johnny Lazia), as well as the arrival of organized crime. In the 1970s, the Kansas City mob was involved in a gangland war over control of the River Quay entertainment district, in which three buildings were bombed and several gangsters were killed.

Police investigations into the mob took hold after boss Nick Civella was recorded discussing gambling bets on Super Bowl IV (where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings).

The war and investigation would lead to the end of mob control of the Stardust Casino, which was the basis for the film Casino (although the Kansas City connections are minimized in the movie).

As of November 2012, Kansas City ranks 18th on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual survey of crime rates for cities with populations over 100,000.

Much of the city’s violent crimes occur on the city’s lower income East Side.

Revitalizing the downtown

59

and midtown areas have been more successful and now have below average violent crime compared to major downtowns.

According to an analysis by The Kansas City Star and the University of Missouri-Kansas City appearing in a December 22, 2007, story, downtown has experienced the largest drop in crime of any neighborhood in the city during the current decade.

Education Main article: List of schools of Kansas City Colleges and universities Many universities, colleges, and seminaries are located in the Kansas City metropolitan area, including: • University of Missouri– Kansas City, one of four schools in the University of Missouri system, serving more than 15,000 students • Rockhurst University, Jesuit university founded in 1910 • Kansas City Art Institute, four-year college of fine arts and design founded in 1885 • Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, medical and graduate school founded in 1916 • Avila University, Catholic university of the Sisters of St. Joseph of

Carondelet • Park University, private institution established in 1875; Park University Graduate School is located downtown • Baker University, multiple branches of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies • William Jewell College, private liberal arts institution founded in 1849 • M e t r o p o l i t a n Community College (Kansas City), a 2-year college with several branches in the suburban metropolitan area • Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Convention • Nazarene Theological Seminary, Church of the Nazarene • Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary • Saint Paul School of Theology, Methodist Primary

and secondary schools

Kansas City is served by 16 school districts including 10 Public School Districts. There are also numerous private schools; Catholic schools in Kansas City are governed by the Diocese of Kansas City.

The following Public School Districts serve Kansas City.

• •

Kansas City, MO School District North Kansas City

• • • • • • • • •

School District Center School District Hickman Mills C-1 School District Grandview C-4 School District Liberty School District Park Hill School District Platte County R-3 School District.

Raytown C-2 School District.

Lees Summit R-7 School District.

Blue Springs R-4 School District Libraries and archives

• Linda Hall Library, internationally recognized independent library of science, engineering and technology, housing over one million volumes.

• Mid-Continent Public Library, largest public library system in Missouri, and among the largest collections in America.

• Kansas City Public Library, oldest library system in Kansas City.

• University of MissouriKansas City Libraries, four collections: Leon E. Bloch Law Library and Miller Nichols Library, both on Volker Campus; and Health Sciences Library and Dental Library, both on Hospital Hill in Kansas City.

• Rockhurst University Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

60

Greenlease Library.

• The Black Archives of Mid-America, research center of the African American experience in the central Midwest.

• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Central Plains Region, one of 18 national records facilities, holding millions of archival records and microfilms for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in a new facility adjacent to Union Station, open to the general public in 2008.

Media Print media The Kansas City Star is the area’s primary newspaper.

William Rockhill Nelson and his partner, Samuel Morss, first published the evening paper on September 18, 1880. The Star competed heavily with the morning Times before acquiring it in 1901. The “Times” name was discontinued in March 1990, when the morning paper was renamed the “Star.”

Weekly newspapers include The Call, which is focused toward Kansas City’s AfricanAmerican community, together with the Kansas City Business Journal, The Pitch, The Ink, and the bilingual papers Dos Mundos and KC Hispanic Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

News..

The city is served by two major faith-oriented newspapers: The Kansas City Metro Voice, serving the Christian community, and the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, serving the Jewish community. It also the headquarters of the National Catholic Reporter, an independent Catholic newspaper.

Broadcast media The Kansas City media market (ranked 32nd by Arbitron and 31st by Nielsen) includes 10 television channels, along with 30 FM and 21AM radio stations.

Kansas City broadcasting jobs have been a stepping stone for many nationally recognized television and radio personalities, including Walter Cronkite and Mancow Muller.

Film community Main article: Film in Kansas City Kansas City has also been a locale for Hollywood productions and television programming. Also, between 1931 and 1982, Kansas City was home to the Calvin Company, a large movie production company that specialized in the making of promotional and sales training short films and commercials for large corporations, as well

as educational movies for schools and training films for government. Calvin was also an important venue for the Kansas City arts, serving as training ground for many local filmmakers who went on to successful Hollywood careers, and also employing many local actors, most of whom earned their main income in other fields, such as radio and television announcing. Kansas City native Robert Altman got his start directing movies at the Calvin Company, and this experience led him to making his first feature film, The Delinquents, in Kansas City using many local thespians.

