A 1907 post-card scene of Main Street, printed in soft pastels, is reminiscent of the street scenes in early French village paintings. A lone driver in his wagon heads north towards the Junction at 9th Street and in the distance a street car approaches after having made the turnaround loop at the old City Market.Sidewalks along main are filled with shoppers. Signs of McDonald-Dentist and Hotel appear over the sidewalks at the left side of the picture. Several horses with wagons or carriages are tied to the iron rings which were anchored at the curbs in early downtown Kansas City. At the right side of the picture, on the corner, are large Woolf Brothers signs along with one advertising Knox hats. The Woolfs came to Kansas City before the turn of the century. They operated men's clothing establishments near the river at 557 Main, then 710 Main, 1118 Main and in 1897 moved to 927 Main, the location on the post card. Woolf Brothers moved to the present downtown location, 1020 Walnut, in 1909.An inch of space at the right side of the post card was left for a written message from the sender. Government regulations forbade using the reverse side of the card for anything except name, address and stamp. Today all of the block of buildings pictured at the left side of the card have been razed to make room for the TenMain Center. Kansas City Times, April 2, 1982.
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