Kansas City was shaped by the railroad industry. In the 19th century, many railways ran through Kansas City's Union Depot.
Among those was the Kansas City Southern, a north-south railroad formed in 1887 that was "built in the wrong direction," according to Bill Galligan, author of "Vision Accomplished: The History of Kansas City Southern."
The railroad shouldn't have thrived — but it did anyway. Galligan says that success came from the company's leadership.
Galligan says that with the railroad's founder, Arthur Stilwell, Kansas City Southern was steered by an intense drive to succeed and a tendency toward unconventional business decisions, which ended up being good for both the company and the larger community.
Kansas City Southern merged with another railroad, Canadian Pacific, in 2023. Today, Canadian Pacific Kansas City is the only railway to serve the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"Success isn't just money, it's creating something unique," Galligan told KCUR's Up To Date.
- Bill Galligan, author of "Vision Accomplished: The History of Kansas City Southern"
- Mike Haverty, former CEO of the Kansas City Southern
