This Week in Kansas City History
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.
Strangers in a Strange Land
June 26, 1804: Lewis and Clark arrive in the area that will become Kansas City and camp for three days on their expedition to explore the recently purchased Louisiana Territory.
Starry, Starry Nights
June 25, 1951: Kansas City’s Starlight Theatre kicks off its first season with a performance of The Desert Song.
A Mess of a Massacre
June 17, 1933: The parking lot of Union Station is riddled with bullets as friends of bank robber Frank Nash attempt to free him from federal custody, killing five people, including Nash.
A Man, A Plan, and A Lot of Concrete
June 9, 1933: The Jackson County Court awards a $2,073,609 contract to the Swenson Construction Company for the Jackson County Courthouse, a part of the “Ten Year Plan” to improve Kansas City.
