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 Kansas City: Paris of the PlainsWebsite chronicling Jazz Age Kansas City, a time when the city was one of the most dynamic arts centers in America; examines the musical, political, social & cultural heritage, as well as the innovative and physical developments that defined the city. Brush Creek Follies For nearly 20 years in Kansas City and across the Midwest, Saturday nights meant a date with KMBC's Brush Creek Follies, a show that held the #2 spot in the nation among rural music radio programs for 14 years. Club Kaycee Music, photos, and more highlighting the golden age of Kansas City jazz.  Musicians Local No. 627 and the Mutual Musicians FoundationPhotographs, sound recordings and other historic information documenting union functions, social events and the bands and members of Local 627 who created the internationally recognized Kansas City style of jazz. Presidential Speeches Harry S. Truman speeches digitized by the Marr Sound Archives in partnership with the Truman Presidential Museum and Library; also includes speech excerpts from other Presidents.  The National Archives at Kansas CityOne of 13 facilities nationwide where the public has access to Federal archival records. The facility is home to more than 50,000 cubic feet of historical records dating from the 1820s to the 1990s created or received by nearly 100 federal agencies. |
 The Black Archives of Mid-America, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a center for learning and research into the African American experience in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma and the Midwest at large.Missouri Valley Special Collections The Missouri Valley Special Collections (MVSC), which came into existence in 1960, consist of the non-circulating local history and genealogy resources of the Kansas City Public Library as well as the Library’s archives. Browse the Digital Gallery. |
Kansas City History Series: History of Movie Theaters (The Walt Bodine Show, 1-25-10)
A look back at the history of movie theaters in Kansas City. Most of these grand buildings have long since stopped showing the latest 'talkies,' but there are a small number of splendid buildings that continue to serve the purpose for which they were built. We'll discuss Kansas City's movie house history, and the steps taken to preserve and, in some cases, restore them.  ListenKansas City History Series: Grocery Shopping in River City (The Walt Bodine Show, 12-28-09) From small neighborhood grocery stores to large supermarket chains, how have the places where Kansas Citians have purchased food over the years impacted the evolution of our city? We take a look at the history of groceries here in town, exploring the significance of a grocery store to a neighborhood or community. ListenKansas City History Series: Country Club Plaza Past and Present (The Walt Bodine Show, 11/25/09) Monroe Dodd joins us to tell us about the history of the Country Club Plaza, more often called simply, “The Plaza.” From its early inception to its current state, Dodd tells us how the area has changed over the years, and discusses the role the neighborhood has played and continues to play in our city. ListenKansas City History Series: The 60's (The Walt Bodine Show, 9/10/09) The 60's were a tumultuous time in the history of the United States, but how did major events of that decade affect the lives of those living in Kansas City and neighboring small towns? We'll find out how an era remembered for social change, cultural revolution and political upheaval played out right here in the Midwest. ListenKansas City History Series: Epidemics (The Walt Bodine Show, 8/11/09) The latest Swine Flu outbreak has affected all parts of the globe including the Kansas City area. While a frightening occurrence, this is not the first pandemic to reach us. We discuss the impact of more deadly, viral outbreaks of days gone by, and find out how Kansas City responded to each of them. ListenKansas City History Series: KC Baseball We take a look at the fascinating history of baseball in Kansas City and the people who shaped it. One such person was Kansas City A's owner Charles Oscar Finley; who oversaw some of the most tumultuous times for our hometown team. Historian Monroe Dodd shares some of the more unusual stories. ListenKansas City History Series: Suburbia (The Walt Bodine Show,6/22/2009) A look at the history of suburban development in Kansas City, from Brookside to Johnson County and beyond. We take a look at suburban growth in the metro area, its impact on rural communities, and discuss how it relates the ideas behind the American dream. ListenThe Voice Of The People (The Walt Bodine Show, 4/24/2009) Walt Bodine and Chuck Haddix broadcast live from the Kansas City Public Library with a program highlighting coverage of major events from Kansas City's history. Bodine and Haddix discuss recently re-discovered interviews conducted by Bodine with notable figures such as Robert F. Kennedy, Werner von Braun, Kansas City Mayor Ilus Davis, and many more. ListenKansas City History Series: Walt Bodine and Local Broadcast History (The Walt Bodine Show, 4/14/2009) Hear about the history of broadcast journalism in Kansas City, with a focus on the storied career of who else but Walt Bodine. As part of our Kansas City History series, we debut a documentary on Walt’s transitions from radio to television and back again, his relationship to the people of Kansas City and the impact he has had on the industry followed by an in-studio discussion with local historian Monroe Dodd. ListenKansas City History Series: How We Survived the Great Depression (The Walt Bodine Show, 02/25/09) Listening to stories from elders in our community might put the current recession into perspective. As part of our Kansas City History Series, we talk about the effects of The Great Depression on development in Kansas City. We also discuss WPA projects that came out of the New Deal that influenced the architecture and redevelopment of our city’s physical landscape while helping the