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Six stories uncover the legacy behind Kansas City icons

Stories by Kansas City Star journalists, with AI summarization

Kansas City’s history comes alive through its iconic landmarks and stories of resilience. A monument in Penn Valley Park honors Charles Carroll Spalding, whose 1855 map helped shape the city but whose legacy is complicated by his views. The Plaza’s terracotta warriors, gifts from Xi’an, have faced repeated vandalism but still greet visitors along Brush Creek.

Carrie Westlake, the city’s first librarian, broke barriers at the Kansas City Public Library in a time when leadership was reserved “for a man.” Even everyday sites like the Mary Williams-Neal Community Center Pool reflect KC’s ongoing story, with recent repairs and a new slide opening for the community.

The Charles Carroll Spalding memorial in Penn Valley Park.

NO. 1: HOW A ‘BORDER RUFFIAN’ WHO SUPPORTED SLAVERY GOT A MONUMENT HONORING HIM IN A KC PARK

A reader asked about the history behind a memorial to Charles Carroll Spalding in Penn Valley Park. We unearthed the complicated story behind Kansas City’s first historian. | Published May 22, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michael Wells

Two bronze castings of Chinese terracotta warriors stand just off the Country Club Plaza. A gift from Kansas City’s sister city of Xi’an, the statues were vandalized multiple times in their first year in Missouri. June 11, 2024. By Eleanor Nash

NO. 2: THESE KC WARRIORS HAVE SURVIVED 3 DECAPITATIONS. LEARN THE HISTORY OF THE PLAZA STATUES

A Star reader asked about these gifts from a sister city. Turns out, they had a rough first year in Kansas City. | Published June 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Eleanor Nash

The water at the Mary Williams-Neal Community Center pool turned green. A Kansas City Parks and Recreation representative said damage to the pool’s pump and motor caused the color change. June 25, 2024. By Eleanor Nash

NO. 3: THIS KC COMMUNITY POOL CLOSED AFTER TURNING BRIGHT GREEN. HERE’S WHY & WHEN IT’LL REOPEN

The pool water was the same color as the frog-shaped kiddie slide: bright green. | Published June 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Eleanor Nash

Carrie Westlake Whitney attends the 1901 ALA Conference in Waukesha, Wisconsin

NO. 4: SHE WAS KC’S GROUND-BREAKING LIBRARIAN. THEN SHE WAS TOLD HER JOB WAS ‘FOR A MAN’

At the turn of the 20th century, American libraries looked to Kansas City for guidance, largely due to “one little woman and her big ideas, Carrie Westlake Whitney.”  | Published November 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Abbey Briscoe

The University of Kansas Health System and University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 5: THESE ARE THE BEST KANSAS CITY AREA COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN 2025, FORBES SAYS

Forbes surveyed 217,000 workers for this list. | Published February 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Eleanor Nash

Kala Elliott of Paola, Kansas, looked on as her daughter, Bria Elliott, 3, investigated the water feature in a display garden during a visit to Family Tree Nursery’s Spring Open House Event on March 15, 2024, in Overland Park, where the garden center was celebrating its 60th anniversary celebration. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 6: THIS KANSAS CITY SUBURB WAS NAMED ONE OF THE HAPPIEST CITIES IN THE U.S. HERE’S WHY

The 2025 study looked at factors like the emotional and physical well-being of city residents. | Published March 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Eleanor Nash

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