The 1983 television movie The Day After was filmed in Kansas City and Lawrence, Kansas. The 1990s film Truman starring Gary Sinise was also filmed in various parts of the city. Other films shot in or around Kansas City include Article 99, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Kansas City, Paper Moon, In Cold Blood, Ninth Street, and Sometimes They Come Back (in and around nearby Liberty, Missouri). More recently, a scene in the controversial film Brüno was filmed in the historic Hotel Phillips downtown.

Kansas City is also home to a vibrant and active independent film community.

The Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition of Kansas City is

61

an organization dedicated to expanding and improving independent filmmaking in Kansas City.

Infrastructure Main articles: Kansas City Metropolitan Area § Transportation and Kansas City Metropolitan Area First, it was at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River and the launching pointing for travelers on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trails. Then with the construction of the Hannibal Bridge across the Missouri River it became the central location for 11 trunk railroads.

More rail traffic in terms of tonnage still passes through the city than any other city in the country. TWA located its headquarters in the city and had ambitious plans to turn the city into an air hub for the world.

Missouri and Kansas were the first states to start building interstates with Interstate 70. Interstate 435, which encircles the entire city, is the second longest beltway in the nation. Today, Kansas City and its metropolitan area has more miles of limited access highway lanes per capita than any other large metro area in the United States, over 27% more than second-place Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex,

over 50% more than the average American metro area and nearly 75% more than the metropolitan area with the least: Las Vegas. The Sierra Club in particular blames the extensive freeway network for excessive sprawl and the decline of central Kansas City.

On the other hand, the relatively uncongested freeway network contributes significantly to Kansas City’s position as one of America’s largest logistics hubs.

Airports Kansas City International Airport was built to the specifications of TWA to make a world hub for the supersonic transport and Boeing 747.

Its passenger friendly design in which its gates were 100 feet (30 m) from the street has, since the September 11, 2001 attacks, required a costly overhaul to retrofit it to incorporate elements of a more conventional security system. Recent proposals have suggested replacing the three terminals with a new single terminal situated south of the existing runways, thus allowing the airport to operate during construction and to shave miles off the travel distance from downtown and the southern suburbs. Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport was the original headquarters

of Trans World Airlines and houses the Airline History Museum. It is still used for general aviation and airshows.

Public transportation Like most American cities, Kansas City’s mass transit system was originally railbased. An electric trolley network ran through the city until 1957. The rapid sprawl in the following years led this privately run system to be shut down. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) was formed with the signing of a Bi-State compact created by the Missouri and Kansas legislatures on December 28, 1965. The compact gives the KCATA responsibility for planning, construction, owning and operating passenger transportation systems and facilities within the seven-county Kansas City metropolitan area. These include the counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte in Missouri, and Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte in Kansas. Kansas City does not have a subway or light rail system. Several proposals to build one have been rejected by voters in the past. Voters approved the last light rail proposal but it was struck down when the city council decided to overrule voters. Kansas Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

62

City has a long history with streetcars and trolleys. From 1870 to 1957 Kansas City’s streetcar system was among the top in the country, with over 300 miles (480 km) of track at its peak. Following the decision to scrap the system, many of its former streetcars have been serving other American cities for a long time.

In 2007, ideas and plans arose to add normal trolley lines, as well as possibly fast streetcars to the city’s Downtown for the first time in decades.

In July 2005, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) launched Kansas City’s first bus rapid transit line, the Metro Area Express (MAX). MAX links the vibrant River Market, Downtown, Union Station, Crown Center and the Country Club Plaza.

This corridor boasts over 150,000 jobs, as well as some of the area’s most prestigious real estate and treasured cultural amenities. By design, MAX operates and is marketed more like a rail system than a local bus line. A unique identity was created for MAX, including 13 modern diesel buses and easily identifiable “stations”. MAX features state-of-the-art technology to deliver customers a high level of reliability (real-time GPS tracking of buses, available at every station), speed (stoplights Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

automatically change in their Cass County is part of the favor if buses are behind Kansas City, MO Metropolitan schedule) and comfort. In Statistical Area.

2010, a second MAX line was added on Troost Avenue.

History On December 12, 2012, downtown Kansas City voters approved construction of a $102 million, 2-mile modern streetcar that will be operational by 2015. The line will run between River Market and Union Station, mostly on Main Street. A new nonprofit corporation made up of private sector stakeholders and city appointees—the Kansas City Streetcar Authority— will operate and maintain the system. There will be no fare charged initially, unlike many similar US systems. The city is planning to add multiple extensions to the starter line.

Walkability A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Kansas City 43rd most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.

Cass County is a county located in west central Missouri.

As of the 2010 census, the population was 99,478. Its county seat is Harrisonville.

The county was organized in 1835 as Van Buren County but was renamed in 1849 after U.S. Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan who later became a presidential candidate.

The Harrisonville area was originally inhabited by the “Dhegilha” Native American subgroup.

