Do you consider Overland Park a suburb of KCMO or KCK? (Kansas City: apartment, condos)

[mom2my3boyz]

I grew up in JOCO. Anytime anyone from out of town asked, I just said I lived in a suburb of KC. No one ever asked any further questions. I find it a little odd to specify. People familiar with the area would know why.

[CrownVic95]

Originally Posted by mom2my3boyz

I grew up in JOCO. Anytime anyone from out of town asked, I just said I lived in a suburb of KC. No one ever asked any further questions. I find it a little odd to specify. People familiar with the area would know why.

Excellent point

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by mom2my3boyz

I grew up in JOCO. Anytime anyone from out of town asked, I just said I lived in a suburb of KC. No one ever asked any further questions. I find it a little odd to specify. People familiar with the area would know why.

I don't get it. Why would it be odd to specify?

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

Proof?

I believe the original city of Kansas City in Kansas was along James Street in the west bottoms and later extended westward, jumping the river, along Central Avenue, absorbing the community of Riverview. The original town where downtown KCK is now was Wyandotte City, which was actually centered to the northeast of current downtown KCK. Wyandotte City was larger than KCK at the time. And you're right that KCK, as it is today, was formed by the consolidation of several communities. Wyandot, the first Kansas City in KS, Armstrong, Armourdale, Quindaro, etc.

Wyandotte County, Part 1

"In October, 1872, Kansas City, Kan., was incorporated."

And in reference to Wyandotte's incorporation: "The town was created a city January 29, 1859, and the first election held in February, 1859. The population was then 1,259. When Wyandotte became a city, the town was $1,500 in debt, which was assumed by the municipal organization."

As for KCMO, this is from the city's website: Know Your City Government

"The town retained its name when it was incorporated and granted a charter by Jackson County on June 1, 1850. When it was incorporated by the state Feb. 22, 1853, the town became the City of Kansas and in 1889, it officially became known as Kansas City."

More, from the KCK's city website: Untitled Page

"Kansas City, Kansas is the third largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. The city was incorporated in 1886."

Anyway you put it, it looks like KCK first used the name "Kansas City", which I didn't know.

This map from 1885 sort of sums this up....

Redirect URL

But then this one from 1881....

Redirect URL

[kcmo]

Those are cool maps mokan, thanks for posting!

I guess the question is still out there as to who "coined" Kansas City first. I knew that the tiny KS portion of the west bottoms was nicknamed kansas city, but I still think that was well after kcmo had established the Kansas City (and town of ks) name.

Interestingly, the maps show Kansas City, MO as just Kansas City while KCK is called Kansas City, Kansas. Just like people and maps do it today.

I still think the Kansas City in the west bottoms was named after Kansas City, MO, much like many suburbs name themselves after a primary city. North KC, East St Louis, West Memphis etc.

And even though the west bottoms was where much of the city originated, everything was on the MO side (union station, hotels, business district etc). While the overflow to the KS side was far less intense (stockyard pens, services, industry etc.)

And when Wyandotte (by far the largest of the communities) consolidated, they chose Kansas City long after KCMO's use of the name was more than established and why they basically renamed Wyandotte County is debatable, but it's been said many times it was to play off of KCMO's image and success.

But who knows.

Still cool maps.

[pioneer88]

Very cool maps! That kind of stuff is right up my alley. In regards to what the map says. What I see in that particular map is a area of two main cities - Kansas City and Wyandotte. Of course Kansas City, MO is the hub of the metro today, but at the time the map was drawn I see quite a bit of balance in metro, much the same as today. So, maybe we haven't really changed all that much since the 1880s. Just today JOCO is moreheavily populated instead of Wyandotte. Either way, its still one KC area, always has been always will be. Our history is one, our identity while made of many parts is still one. Just because KCMO is in Missouri doesn't in my mind make it more similar to St. Louis than KCK. It's still one large city that grew along a common theme.

[Blue Earth]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Those are cool maps mokan, thanks for posting!

I guess the question is still out there as to who "coined" Kansas City first. I knew that the tiny KS portion of the west bottoms was nicknamed kansas city, but I still think that was well after kcmo had established the Kansas City (and town of ks) name.

If you read the links that MOKAN provided, as well as study the maps, you will see that that portion of Kansas City, Kansas in the west bottoms was not "nicknamed" Kansas City. Kansas City was the actual corporate name of the city.

Specifically, this:

The Kansas City (Kan.) Town Company was formed in 1868, by Silas Armstrong, David E. James, Dr. George B. Wood, Luther H. Wood, William Weir, Thomas Ewing, Jr., T. H. Swope and N. McAlpine.

The town site was situated upon parts of fractional Sections Nos. 10, 11 and 14, Town 11 south, of Range 25 east, lying north of the old bed of Turkey Creek, east of the Kansas River, south of the Missouri River, and bounded on the east by the State line between Missouri and Kansas and comprised the following named tracts, viz.: Two tracts of land belonging to George B. Wood; two tracts of land belonging to D. E James; one tract belonging jointly to George B. Wood and N. McAlpine, and the piece of land lying between the hands of Thomas Ewing on the south and and of D. E. James on the north, between Armstrong street and Kansas River. The site was surveyed by John McGee, C. E., April 24, 1869, and recorded with the Register of Deeds of Wyandotte County, May 3, 1869.

