Local History Blog

For this installment of “What’s Your KCQ?,” the joint project of the Kansas City Public Library and The Kansas City Star, Missouri Valley Special Collections staff tackle a variety of Kansas City history questions. What’s the small projection on the north side of Commerce Tower near the top of the building? When Commerce Tower at 911 Main Street opened in 1964, one of the modern office building’s many amenities was the Top of the Tower restaurant on the 30th floor. Rather than a single dining experience, Top of the Tower offered diners five distinct experiences: the Mongolian-themed Genghis Khan, the Irish-themed Paddy’s Pub, the Italian-themed Guiseppe’s Roof, the German-themed Salzberg Haus, and the French-themed Tour d’Argent. An advertisement from the building’s opening promised diners “an unparalleled view of Kansas City’s surging skyline and the countryside beyond,” and with the 180-degree view south toward the river made possible by the small projection, the statement rang true.

Missouri Valley Special Collections staff have been hard at work adding new content to KCHistory. Below, you will find a list of newly digitized objects added to the site during the month of May.

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 needed to halt urban decay and ensure future growth. With a tax base on the decline, expanding into unincorporated land was a logical solution.

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 World War II. This week’s “What’s Your KC Q?” explores the astonishing story of “Conversion,” a verse about a soldier’s talk with God that brought hope to millions of readers during the height of the war. The poet, an unassuming secretary from Kansas City, could not have foreseen that her simple composition would find its way into the hands and hearts of countless soldiers across the globe.