The Missouri Valley Historical Society (1913-1940) was the successor to the Kansas City Historical Society (1906-1913) and the Early Settler's Society and Historical Association (1896-1906). All these organizations focused on the history of the Kansas City area and the region in general. The Society was especially active during the presidency of John Barber White (1913-1923).The collection consists of official records, correspondence, and business records of the organization. Historical material may be found in vertical files, manuscripts, scrapbooks, etc. The collection also includes the papers of the Gold Star League which contains photographs, correspondence, and biographical sheets on soldiers of World War I from the Kansas City area.
Promotional booklet for Kansas City, Missouri. Item includes sections covering the development of the city's business interests, a list of buildings constructed in 1878, its history, its geographic advantages, descriptions of various businesses and public institutions, descriptions of its suburbs, and advertisements.
The David H. Perkins Papers contain correspondence, publications, writings, photographs, artwork, and ephemera created and collected by David H. Perkins over the course of his life. A life-long Kansas City area resident, Perkins was a writer, editor, teacher, critic, and activist with interests in literature, art, politics, and urban and housing development projects. The collection consists of professional and personal materials.
The Richards and Conover Hardware Company was started in 1857 by John Francisco Richards and continued to operate as a family-owned business until it closed in 1999. This collection, donated by a former president of the company and descendant of John F. Richards, consists of the business records created and maintained by the company’s owners and employees.
This series contains files on criminals of Italian descent suspected of having ties to organized crime, mafia, and mob activity in Kansas City. Items include: mug shots, photographs, KCPD and FBI records, short biographies, and newspaper clippings. While most of the documents are undated, many contain arrest records from the 1930s until the year 1950. This series is arranged alphabetically by surname.
This series contains photographs, miscellaneous documents,and newspaper clippings pertaining to the Sicilian-American criminal brotherhood known as the Unione Sicilione, or Unione Siciliana, and individuals suspected of having ties to organized crime, mafia, and mob activity in Kansas City.
Open since 1900, the Folly Theater has assumed several names and identities over the decades, from a vaudeville, burlesque, and Shakespearean playhouse to an X-rated movie theater. Today, it serves as Kansas City’s oldest performing arts venue. The Folly Theater Collection contains photographs, scrapbooks, posters, administrative and financial records, building blueprints, and various artifacts that document the theater’s diverse history.