As The Kansas City Clothing Co. we are clearly obsessed with this amazing city and even more obsessed with its history.
Take a walk with us as we explore the deep rooted history this city has to offer:
Kansas City in the 19th Century
In 1804, Lewis and Clark camped for three days at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers in today's Kansas City, Kansas. During their stay at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas, they met French fur traders and mapped the area of Quality Hill in what would eventually become Kansas City, Missouri, calling it "a fine place for a fort."
in 1821, Congress admitted Missouri to the union as the 24th state
1833 - Over the next years, the character of Kansas City was defined by those who wanted to live close to the river (the "rabbits") and those who wanted to live in the hills (the "goats"). John Calvin McCoy, who is considered the "father of Kansas City", had a hand in establishing settlements in both locations. He opened a trading post in the hills three miles south of the river. McCoy named it "West Port" because it was the last place to get supplies before travelers went into Kansas Territory on the California Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and Oregon Trail.
1853- Missouri officially incorporated the city on March 28, 1853; it changed the name to the City of Kansas
1871 -The Kansas City Stockyards boomed in the West Bottoms because of their central location in the country and their proximity to trains. They became second only to Chicago's in size
1889 - with a population of around 130,000, the city changed its name to Kansas City
To us, knowing the history of our great city just makes us fall in love with it all over again.