Kansas City and Its Neighbors, Historical Perspective
Kansas City, Missouri, is made up of parts of several counties. The central city is in Jackson County. An area nicknamed "Kansas City North" consists of sections of Clay and Platte Counties, north of the Missouri River. Kansas City North has many communities, both urban and rural. Our home is located in that part of Kansas City which is between North Kansas City and Gladstone. Kansas City, Kansas (in WyandotteCounty) is much smaller than Kansas City, Missouri. A fifth county within the Greater Kansas City Area is Johnson County, Kansas, a very prosperous area.
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Jackson County, Jackson County was organized in1826 from Lillard (now Lafayette) County and named for Andrew Jackson. Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is just south of the Missouri River. And although Kansas City is the major population center, the county seat of Independence is the older city. It made its mark in early Missouri history as the jumping-off place for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails. A century later, the county made headlines as the home of Harry S Truman. |
Clay County, North of the Missouri River, Kansas City continues up into Clay County. The county seat is Liberty. Other cities in the county include North Kansas City, Gladstone, Smithville, Kearney, Holt, Excelsior Springs, and Missouri City. The area is experiencing much growth. A 7200 acre lake was created when Smithville Dam was constructed. Clay County was organized in 1822 from Ray County. It was named for Kentucky Congressman, Henry Clay.
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Platte County, The city limits of Kansas City, Missouri, also extend north and west into Platte County. Platte County was organized in 1838 from the Platte Purchase. It was named for the Platte River."Platte" is a French word meaning "shallow" or "flat." The Kansas City Airport and much of the newest business and residential development is located in Platte County. The county seat is Platte City. Other cities in the county include Parkville, Riverside, Edgerton, and Platte Woods. |
Wyandotte Co., In 1859, Wyandotte County, Kansas, was created from Johnson and Leavenworth Counties. Its name comes from the Wyandot Indians who lived in the area. The county seat of Wyandotte County is Kansas City, KS, next door to the much larger Kansas City, MO. The county and Kansas City, Kansas share a unified government. Kansas City, Kansas, is nestled right up against the confluence of the Missouri River and the Kansas River, known locally as the "Kaw." |
Johnson County,
Johnson County, Kansas, established in1855, is named for Rev. Thomas Johnson, a Methodist missionary and a member of the Kansas territorial legislature. The Shawnee Methodist Mission had moved here in 1839 from its original site and opened an Indian Boarding School.
It is the largest county in the Kansas, 477 square miles (307,200 acres). The county began the 20th century with only about 18,000 but grew rapidly after World War II. It has become largely suburban, a complex mixture of urban and rural areas. Its county seat is Olathe, and its most populous city is Overland Park. |
Our Kansas City cows were sculpted by Pascal Knapp from Switzerland. In the summer of 2001, our cows grazed at Country Club Plaza, Crown Center Plaza, Union Station, and many other spots around town. They were featured in newspapers and on TV. Families and tour groups made the rounds, snapping photos and discussing the merits of the crazy names. Local artists decorated them. Merchants and organizations sponsored them. And that fall, CowParade hosted a live auction conducted by Sotheby's of approximately 60 of the cows. Following the live auction, the remaining cows were in an Internet auction hosted by Amazon.com. Local charities benefited: (1)Friends of the Zoo, (2)Kemper Museum of Art, (3)The American Royal.
Once upon a time, I milked cows twice a day. So of course I had to offer a demonstration.
Here I'm posing with "Moo-nay's Garden, "
one of over 200 designer cows placed around the city that summer.
The artist who painted "Moo-nay's Garden" is a friend of Dave's
from his classes when they were both working on their Master's degrees.
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