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Local history & genealogy
Missouri Valley Special Collections
The Local History and Genealogy Department
The Missouri Valley Special Collections (MVSC) consist of the non-circulating local history and genealogy resources of the Kansas City Public Library as well as the Library’s archives. Its mission is to preserve our area’s heritage and provide access in meaningful ways to the collections and materials. More...
Photographs, Maps, and More
Search the Digital Gallery
The Digital Gallery features images of material from the Missouri Valley Special Collections.
The Local History Index collection in the Digital Gallery--with more than 36,000 entries--provides information and references to articles in magazines, newspapers, and books on topics of interest from the Missouri Valley area.
This Week in Kansas City History
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Bridge to the Future
July 3, 1869: Forty thousand people gather along the banks of the Missouri to celebrate the opening of the quarter mile long Hannibal Bridge, designed by Octave Chanute, which makes Kansas City a commercial hub for the railroads that are rapidly expanding to the west.
Mystery Image
Window Display
Women's clothing display at unidentified location, circa 1950.
Help us solve the mystery!
Can you identify this photo? Do you know the story behind the photo? Please send us your comments.
Missouri Valley Speakers Series
A Little-Known Civil War Massacre: 'Bloody Bill' Anderson Among the Lafayette County Germans
Sunday, August 16 at 2 p.m.
Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.
A Convergence of Cultures: The History of Kaw Point and the Lewis & Clark Expedition
Sunday, September 20 at 2 p.m.
Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.