Explore Kansas City's grit and ingenuity in nine stories

Kansas City’s resilience and dynamism shine through in these nine revealing stories. Dive into the stirring survival of the Leeds neighborhood as it transformed from a hub of black enterprise to Stadium Drive, and retrace the journey of gold and silver-laden wagons in Argentine.

See how patterns on old city maps reveal the legacy of segregation, experience the enduring message behind Norman Rockwell’s 'The Kansas City Spirit,' and face the crumbling mysteries of the Vine Street workhouse castle. Each story uncovers another layer of Kansas City’s evolving legacy and enduring grit.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

“The Kansas City Spirit,” painted in 1951 by Norman Rockwell (with John Atherton), is on display at the Hallmark Visitors Center. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 1: ‘THE KANSAS CITY SPIRIT’ IS AN ENTHRALLING GEM. IT’S A SHAME MORE PEOPLE DON’T SEE IT

The resolute colossus turns toward a rising sun, rolling up his sleeve, with blueprints in hand. You really need to see it in person. | Published May 5, 2024 | Read Full Story by Vahe Gregorian

The neighborhood along the Blue River known as Leeds was an industrial area with a rural feel whose Black population grew significantly in the early 20th Century. Today, Stadium Drive (connecting downtown to the Sports Complex) is what most people see of it. By Monty Davis

NO. 2: IT’S STADIUM DRIVE NOW. IT WAS ONCE THE MAIN STREET FOR THE HISTORIC LEEDS NEIGHBORHOOD

This neighborhood near the Blue River housed factories, flowers and Black homeowners. | Published June 5, 2024 | Read Full Story by Randy Mason

Argentine, which means “silvery” in Spanish,” sprang up on the south banks of the Kansas River in 1880, spurred by the Santa Fe Railroad’s decision to build train yards there. By Monty Davis

NO. 3: WAGONS LOADED WITH GOLD AND SILVER ONCE ROLLED DOWN THE STREETS OF THIS KCK NEIGHBORHOOD

One of the world’s largest smelting plants was the economic engine for this Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhood in the late 1800s. | Published June 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Randy Mason

Charles Hammer (wearing a dark suit coat), reported for the Star on a 1963 stand-in by Black patrons denied entrance in their own neighborhood to the Pete Karos Cafe at 3115 Prospect Ave.

NO. 4: BLACK AND WHITE PATTERNS: DOTS ON OLD CITY MAPS SHOW THE DAMAGE DEVELOPERS DID TO KC

J.C. Nichols wrote racial covenants into deeds that forbade sales to Black people and Jews, not just for the present but also into the limitless future. | Published June 26, 2024 | Read Full Story by Charles Hammer

William Jewell College in Liberty opened in 1849 on a hill in Liberty, Missouri. The Baptist-affiliated institution was one of the first colleges west of the Mississippi River. Jewell Hall, which harbored Union soldiers during the Civil War, was completed after the founder died during its construction. By Monty Davis

NO. 5: THIS KANSAS CITY AREA COLLEGE HAS SOME SURPRISING HISTORICAL TIES TO THE CIVIL WAR

This small college was originally planned for Booneville or Fulton, not the Kansas City area where it is now. | Published July 31, 2024 | Read Full Story by Randy Mason

The Kansas City Workhouse Castle was built 126 years ago to serve as a jail. By Monty Davis

NO. 6: THIS ICONIC STONE CASTLE SITS IN RUINS OFF KC’S VINE STREET. HERE’S WHAT IT USED TO BE

The ruins of this building are a familiar site to anyone who has visited Kansas City’s 18th and Vine Jazz District. | Published October 16, 2024 | Read Full Story by Randy Mason Monty Davis

In a scene from one of the old home movies discovered by Leawood film collector Joe Tomelleri, an unidentified woman poses with an elephant at a circus along with a radio from the Sterling Radio Corporation in 1929 in Kansas City.

NO. 7: SEE HOW THESE HOME MOVIES FROM ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO PROMOTED KC’S LATEST TECH GADGET

The new technology of home movies was used to promote another new technology that was blowing up on the scene in Kansas City in the 1920s. | Published January 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Randy Mason Monty Davis

The Kansas City skyline is seen from Penn Valley Park on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. By Emily Curiel

NO. 8: IS KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS OR MISSOURI? YES. WE EXPLAIN AHEAD OF ANOTHER CHIEFS SUPER BOWL

KC’s two-state geography isn’t particular intuitive for non-locals, so let’s take this chance to educate. | Published February 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Chandler Boese

Sarah Bader-King, executive director of the Wornall/Majors House Museums, descends into the cellar of the Majors House, located at 82nd and State Line Road. Up to 22 enslaved people resided at the house, which was built in 1856. Feb. 27, 2025. By Eleanor Nash

NO. 9: AT KANSAS CITY MUSEUM NAMED FOR SLAVE OWNER, STAFF MEMBERS SEARCH FOR LOST IDENTITIES

Up to 22 people were enslaved at the Alexander Majors House. Researchers found nine of their names. | Published March 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Eleanor Nash

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.