This Week in Kansas City History

The Greatest Pitcher Ever

Satchel Paige

July 7, 1906: Satchel Paige, who will win fame as a pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs and be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, is born in Mobile, Alabama.


"The Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City"

Louis Curtiss Studio, 1989

July 1, 1865: Louis Curtiss, whose innovative architecture and flamboyant lifestyle will make a lasting imprint on Kansas City after his 1887 arrival, is born in Belleville, Ontario.


Shades of Gray

Civil War Flag

April 30, 1861: A Confederate flag is raised in Kansas City, prompting Mayor Robert T. Van Horn to call in Union troops from Fort Leavenworth for support.


The Annexation That Wasn’t

Robert T. Van Horn

January 21, 1879: The Kansas Senate approves a proposal to move the state border eastward in order to annex Kansas City, a plan that is blocked by the Missouri legislature.


The Great Indoors

Pla-Mor entertainment center sign

November 24, 1927: The Pla-Mor Ballroom, the largest indoor amusement center in the country featuring a ballroom, bowling alley, billiard room, and an ice skating rink, opens to a crowd of 4,100.