The streets were named after the original proprietors of the town. Mr. James erected the first dwelling house of any prominence, in 1870, at the south end of James street, near the railroad tracks. Soon followed the establishment of the large packing houses and stock yards, whose business forms the bulk of the city's trade. In October, 1872, Kansas City, Kan., was incorporated.

Source: Wyandotte County, Part 12

So, it was not a nickname. That portion of the west bottoms west of the state line was an actual city in Kansas officially named "Kansas City". I think that's the point that MOKAN was making. Kansas City, Missouri did not officially change its name to "Kansas City" until 1889. Until that point, it was officially known as either the "Town of Kansas" (from 1838 to 1850) or the "City of Kansas" (from 1850 to 1889). In other words, the official name of Kansas City, Missouri until 1889 was not "Kansas City, Missouri", but "Kansas, Missouri". Whereas the Kansas City that was west of the state line in the west bottoms in Kansas, was officially named "Kansas City".

Interestingly, the maps show Kansas City, MO as just Kansas City while KCK is called Kansas City, Kansas. Just like people and maps do it today.

The 1885 map shows Kansas City, Missouri as "City of Kansas", but it shows the west bottoms in Kansas as "Kansas City".

Link: Redirect URL

The 1881 map shows Kansas City, Missouri as "Kansas City", but it shows the west bottoms in Kansas as "Kansas City, Kansas".

Link: Redirect URL

What this indicates is that while Kansas City, Missouri at this time was officially named the "City of Kansas", it may have been informally referred to as "Kansas City", which is probably why they officially changed the name in 1889 to "Kansas City".

So what it boils down to is that Kansas City, Kansas was the first city to officially have the name "Kansas City", when they incorporated under that name in 1872. At that time, Kansas City, Missouri was officially named "Kansas, Missouri", even though it was probably informally referred to as "Kansas City, Missouri" (probably to avoid the confusion that would result from having a city sound like two state names put together). Kansas City, Missouri did not officially become "Kansas City" until 1889.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by kcmo

but it's been said many times it was to play off of KCMO's image and success.

Yeah ... you're the one who keeps saying it ... nothing to back it up with, but the more you say it, the more you seem to think it's true ...

Originally Posted by pioneer88

I see quite a bit of balance in metro, much the same as today. So, maybe we haven't really changed all that much since the 1880s. Just today JOCO is moreheavily populated instead of Wyandotte. Either way, its still one KC area, always has been always will be. Our history is one, our identity while made of many parts is still one. Just because KCMO is in Missouri doesn't in my mind make it more similar to St. Louis than KCK. It's still one large city that grew along a common theme.

agreed

Originally Posted by FreeStater

So what it boils down to is that Kansas City, Kansas was the first city to officially have the name "Kansas City", when they incorporated under that name in 1872. At that time, Kansas City, Missouri was officially named "Kansas, Missouri", even though it was probably informally referred to as "Kansas City, Missouri" (probably to avoid the confusion that would result from having a city sound like two state names put together). Kansas City, Missouri did not officially become "Kansas City" until 1889.

Makes sense

(I can't seem to rep anybody, so just have to agree this way )

[kcmo]

^ you just have to show up and pretty much be the typical....well never mind.

DestinationKC

There is one example. I have read it other places far more historic than Ingams, but don’t know where. Probably KC museum, or KC public Library or something. But maybe you can call them up and tell them they are making **** up too.

Freestater, my point was that it was a tiny "extension" of KCMO that spilled over into Kansas. Regardless of if was incorporated or not. This little "town" of Kansas City in Kansas was just industrial spillover. Did anybody even live there? I’m sure a few did, but it never really developed into anything.

It's still like that today, you can still see where the KS side of the West Bottoms was sort the leftovers from the MO side. Not much there. Why would they name a tiny collection of storage buildings and stock yards Kansas City for any other reason than to simply say it's an extension of the bigger Kansas City that is not in MO. IE, Kansas City, KS.

It really makes sense. Wyandotte City was a totally separate place and it was an actual "city" (with booming residential, retail, etc).

[MOKAN]

Wyandotte County, Part 1

According to this link, in 1880 "Wyandotte City" had 6,149 residents, while "Kansas City" (KS) had 3,200. While I haven't found a map that shows it, I believe the original Kansas City in Kansas had extended westward across the Kansas River along lower Central Avenue before the consolidation in 1886 and was more substantial than just the Kansas portion of the west bottoms.

KCK's population in 1890, after the consolidation, was 38,316. In 1890, KCMO's population was 132, 716. By 1900, KCK was 51,418 and KCMO 163,752.

Source: CENSUS BUREAU RETURNS. - Official Counts of the Populations of Pittsburg, Kansas City, and Other Places. - View Article - NYTimes.com

KCMO was always the much larger, central city. Although it appears KCK was once far more important and prosperous of a place. The lack of a diversified economy as well as urban school district problems really left KCK behind. Who coined "Kansas City" first is really just for fun, as I've seen the user KCMO mention it in the past.

The DestinationKC link reads as if KCMO could have written it himself and was certainly written by a Missourian. The "Unified Government" bit is a bit misleading though. I don't know why anybody would ever call KCK that. KCK, Bonner Springs, and Edwardsville are still fully independent cities. What changed was the city of KCK simply took on the county administrative duties. Wyandotte County is very small, there is no unincorprated land, and KCK takes up something like 90% of the total land.