The Osage, Quapaw, Omaha, Ponca and Kansa tribes make up this Siouan linguistic group. The Kansa tribal range extended southward from the KansasMissouri River junction as far as the northern edge of Bates County, Missouri, taking in the sites of modern Pleasant Hill, Garden City, Archie and Drexel. On their southeastern border they were neighbors of the Osage, although there is no evidence that either of these tribes ever had a truly permanent settlement in the territory of Cass County.

Early camp meetings southwest of Harrisonville often had as many as 500 Indians in attendance, as they seemed to enjoy the religious services as much as the white settlers. . These visitors were reported to be Shawnee and Delaware, both speaking related Algonquian languages.

In 1818 a grant of land in southern Missouri was made to some Delawares, but it was receded by them in 1825, and most of them moved to a reservation in Kansas, while

63

others had previously gone to Texas. Those who remained in the Harrisonville area were close relatives of the Sauk, Fox and Kickapoo tribes.

The first American settler on the site of modern Harrisonville was James Lackey in 1830.

Other early settlers were Humphrey Hunt, John Blythe and Dr. Joseph Hudspeth.

Lackey was considered a “squatter,” as he built a cabin and enclosed a small field on the tract of public land taken for county seat purposes.

The site of the town was fixed under an act of the Missouri General Assembly in 1835,

by David Waldo of Lafayette County and Samual Hink and William Brown, both of Jackson County. In the same year, the first court met for the county, known as Van Buren County. The Justices James McClellan and William Savage met in McClellan’s residence about three miles (5 km) southeast of Peculiar on September 14, 1835. William Lyon was appointed clerk of the court and county government was organized, including the establishment of Grand River Township.

In the spring of 1837 the town of Harrisonville was located

by Enoch Rice, Francis Prine and Welcome Scott, who had been appointed commissioners by the state legislature in

the winter of 1836. These commissioners in company with Martin Rice, the county surveyor, met at the home of John Cook on April 3, 1837 and finally decided on Lackey’s preemption claim. In May they laid off the town in lots 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the northeast and northwest quarters of Section 4, Township 44N., Range 31W. Within these 160 acres (0.65 km2) there were to be four streets: Wall and Pearl running east to west, Lexington and Independence going north and south, each less than 40 feet wide. Fleming Harris was appointed town commissioner on April 8, 1837. The first town lots were sold on June 12 of that year; those facing the public square sold at $20 each, the others at $10.

“Democrat” was strongly urged as a name for the new town but was finally rejected. Instead, the town was named after U.S. Representative Albert G. Harrison from Missouri.

On October 8, 1835, the first church in Harrisonville was organized in the county two miles southwest of town known as Hopewell or New Hope Baptist.

The first house within the town was erected by Jason L. Dickey in 1836.

The first jail in Harrisonville and second for the county was

established in 1838. Its site was 312 S. Independence. One of its successors is listed among the state’s historic sites.

Harrisonville eventually was served by railroad lines presently known as the Missouri Pacific and the Frisco.

Railroad construction was responsible for the notorious “Gunn City Massacre,” the background of which began in 1857. Cass County approved a large stock subscription for the Pacific Railroad Company. This corporation later surrendered the bonds to the new Saint Louis and Santa Fe Railroad, from whence they were still later assigned to the Land Grant Railroad & Construction Company of New York. Citizens of Cass County sought by injunction to prevent the funding of these bonds, but by legal maneuvering and collusion, a new set of bonds was issued secretly. Basically the outraged populace viewed this development as a sophisticated maneuver to benefit the holders of bonds that had become worthless by re-obligating the county to pay those same bonds. Three men who helped to perpetrate this swindle, including the county attorney and a judge of the county court, were shot and killed on April 24, 1872 while on board a Katy railroad spur between Bryson, Missouri and Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

64

Paola, Kansas (in or near what is now known as Gunn City). • Forty-one men were arrested and brought to trial for these killings, but there were no convictions. At the time of the shootings, a Republican newspaper, belonging to Mr. Porter J. Coston, in Harrisonville, Missouri, was burned by the same mob.

The year before the Civil War, 12 cities in Missouri had population of approximately 2,500 or more. Harrisonville ranked 37th with a population of 675. In 1863 the town was depopulated, and most of the buildings burned, the jail among them . Fort Harrisonville was a Union stronghold for a brief period in 1863 and provided protection for loyal Union families.

Geography According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the county has a total area of 702.67 square miles (1,819.9 km2), of which 698.99 square miles (1,810.4 km2) (or 99.48%) is land and 3.68 square miles (9.5 km2) (or 0.52%) is water.

Adjacent counties • • • • •

Jackson County (north) Johnson County (east) Henry County (southeast) Bates County (south) Miami County, Kansas

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

(west) Johnson County, Kansas (northwest)

65

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

66

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

67

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

68

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

69

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

70

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

71

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

72

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

73

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4

74

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s

| June 2014

75

Wo r l d V i e w s G u i d e s | J u n e 2 0 1 4