The Story of Sarah Rector - "The Richest Black Girl in America" If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 This photo is often identified as Sarah Rector, though her descendants have disputed that attribution. Sarah Rector was born on March 3, 1902, near the all-black town of Taft in Indian Territory, which would later become part of Oklahoma. Her parents, Rose and Joseph Rector, were Black descendants of...
13 days ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! I'm giving away a free Arrowhead poster! Details below. The Story of Union Station If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 Kansas City’s Union Station opened on October 30, 1914, marking a new chapter in the city’s transformation from frontier town to major transportation hub. Designed by Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt, the Beaux-Arts masterpiece reflected the ideals of the City Beautiful...
20 days ago • 3 min read
The Story of the Haunted Elms Hotel If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 The Elms Hotel. Courtesy: Frank Lauder Collection / Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, has been a landmark of the town’s history for more than a century. Its origins trace back to the late 1880s, when Excelsior Springs became famous for...
27 days ago • 3 min read
The Story of the Haunted Odd Fellows Home (Liberty, MO) If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 The Odd Fellows Home, now known as Belvoir Winery, has a rich yet eerie history that dates back to the early 20th century. Established by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) on a 240-acre farm in Liberty, Missouri, the complex was designed to care for members of the fraternity, as well as their...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
The Story of Nabisco in the KC Crossroads If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 In September 1911, the Crossroads were forever changed when a grand celebration was held for the opening of Nabisco's (National Biscuit Company) newest and most advanced baking facility. Nabisco's grand opening in KC was met with a flurry of fanfare, drawing in guests from across the country. This seven-story, 200,000...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
The Story of UMKC If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 The University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) traces its origins to October 1, 1933, when nearly 2,000 Kansas Citians gathered along Brush Creek to celebrate the opening of the University of Kansas City (UKC). Its founders envisioned an institution that would make higher education accessible to local students unable to travel far from home. The...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The Story of the Bobby Greenlease's Kidnapping If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 Bobby Greenlease. Courtesy Kansas City Star On the morning of September 28, 1953, a woman arrived at the French Institute of Notre Dame de Sion in Kansas City, Missouri, and told a nun she was the aunt of six-year-old student Robert “Bobby” Greenlease. Claiming Bobby’s mother had suffered a heart attack, the...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
The Story of the 1977 Plaza Flood If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 Aftermath of the 1977 Plaza Flood. Kansas City Star The 1977 Plaza Flood remains one of Kansas City's most devastating natural disasters. On September 12 and 13 of that year, over 16 inches of rainfall overwhelmed the Brush Creek drainage basin, causing flash floods that swept through the Country Club Plaza and surrounding areas....
2 months ago • 2 min read
The Story of Hiring Andy Reid If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe (it's free!) Read this story online | Sponsor this newsletter | Shop 📸 In early January 2013, the Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid found each other at pivotal moments. The Chiefs were a broken franchise after a 2–14 season, shaken not only by losses but by tragedy within the organization. Reid had just been dismissed after 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles and was grappling with both a losing season...
3 months ago • 2 min read
