A banner waving from the rooftop of the Kupper Hotel at the southwest corner of 11th and McGee, as well as signs over the canopied entrance, identify this fine old hostelry. The 1907 post card was published by Knight & Co., Kansas City. A wide margin on the face of the card was for a written message, since postal regulations of the day forbade any message on the address side. Only one early-day automobile, a touring car with top down, is seen on the street, but there are several one- and two-horse vehicles. A horse-drawn cab stands at the 11th Street entrance, ready to take guests of the hotel to their trains at the old Union Depot in the West Bottoms. The 200-room, six-story hotel was managed by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mars, who had earlier managed the historic Blossom House, located at 1048-50 Union Avenue, across the street from the old depot. Kupper Hotel rates were $1 a day, European plan, and with excellent cuisine. The hostelry was quite popular with out-of-town shoppers, since many of the leading merchandisers, such as Emery-Bird's, John Taylor's, Peck's and Jones' were within short walking distance. Today the seven-story National Garage parking facility, built in 1930, occupies the old site. Shops occupy street-level space along McGee and 11th.Kansas City Times. December 10, 1982.
Reproduction (printing, downloading, or copying) of images from Kansas City Public Library requires permission and payment for the following uses, whether digital or print: publication; reproduction of multiple copies; personal, non-educational purposes; and advertising or commercial purposes. Please order prints or digital files and pay use fees through this website. All images must be properly credited to: "Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri." Images and texts may be reproduced without prior permission only for purposes of temporary, private study, scholarship, or research. Those using these images and texts assume all responsibility for questions of copyright and privacy that may arise.
