Town of Kansas, Missouri – Before Kansas City
Okay, so you know Kansas City, right? Big, bustling, BBQ heaven? Well, before it was Kansas City, it was a little something called the Town of Kansas. Let’s rewind the clock and see how this all started, shall we?
Humble Beginnings on the Missouri
Our story kicks off in 1838. A guy named John McCoy, who was already a big shot for founding Westport (we’ll get to that later), teamed up with 13 other folks. They decided to lay out a new town right on the banks of the Missouri River. Why? Well, location, location, location! The river was the highway of the time, and they were setting up shop at a prime spot.
French Explorers and Fur Traders: The OG Settlers
But hold on, Europeans had been sniffing around this area way before 1838. The first to leave a mark was a French military dude, Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont. Back in 1713, he was the first white guy to explore the lower Missouri River, and his journal gives us the earliest written description of the place. He even mentions "the River of the Canzes" – that’s the Kansas River, FYI.
For a while, the Spanish were technically in charge, but they mostly just let the French keep doing their thing: trading furs. The Chouteau family, those guys were the fur-trading dynasty, started doing business as early as 1765.
Daniel Boone’s Boy and a Desolate Camp
Fast forward a bit, and we’ve got Daniel Morgan Boone, son of the legendary Daniel Boone himself. He showed up in 1797, spending years trapping and trading. When he first got to the spot where the Kansas and Missouri Rivers meet, he found an abandoned Indian camp. But the Indians came back later, and they were cool with him. Boone spent a solid 12 winters trapping along the Blue River. He eventually moved to Westport in 1825.
Lewis and Clark: "This Would Be a Great Place for a Fort!"
Of course, we can’t forget Lewis and Clark. After the Louisiana Purchase, they were charting the whole dang territory. They cruised up the Missouri River in 1804, stopping at Kaw Point (where the Kansas River flows into the Missouri) for three nights. They were all about the location, noting it would be a killer spot for a fort. They swung by again on their way back in 1806, just to reiterate their point.
Chouteau’s Landing: The First Permanent Settlement
In 1819, François Chouteau and his cousin Gabriel S. Sûres, from St. Louis, set up a temporary trading post for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company. They were on the hunt for the perfect spot for a permanent post. Chouteau, along with his wife Bérénice and brother Cyprien, finally picked a site on the Missouri, just west of the Randolph Bluffs. This place, known as Chouteau’s Landing, was near the north end of Grand Avenue in modern Kansas City. By 1821, it was the area’s first permanent European-American settlement.
The Chouteau Brothers Expand the Empire
Following Francois in 1825 were his brothers, Cyprian and Frederick. Their mission? To grow their fur trading biz. Cyprian settled on the south bank of the Kansas River, while Frederick set up shop further upriver, near Topeka, trading with the Kanza Indians. Mountain man James Beckwourth even worked at Francois Chouteau’s trading post that winter!
Chouteau was all over the Kansas Territory, trading with various tribes for animal pelts. He got his goods through licensed trade and his own employees trapping in the Rocky Mountains.
Treaties, Trappers, and a Growing Business
In 1825, the Osage Indians ceded their land in western Missouri, opening the door for more settlers. Trappers like Gabriel Prud’homme joined the Chouteaus, and they formed a fur company together. Their warehouse supplied the huge demand for furs and beaver hats back east and in Europe.
Settlers started pouring in, mostly east of the Blue River. Jesuit Fathers even set up a small log house as a church and dwelling, ministering to the local Indians. Soon, more French Catholic families followed the Chouteau brothers from St. Louis.
Floods, Cholera, and a Thriving Trade
A flood in 1826 forced Chouteau to move his trading post to higher ground. After acquiring land in the East Bottoms, he moved his post again, further east of the Kansas River. But then, a cholera outbreak in 1827 slowed things down. Still, the steamboat landing became known as Chouteau’s Landing, and the family thrived.
For a while, everything was great. Canoes and rafts brought furs, which were traded for flour, sugar, and tobacco. A ferry was established to help traders cross the Missouri. The warehouse was always packed, and the goods were shipped downriver to St. Louis.
