travelgrove Travel Guides
 
 

Kansas City History, Missouri

Continuing To Grow

 Since the Civil War Kansas City is considered to be the largest city in the state of Missouri. It consists of the Platte, Class and Jackson counties and encompasses an area of 318 square miles.

 The city was founded as the “Town of Kansas” in 1838 at the meeting point of two rivers namely the Kansas and Missouri rivers. Kansas was the location of many battles during the time of Civil War and the present form of the city was incorporated in 1850. 

The city of Kansas was officially incorporated on 28 March 1853. Étienne de Veniard was the first documented European, who visited the Kansas City while Sieur de Bourgmont was the first to explore the Missouri river. In 1763, the Spanish took over the area after the Treaty of Paris although they were unable to play a major role in the area. The activities of the Spanish were limited to taxing and licensing the traffic present on River Missouri.

 It was the French, who continued their trading of fur under the license of the Spanish. John McCoy established the West Port in 1833 along the Santa Fe Trail, which was located three miles from the river. McCoy again established the Westport Landing in 1834 at the bend of the River Missouri.

The Westport Landing served as a landing point for the all important West Port. A group of investors named the Kansas Town Company soon settled in the area and started their business.

The city of Kansas was founded  on February 22, 1853 with its newly elected mayor. Initially the city had a population of 2,500 and an area of 0.70 square miles. The city of Kansas experienced a rapid growth after the Civil War. The construction of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Bridge over River Missouri helped in the growth of Kansas.

The bridge was initially designed by Octave Chanute and it resulted in the population explosion after 1869. The sudden rise in population prompted the name change of the city in 1889. The limits of the city also extended south and west.  

On December 2, 1897, Westport became a part of the city of Kansas. The city also became the 22nd largest city in 1900 with a population of 163,752. The Union Station was relocated in 1914 to the current location, while the Liberty Memorial was opened in 1923. These two structures became the two moat identifiable landmarks of Kansas. Although history of Kansas is very much elaborate, still this content can give you a basic knowledge about what you want to know of the city.


Ask our travel experts a question about Kansas City

Things about Kansas City you may be interested in

 
 
 

Read our members' reviews about Kansas City



No reviews have been added yet for this category. Be the first to add a new one.
 

Read our members' travel tips about Kansas City


  • MalikaNegro Leagues Baseball Museum
    travel tip by Malika posted more then 30 days ago
    Not the usual museum packed with artifacts that you have already seen in other places, but a unique one. Though its main feature is still history, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum presents a part of history that isn't known to every...
  • BelleAirline History Museum
    travel tip by Belle posted more then 30 days ago
    Dedicated to commercial planes, 'conies', the Airline History Museum has quite many interesting facts to offer to plane-freaks, airline historians or just people with interests. The best part of the whole place is not the museum...
  • norfolkjonNelson-Atkins Museum of Art
    travel tip by norfolkjon posted more then 30 days ago
    Featuring an eclectic collection of artwork and crafts, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an eye-catching and intriguing place of culture combined with knowledge and imagination. The 'Through African Eyes' collection of...
view all
 
 

Community

Members Who Have Been to Kansas City

 
the best travel deals provided by TravelZoo...
  • cheapoair.com$117Frontier Airlines flightFrontier Airlines
    Inbound
    Austin, TX (AUS)  Kansas City, MO (MCI)
    11/12/2024 08:03 pm
    Outbound
    Kansas City, MO (MCI)  Austin, TX (AUS)
    11/20/2024 04:07 pm
  • cheapoair.com$137Spirit Airlines flightSpirit Airlines
    Inbound
    Fort Worth/Dallas, TX (DFW)  Kansas City, MO (MCI)
    12/16/2024 06:40 am
    Outbound
    Kansas City, MO (MCI)  Fort Worth/Dallas, TX (DFW)
    12/31/2024 04:37 pm
  • cheapoair.com$138Frontier Airlines flightFrontier Airlines
    Inbound
    Houston, TX (IAH)  Kansas City, MO (MCI)
    11/13/2024 06:00 am
    Outbound
    Kansas City, MO (MCI)  Houston, TX (IAH)
    11/18/2024 08:17 pm

Kansas City City Ratings

  • Ratingunrated
    City Rankunrated
     
  • History & Culture: not rated
  • Night Life & Entertainment: not rated
  • Family & Fun: not rated
  • Outdoors Activities: not rated
  • Food: not rated
  • Sightseeing: not rated
  • Shopping: not rated
  • Public Transportation: not rated
  • Must visit this place: not rated
  
 
 
 
  
 
   Welcome to Travelgrove  register tell a friend bookmark it 
 
 
*