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Westport, Kansas City, Missouri

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Coordinates: 39°3′12″N 94°35′31″W / 39.05333°N 94.59194°W / 39.05333; -94.59194
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Westport
Neighborhood
Wagon Trail Replica in Westport
Wagon Trail Replica in Westport
Coordinates: 39°3′12″N 94°35′31″W / 39.05333°N 94.59194°W / 39.05333; -94.59194
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
CountyJackson
Websitehttps://westportkcmo.com/

Westport is a historic neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Originally an independent town, it was annexed by Kansas City in 1897. It is one of Kansas City's main entertainment districts.

Westport has a lending library, a branch of the Kansas City Public Library.[1]

History

Westport at the time of Fremont's 1842 expedition
Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport features Alexander Majors, John Calvin McCoy, and Jim Bridger.
French heritage marker about the Santa Fe Trail placed by the Chouteau Society

Westport was first settled by Reverend Isaac McCoy and his family in 1831.[2] It was located approximately three miles due south of the present day location of downtown Kansas City, Missouri.[3] It was platted three years later, and formally incorporated in February 1857.[4] McCoy's son John Calvin McCoy is generally considered the "father of Kansas City" after he formally founded the town.[4][5] He had supplies landed at a rocky point on the Missouri River between Grand and Main streets, which became known as "Westport's Landing."[4] When the landing became popular, young McCoy and other residents banded together to form the "Town of Kansas" company to buy the land. Westport's Indian trade extended to the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

By 1850, Westport and Kansas City displaced Independence as an outfitting and starting point for traders, trappers, and emigrants heading west on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails. The town's greatest prosperity came between 1854 and 1860. During the Civil War, there were many skirmishes between pro- and anti-slavery groups in the area, and the Civil War's Battle of Westport was fought there in October 1864.[6] Unfortunately, after the war, trade fell off sharply and never recovered, and by 1899, Kansas City annexed Westport.[2]

The historic Nutterville area, east of Broadway Street, was developed by James B. Nutter Sr. who ensured that its old homes were adapted as business offices in order to restore them. The houses are colorfully painted and landscaped.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Locations". Kansas City Public Library. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b Crutchfield, Moulton, and Del Bene (2015), p. 499.
  3. ^ Alley (2012) p. 9.
  4. ^ a b c Little & Olinskey (2013), p. 18.
  5. ^ Garraghan (1920), p. 13, note 9.
  6. ^ Kirkman (2011).

Bibliography

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