The Younger Brothers and a Booming Landing
In 1828, the Younger Brothers’ grandfather even ran a ferry here. By the 1830s, Chouteau’s was the main landing for Westport. There were at least 100 French Catholic families in the area, many with Native American heritage. Chouteau’s trading post was the heart of it all.
The area became known as the "French Bottoms," and the Native Americans called it "Chouteau’s Town."
More Settlers and the Santa Fe Trade
In 1830, James H. McGee built a log cabin. He also made the first brick kiln west of Independence and built the first brick house in Kansas City. The Santa Fe trade kicked off in Independence in 1831.
Mormons Come and Go
A group of Mormons from New York settled in the area in 1831, buying 2,000 acres. But conflicts with other Missourians led to their eviction in 1833, and their settlement was abandoned.
Westport Enters the Scene
In 1833, John Calvin McCoy, that surveyor we mentioned earlier, built a trading post in the hills south of the Missouri River. His business became a popular stop for traders, fur trappers, Indians, and emigrants heading west on the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe Trails.
McCoy founded Westport. To make getting supplies easier, he found a rocky ledge on the Missouri River near Chouteau’s trading post and cut a path to it. He convinced a steamboat captain to unload goods at the new site. This new delivery point became Westport Landing, and McCoy persuaded more riverboats to unload supplies and settlers there. Thomas A. Smart opened the first trading house at the landing.
It was the main trading point for various Indian tribes, including the Shawnee, Delaware, Kickapoo, Ottawa, Chippewa, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kanza, Osage, and others.
The American Fur Company even held rendezvous here in 1837 and 1839.
The Town of Kansas is Born
In 1835, Father Roux established the first church in the area. For the next 20 years, French Canadian families worshipped together in the village called Chez les Canses, meaning "Town of Kansas."
In 1838, Francois Chouteau died, leaving his trading post to his sons. But his brother Cyprian and widow Bérénice took over the operation. That year, 14 men, including John McCoy and William M. Chick, bought a 257-acre parcel for $4,220, including Westport Landing. They organized a town company and established a municipality named Kansas, the precursor of Kansas City. The name "Kansas" came from the Kanza tribe, meaning "smoky."
Building the Town
In 1839, McCoy platted a 15-acre townsite for the "Town of Kansas." It included the land bordering the Missouri River, bounded by the river, Second Street, Delaware Street, and Grand Avenue. About 150 lots were sold at an average price of $55.65 each.
Over the next few years, McCoy improved the road from Westport to the river. By the 1840s, Santa Fe traders favored Westport Landing. Commercial buildings started popping up along the river bluffs.
John Fremont even launched his first exploring expedition to the West from here in 1842.
Firsts and Setbacks
In 1843, William Miles Chick built the first framed house and warehouse at 1st and Main. He also became the first postmaster. That year, another house and a tavern were built, but expansion was delayed due to a legal issue.
The same year, Mexican trade was suspended, but it revived and increased when the embargo was lifted. Atchison and Leavenworth, Kansas; St. Joseph, Missouri; and Omaha, Nebraska, entered the same business, but the Town of Kansas retained most of the trade. Travelers and traders arrived in Concord Coaches and ox and mule wagons called "Prairie Schooners." The fare per passenger from Westport to Santa Fe was $175 in gold, and the trip took 13 days and six hours.
The Great Flood of 1844
In June 1844, a tragic flood destroyed much of the area. Bérénice had to move her warehouses and farm to higher ground. William Miles Chick’s structures were the only ones to survive.
The original families in the French Bottoms suffered, and many young men moved further west.
Rebuilding and Religious Growth
In 1845, Father Bernard Donnelly became pastor of all Western Missouri. The first wooden church was demolished in 1857 to make way for a new brick church, which continues to operate today as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
A Rival to Independence
After the flood, the Town of Kansas was rebuilt and became a strong rival to the Independence Landings. In April 1846, lots were sold, and many buildings were erected. The town limits extended from Broadway to Troost Avenue.
