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Missouri Valley Special Collections

Explore thousands of digitized photographs and material related to the history of the Kansas City region. Learn about the collections and services of the Missouri Valley Special Collections, the Kansas City Public Library's local history archive.
Railroad tycoon envisioned a grand Belgian settlement in Kansas City. Then came cholera

Railroad tycoon envisioned a grand...

Today, Guinotte Avenue is a rather unassuming stretch of road running through Kansas City’s predominantly industrial East Bottoms. One hundred seventy years ago, however, the thoroughfare was the...

Blue River Postcard

Pleasure Boating on the Blue River? KCQ...

At the turn of the 20th century, Kansas Citians seeking respite from urban life had only to travel a short distance east to enjoy camping, floating, and fishing at a popular recreational destination...

City Manager L.P. Cookingham on the steps of City Hall.

Kansas City vs. North Kansas City:...

In 1946, Kansas City found itself at a crossroads. The rise of the suburbs and decentralization posed a threat to downtown, creating a postwar existential crisis for the city. Swift action was...

Meet the humble Kansas City woman who...

It was a hot June night in 1943, and Frances Angermayer could not sleep. So, she arose after midnight, went to her typewriter, and—in twenty minutes—wrote what was to become the most famous poem of...

This Week in Kansas City History

Annie Chambers

March 24, 1935: Annie Chambers, a former prostitute and Kansas City brothel owner, passed away at the age of 92. By the time of her death, Chambers' own life had neatly paralleled Kansas City's untamed years of the late nineteenth century that were followed by extensive reform efforts in the early twentieth century. Born near Lexington, Kentucky, in 1842, her name was Leannah Loveall. The young Loveall encountered her first major tragedy when she estranged herself from her pro-Confederate father by participating in a parade honoring Abraham Lincoln.

Kansas City FAQs

When was the Union Station Massacre? What is the story behind it?

The Union Station Massacre took place on the morning of June 17, 1933. Convicted bank robber Frank Nash had escaped from the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, only to be recaptured in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was brought by train back to Kansas City, and from here, federal and local law enforcement officers planned to drive him back to Leavenworth.