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Title
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Homer Roberts and Reuben Street
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Description
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Book excerpt about Homer Roberts and Reuben and Ella Street, early black businesspeople of Kansas City. Roberts was "one of the first African American car salesmen in the country" and Reuben Street was a cafe manager and hotel owner. Roberts was born in Ash Grove, Missouri in 1885 and came to Kansas City around 1900, admitted in 1906 as one of the first African Americans to Kansas State University. After service in World War I, Roberts became a pioneer car salesman in 1919 with offices at 1509 East 18th Street, moved in 1921 to 1516 East 19th Street. The Roberts Company Motor Mart was opened in 1923 at 1826-28-30 Vine Street, operating until 1929. Reuben and Ella Street owned "the most recognized hotel catering to African Americans in Kansas City," the Street Hotel, at 1510 East 18th Street. Their business started around 1900 upon their arrival from Oklahoma as a restaurant on 18th Street and moved in 1920 to the 2400 block of Vine Street as a hotel.
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Date
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2006
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Object Type
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Book Section
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Title
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Homer B. Roberts, 1885-1952: An Extradordinary Man
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Description
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Book with photos, illustrations, map, and information about Homer Roberts (1885-1952), one of the first or perhaps the first African American to enter "the retail automobile business in the early 1900's in Kansas City." Native of Ash Grove, Missouri coming to Kansas City around the 1901s and becoming "the first of his race to be awarded a new car franchise. ..and appointed an Oldsmobile distributor (1923)."
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Date
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2001
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Object Type
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Book
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Title
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The History of Black Business in America
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Description
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One paragraph about Homer Roberts, "one of the first black car dealers," founder of "the Roberts Automobile Company in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1919," one of the city's overall best car salesman, and salesman of "75 percent of the cars bought by blacks in Kansas City."
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Date
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1998
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Object Type
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Book