The Mexican-American War and the Gold Rush
Commerce prospered during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) with increased Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trade. The California gold rush of 1848 brought thousands of emigrants through Westport Landing and the Town of Kansas.
However, Father Bernard Donnelly blamed the ’49ers for introducing cholera, fevers, whiskey, bad habits, and disreputable women. When cholera hit the town, Eleanor McGee and Bérénice Chouteau cared for the sick, earning McGee the nickname "Mother McGee."
Incorporation and Westward Expansion
In 1850, the "Town of Kansas" was incorporated by the Jackson County Court. That year, 600 wagons began westward overland trips. From 1850 to the arrival of the railroads, six to ten boats came to this landing daily.
The American Hotel
One of the most imposing structures was the 46-room American Hotel, built in 1849 by Benoist Troost and William Gillis. It was known by various names, including the Union, Eldridge, Troost, and the Gilliss House Hotel. General George Custer and Kit Carson were guests, and almost every notable person passed through the Town of Kansas during this period.
Cutting the Bluffs and Building the City
In the early days, the bluffs along the Missouri River were high, and they began to be cut down in the 1850s. Expansion began up the steep bluffs south of the river. The Main Street Cut was built in the early 1850s, followed by a similar cut on Delaware Street in the late 1850s.
Becoming the City of Kansas
On February 23, 1853, the Town of Kansas officially became the City of Kansas. At that time, it had a population of 2,500, and its boundary lines extended from the middle of the Missouri River south to South of 9th Street and Bluff Street on the West to a point between Holmes Road and Charlotte Street on the east.
Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War
In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act ignited the debate over slavery. The City of Kansas was acutely affected as Missouri was a slave state and most residents held pro-Southern views.
During the Border War era, the Ellis Hotel was a hotbed of intrigue.
The City of Kansas remained the primary jumping-off point for trade and emigration until the outbreak of the Civil War, when trail traffic moved north to Leavenworth, Kansas. Between 1850 and 1860, steamboating was at its peak, and in 1857, 729 boats arrived at Kansas City.
When the Civil War began in April 1861, the citizens were divided, and neighbors took sides. Newspapers were suspended, business houses were closed, and many citizens left the city. Missouri bushwhackers and Kansas Jayhawkers began to plunder.
Despite the disloyalty of the surrounding country, the city had a strong Union element. However, trade and travel shifted to Leavenworth, Atchison, and other Kansas towns.
Hard Times and Guerrilla Warfare
During 1861, the city saw deserted stores, idle men, and violence. By the end of the year, most who could leave had gone.
Marauders roamed the area, and mail was frequently delayed. The town grew increasingly shabby and dilapidated.
Recovery and Rebuilding
In 1863, things began to improve. Some Santa Fe traders returned, and work commenced on the Kansas Pacific Railroad.
In June 1863, General Thomas Ewing, Jr., was ordered to the City of Kansas to take command of the "District of the Border."
Price’s Raid and the Battle of Westport
In September 1864, Confederate General Sterling Price started his raid through Missouri. On October 22, the Battle of Westport ended in a disastrous defeat for the Confederates. Kansas City escaped the great danger that had threatened her.
Post-War Growth and Transformation
By 1865, peace was restored. But the streets were out of repair, buildings were dilapidated, trade was gone, and the population had decreased to 3,500.
The city’s growth during 1867 was rapid, and by the end of 1868, the population was estimated at 28,000. That year, 2,000 houses were built.
By 1870, the City of Kansas had eight railroads, seven banks, and 32,260 people.
Kansas City Emerges
In 1871, the Kansas City Stockyards boomed. By 1880, the population was over 50,000, and the city was on its way to becoming a metropolis. In 1889, the city limits were extended, prompting a name change to Kansas City. Westport became part of Kansas City on December 2, 1897.
By 1900, Kansas City was the 22nd largest city in the country, with a population of 163,752 residents.
So, there you have it! From a humble trading post to a bustling city, the Town of Kansas laid the foundation for the Kansas City we know and love today. It’s a story of fur traders, pioneers, floods, wars, and the relentless spirit of the people who built it all.