local economy to bounce back. ListenKansas City History Series: Kansas City's Mayors (The Walt Bodine Show, 01/28/2009) Municipal leaders get their fair share of criticisms and accolades, but how does history view them? In this installment of our Kansas City History Series, we take a look back at Kansas City's mayors: how they governed, and how the public perceived them. We also discuss the lasting impact that some of the more influential mayors have had on our city. ListenKansas City History Series: Famous Theaters (The Walt Bodine Show, 12/31/2008) Guests Monroe Dodd and Felicia Hardison Londré join us to talk about famous theaters and entertainment venues that were hot spots in their time. Listen Kansas City History Series: KCK vs KCMO (The Walt Bodine Show, 11/17/2008) What makes Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri not quite the twin cities? We discuss how these two cities have developed both together and separately. We take a look at the role of immigration, geography, and the economy as it relates to how these two neighboring cities have come to be what they are today. Listen Kansas City History Series: Dwight D. Eisenhower (The Walt Bodine Show, 9/30/2008) We take a look at the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower and get to know this iconic, two-term president. Listen Harry S. Truman (The Walt Bodine Show, 8/20/2008) Walt takes a look 60 years back to the nomination of Harry S. Truman at the Democratic Convention of 1948. We discuss Truman’s famous nomination acceptance speech, and talk about the lasting impact of his campaign. ListenTale of Two Bottoms (The Walt Bodine Show, 7/23/2008) A look at the history and future of Kansas City’s East and West Bottoms. Hear of community driven efforts to boost these areas as we discuss the challenges and perks of living and working in the Bottoms. ListenThe Mafia and the Machine (The Walt Bodine Show, 7/1/2008) Organized crime’s presence in Kansas City has been a source of fascination for many of us and Frank R. Hayde is no exception. His book, The Mafia and the Machine: The Story of the Kansas City Mob reveals the reach of Kansas City’s organized crime to Chicago, New York and Las Vegas. Listen R.A. Long (The Walt Bodine Show, 11/20/2007) R.A. Long used to be a Kansas City household name. Find out how Long’s philanthropic contributions and vision live on today, and how his daughter broke down gender barriers in the sport of horse racing. Listen The Kansas City Star (The Walt Bodine Show, 11/15/2007) Harry Haskell, author of Boss Busters and Sin Hounds, the story of The Kansas City Star and its evolution as a newspaper over time. Listen Midland Rail (The Walt Bodine Show, 8/29/2007) Take a trip back in time on the Midland Railway. Learn how the rails shaped Kansas City history and what Midland Rail is doing to keep train travel alive in the metro. ListenHistoric Homes in Kansas City (The Walt Bodine Show, 6/26/2007) From the Thomas Hart Benton home to the bed and breakfast down the street, learn about historic homes in Kansas City from a panel of local experts. Listen Enchanted Years of the Stage: Kansas City at the Crossroads of American Theater, 1870-1930 (The Walt Bodine Show, 3/08/2007) Sarah Bernhardt , Sir Henry Irving, Edwin Booth… there was a time when they all played Kansas City. Travel back in time to the Enchanted Years of the Stage with author and professor Felicia Hardison Londre. ListenThe Irish (The Walt Bodine Show, 8/31/2006) The history of Irish immigration in Kansas City. ListenIt's Jazz Daddy-O! (The Walt Bodine Show, 8/10/2006) Fish Fry host and author Chuck Haddix joins us to discuss Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop, now out in paperback. ListenThe History of KC Theatre (The Walt Bodine Show, 5/30/2006) Delve into our local history and be entertained by stories of old time theater in Kansas City, with historian Dorey D'Angel. Listen Nelly Don (The Walt Bodine Show, 5/2/2006) "Nelly Don: A Stitch in Time" with documentary director Terence O'Malley. Hear about the professional and personal life of this captivating woman who revolutionized clothing for 20th century women. Her dressmaking empire started here in Kansas City. Listen The Steamboat Arabia Museum (The Walt Bodine Show,1/24/2006) Learn about a new treasure hunt for another sunken steamboat in the Missouri River. Greg Hawley of the steamboat Arabia Museum will join us to talk abut his family’s latest prospect and the vision for a bigger Steamboat Museum in Kansas City. Listen Jane Flynn: Odds and Ends (The Walt Bodine Show,12/13/2005) ListenJane Flynn: Murder in Kansas City! (The Walt Bodine Show, 11/15/2005) Listen Jane Flynn: Kansas City development (Walt Bodine 5/11/05) Listen Jane Flynn: Kansas City trivia (Walt Bodine 4/13/05) ListenJane Flynn: Kansas City women (Walt Bodine 3/08/05) Listen |
The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis (Up to Date, 10-01-09) A new book details the history of Kansas City’s Kaw Point and the debate over the death of Meriwether Lewis. Deaths on Pleasant Street (Up to Date, 09-25-09) The mystery surrounding the 1909 deaths of Colonel Thomas Swope, millionaire benefactor of Swope Park, his cousin and young nephew. Merriam Teacher Corinthian Nutter Became 1940s Civil Rights Leader (KC Currents, 09-08-09) In the 1940's, Corinthian Nutter worked with the NAACP to improve education for black children in Merriam, Kansas. Nutter was outraged by the deplorable conditions at the two-room schoolhouse where she taught, Walker Elementary School. Remembering African Americans' Service in the Great World War (KC Currents, 05-26-09) The contributions of African American soldiers who served in World War I, including a man from Kansas City who was the last soldier killed during the Great War. Local Pilot Honored for WWII Service (KC Currents, 07-20-09) Prairie Village resident Marjorie Rees, a surviving WW II WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilot) recently received the Congressional Gold medal. |
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