KC History

On December 25, 1925, a string of Christmas lights hung over a doorway at the Country Club Plaza for the first time and began a tradition.

Nell Donnelly and her chauffeur, George Blair, were kidnapped on December 16, 1931. Donnelly had become famous after the founding of the Donnelly Garment Company.

In 1940, Works Progress Administration workers took photos of every building in Kansas City — houses, restaurants, shops, gas stations, and more. The Library maintains more than 50,000 of the images, and a new website is making them easier than ever to browse.

On December 11, 1884, Nelle Nichols Peters was born to a farming family in Niagara, North Dakota. She would become one of the most prolific architects in Kansas City during the 1920s.

On December 7, 1940, the U.S. Army Air Corps announced that the Fairfax Industrial District in Kansas City, Kansas, would host a North American Aviation B-25 bomber production plant to prepare for World War II.

What's Your KCQ? What do you want to know about our community? The Library and The Kansas City Star combine resources to find answers to questions about regional topics.

On December 2, 1905, Kansas City lost its lead proponent of the park and boulevard movement, August Meyer.

On the evening of November 24, 1927, the Pla-Mor Ballroom opened at 3142 Main Street to a crowd of 4,100 who reveled at its unprecedented size and modern style.

In 1838, the town of Westport stood near the western edge of the American frontier. To reach Westport from the east, traders traveled by river to a rock landing.

On November 8, 1917, Mary Tiera Farrow and 20 other female lawyers formed the Women's Bar Association of Kansas City.