A 21-gun salute greeted President Calvin Coolidge and Mrs. Coolidge as they appeared outside Union Station Nov. 11, 1926. They were here to dedicate Kansas City's newly finished 2 million dollar Liberty Memorial, erected for those who served in the World War in defense of liberty and our country.Another 21-gun salute was fired when the President reached the platform at the base of the 200 foot limestone shaft, with its pillar of cloud by day and pillar of flame by night. A throng on 150,000 at the memorial heard the President's 40-minute address - the largest crowd he had ever addressed, according to a Kansas City Times story the following day. The Times also pictured a panorama of the huge crowd, which covered 14 columns of the paper and filled the tops of two full pages. The story continued: The simplicity and directness of the address were effective and well chosen to the occasion. It was apparent he did not expect applause. Her majesty, Queen Marie, consort of King Ferdinand of Romania, with her children, Prince Nicholas and Princess Ileana, were also honored guests at the dedication. Queen Marie, born in England, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria's son Alfred, and his wife, Maria, daughter of the Russian emperor Alexander II, greatly beloved for her beauty and warmth of heart and keenly loyal to England, played a behind-the-scenes part in strengthening the pro-Allied faction in Romania during World War I. Her popularity with the troops was high. (Queen Marie died in 1938.) During her short stay in Kansas City the queen rode with her children in the Armistice Day parade, laid a wreath on the memorial and spoke a few words of appreciation to a huge crowd and radio audience, attended a concert at the pavilion, was royally entertained at the Jacob Loose home on Armour and warmed the hearts of Kansas Citians by granting permission to Edna Marie Dunn, Kansas City Star fashion illustrator, to sketch from life her silver lace over black velvet evening gown.Two months later an item from the Times of Jan. 4 stated the queen's visit to Kansas City cost the city a sum of $762.05. Kansas City Times, November 11, 1971.
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