A new way to enjoy Missouri’s natural beauty, thanks to these Clay Countians’ gift

By its decision rendered on June 13, 2023, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state Conservation Commission could release previously approved funds in the amount of $1 million to acquire 510 acres of land to expand the approximately 2,000-acre Linscomb Wildlife Area in St. Clair County, southeast of Kansas City.

The Linscomb Wildlife Area was established by the gift of the Irven E. and NeVada P. Linscomb Foundation to provide an area for all state residents to explore and enjoy the natural beauty of rural Missouri and its abundance of wildlife. The creation of the area was facilitated through the efforts of Anita Gorman, longtime Northland civic leader, former chairwoman of the Conservation Commission, and a director of the Linscomb Foundation. The land involved was the former Winding River Ranch owned by the Linscombs, who had acquired the land over a 40-year period of time by as a retreat from city life.

The Linscombs were longtime residents of Clay County, and together had operated manufacturing businesses and been involved in industrial real estate development in Kansas City’s Northland. At the time of their death, the foundation was created to support charities benefiting the underprivileged youth of the Northland and to preserve the natural beauty of their extensive land holdings in St. Clair County for the enjoyment of all Missourians.

Since its founding in 2000, the Linscomb Foundation has supported numerous charities in Clay and Platte counties, and in particular it founded and managed the Miles of Smiles portable dental program serving children in need in both counties. To date, the program has provided free comprehensive dental care to more than 20,000 children, in more than 75,000 individual chair appointments. Recently, Miles of Smiles was renamed LevelUp Kids and added vision screening and provision of glasses to qualifying children. To date, more than 18,000 children have been screened, and more than 3,000 have been provided corrective glasses.

The Linscomb Foundation has provided in excess of $20,000,000 of financial support to a broad range of Northland charities.