Talk:History of the Kansas City metropolitan area

Small market city for major leauge?
What idiot put that in! With a market of 2.2 million people, KC is average. While in the 80's this may have been somewhat true, that is no longer even close, as way smaller markets like Nashville, Jacksonville, Indianapolis (the winners of the last super bowl) Buffalo and Miluwakee (Green Bay) have major teams. Also similar-sized markets like Cincinatti, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Denver, and Pittsburg also have teams. The statement that we are a "small" market is total BS, as Kansas City is the 26th largest metro in the US, and is similar in population to all cities ranked from 19-28.
 * The above unsigned comment was posted on February 12, 2007 by Special:Contributions/69.150.147.138. Kansas City ranks #31 on the List of television stations in North America by media market placing it at the bottom or near the bottom of cities with professional baseball and football teams. Americasroof 01:45, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

I moved the sports information out of the Hyatt disaster section and into the main page. We need to modify the sports information so that it is not the main topic for time periods. I certianly believe sports information is important, especially for a city as small as Kansas City, but it should not be the topic for time periods as it is for the 1980s. Any suggestions how we should incorporate sports history? I would suggest putting in a sort a sub-topic after every decade. So for the new 1990s page we could start a sub-topic for sports in the 1990s.Efficiency84 04:26, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

Exodusters
This article needs more attention to the history of African-Americans. Questions to be answered include:
 * Did Exodusters migrate to Kansas City? Dogru144 01:46, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
 * As per usual the best way to improve a Wikipedia article is to improve it yourself. The Exodusters (which needs considerable work) points out this occurred in Kansas.  The Benjamin "Pap" Singleton is a good article giving more detail.  Kansas City, Missouri is in Missouri, which was a slave state.  The black migration to Kansas City was due mainly to good urban jobs. Americasroof 01:45, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Sprawl/Annexation
A section needs to b e created that describes the annexation program and the Cookingham years. This was probably the defining development of that era. The Kansas City main page describes it pretty well. Should we copy and paste this in the history page? Efficiency84 21:40, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

I'm proposing to copy and paste, or at least paraphrase the annexation/sprawl topic on the main Kansas City page and post it here.

Here is what I propose for a topic on Sprawl, it borrows heavily form the main KC page.

Sprawl/Annexation

After the fall of the Pendergast machine, the city’s new government began annexing land to expand the city’s size. Annexation programs continued though the 1970’s, when the city increased its geographical size to five times its size in 1940. Following World War II, Kansas City, like many older cities experienced sprawl and population shifts from the city’s core to the suburbs and periphery. While other cities shrank, the newly annexed land helped Kansas City retain its population. Growth since 1970, however, has been limited and often negative, despite a modest population growth in the 1990’s.Efficiency84 04:21, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

1990's
Does anyone wish to work with me on writing about the 1990's? Some topics could include the new museums, as well as the city gaining population again Efficiency84 21:40, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

Here's what I propose for a barebones 1990's history. I I'll double check that all the numbers are right then post it Wednesday. I'll need you all to help add things!

Kansas City grew by 6,399 people during the 1990’s, ending two decades of population loss. Emanuel Cleaver became the city’s first African-American mayor in 1991, before being elected to Congress in 2004. The opening of the American Jazz Museum, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and refurbishing of Union Station as Science City helped memorialize early 20th Century Kansas City. The decade closed with Kansas City electing its first female mayor, Kay Waldo Barnes in 1999. Efficiency84


 * I'm all for it! Thanks! Americasroof 00:40, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

1940s
I noticed that there is a section labeld 1890's to 1940's, but there is a no information about the 40s. I am going to start a 1940's topic, because it was a far different experience than the 30's. Pendergast had fallen, the war effort began, and annexation began. I am going to include the annexation blurb in this section. A section about Kansas City during the war would be great too.Efficiency84

Here is my proposed 1940s section

1940s

The Gage/Cookingham Reform Era After the fall of the Pendergast machine, reformer John B. Gage was elected mayor in 1940 and L.P. Cookingham was named city manager. John B. Gage would be elected mayor three times in all serve as mayor until 1946, while city manager L.P. Cookingham served as city manager until 1959. The Gage and Cookingham government sought to “clean up” Kansas City from its corrupt past, and enact “fair” government practices and merit-based hiring of city employees.

World War II and Kansas City

The war effort brought defense jobs to Kansas City, which was still suffering from the Great Depression. The Pratt & Whittney engine plant alone provided 24,000 jobs for the city. Other armaments plants in Kansas City, Kansas and eastern Jackson County provided additional jobs to the region. This has lead to the era being remembered as a relatively prosperous time for the city.

Annexationa and "Sprawl"

In the mid-1940s, the Gage and Cookingham government began to annex land to expand the city’s size. Annexation programs continued though the 1970’s, when the city increased its geographical size to five times its size in 1940. Following World War II, Kansas City, like many older cities experienced sprawl and population shifts from the city’s core to the suburbs and periphery. While other cities shrank, the newly annexed land helped Kansas City retain its population. Growth since 1970, however, has been limited and often negative, despite a modest population growth in the 1990’s.Efficiency84

It is probably also worth mentioning that Truman was elected president.Efficiency84

R.A. Long
I am going to add a section about R.A. Long, the R.A. Long building, and a connection to the Liberty Memorial. Mr. Long was a prominant citizen and businessman in the city, built the first steel framed skyscraper, advocated for the memorial and was the founding president of the commitee to secure funding. I would venture to surmise that there might not even be a memorial in Kansas City if not for Mr. Long.

Someone from the area with access to local records can jump in at any time but Mr. Long's company(and subsidiaries) where part of everyday life in Louisiana and he even founded Longville, Louisiana. It seems only right that mention of him in the Kansas City, Missouri, History of Kansas City, the Misouri state article, as well as some mention in the Liberty Memorial article be a given.

He was a resident having built Corinthian Hall, a very wealthy businessman referred to as a lumber baron, and philanthropist. I am sure records will reflect that he gave to charties in his adopted city if not much to the city itself. Otr500 (talk) 04:10, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

article name
Is there any reason why this article is named as it is when the first sentence implies the name should be "History of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area" ? Hmains (talk) 04:56, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

Timeline of Kansas City, Missouri
What is missing from the city timeline? Please add relevant content. Thank you. -- M2545 (talk) 12:41, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

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