This KC street lined with banks kickstarted the growth of a young cowtown

The Kansas City downtown we know now began creeping up from the Missouri River banks in the late 1800s. Commercial activity along Main Street spurred the growth of Petticoat Lane (11th Street) and the retail race was on.

But the stretch of 10th Street from Baltimore Avenue east to Walnut Street that’s pictured in this postcard may have been as important as any in kickstarting the young city’s growth.

Banker’s Row, as it came to be called, was living proof of Kansas City’s economic potential. Acknowledgment that this centrally located cowtown was truly a gateway to the western U.S., and a great place to make money.

First National Bank, with its massive columns out front, opened in 1906, shortly before this postcard was published. The New England National Bank soon followed suit across the street. Within a few years, six more financial institutions, including Commerce Bank, set up shop within a few blocks.

And in 1914, the Federal Reserve opened one of its twelve regional banks on Grand Avenue.

Though it’s not apparent in this view, the 8-story Victor Building directly east of First National, was so slim that it was often referred to as the Toothpick Building. The Valarius Restaurant on its ground floor was a favorite gathering place for the city’s movers and shakers.

Also worth noting is the large storefront on the corner where 10th Street took a small jog. At one point, 1001 Main housed The Owl Drug Store, part of a national pharmacy chain with four Kansas City locations.

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