Things You Didn’t Know About Kansas City
Kansas City has a rich history, with its connections to the Westward Expansion and the Civil War – learn about your new favorite city!
Kansas City stood out in the 1920s.
The time of Prohibition was not a time Kansas City wanted any part of, so the town simply refused to participate. Alcohol was never banned and all of the bars remained open. K.C. did, however, embrace the vaudeville craze, quickly establishing itself as the center of the art.
Kansas City was first built in 1831.
The area that become Kansas City was first settled in 1831, and became a city in 1850. Due to its prime location, K.C. and nearby Independence became critical points for the Westward Expansion, as one of the last cities to buy supplies before venturing into the wilderness.
Kansas City is the reason Missouri remained a free state in the Civil War.
Missouri entered the United States as a free state, but when the Civil War began, the Confederacy tried to gain control. While the Confederate army was victorious over smaller nearby towns, Kansas City continuously held ground, proving to be impossible for the troops to win. After a few efforts, they withdrew and gave up on Missouri as a whole.
A large number of celebrities hail from Kansas City.
The list includes composer Burt Bacharach, journalist Walter Cronkite, designer Kate Spade, president Harry S. Truman, writer Ernest Hemingway, pilot Amelia Earhart, and even visionary Walt Disney. Hollywood has increased its population with K.C. natives as well, like Edward Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Don Cheadle (Crash), Ellie Kemper (The Office), and Paul Rudd (Antman).
