The panoramic view of Kansas City's downtown, looking northeast from 8th Street, was taken from the roof of the R.A. Long building, Kansas City's first skyscraper. The 14-story Long building, containing 259 offices, at the northwest corner of 10th and Grand, was erected by multi-millionaire lumberman Robert A. Long, at a cost of $,1,250,000. It was designed by Henry F. Hoit. Centering the picture and occupying the entire block from 8th to 9th streets, Grand to McGee, is the magnificent old Georgia granite postal office and custom house, its gold dome visible from miles around. It was eight years in the building, from 1892 to June 1900. (It was razed in 1938.) Street cars are seen at the intersection of 8th and Grand, with tracks visible all the way north to the old city market. Modern national highways would later dissect the scene with a deep cut, accommodating major Interstate highways, leading east to St. Louis and west into Kansas. Pictured in the background is the broad sweep of the great Missouri River. The publisher of the postcard, printed in color, was the Southwest News Co. of Kansas City. An unusual and helpful feature of the card was the labeling of major structures pictured. This identifies the Scarritt building (left foreground); the Power House; the big old Jackson County native stone courthouse, opened April 14, 1892; the post office and custom house; and the three-story Journal Post newspaper building, partly obscured by a cloud of smoke, at right. Kansas City Times, March 27, 1987.
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