(-- removed HTML --) The History of Kansas City (-- removed HTML --)
The first European known to visit the area around what is now Kansas City arrived around 1712. His name was Etienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, and he was a former commander of Fort Detroit who was fleeing French authorities after deserting his post. In an effort to regain his standing, he wrote two books about the area that were published in …show more content…
At the time, the population consisted primarily of several Native American tribes and a small number of French fur traders. The first permanent settlement on the site was a French trading post established in 1821 and called "the village of the Kansa."
After Missouri was admitted to the Union in 1821, American farmers, trappers, traders and scout began arriving in Jackson County. One of the earliest of these settlers was Moses Grinter, who arrived in 1831 and established a ferry service on the Kansas River. Two years later, the man nicknamed the "father of Kansas City," John Calvin McCoy, established a trading post that he named "West Port." Goods for the trading post arrived by boat at a landing near what is now Main Street.
In 1838, local investors purchased 271 acres from a farmer and named the area the Town of Kansas. The town was formally incorporated by Jackson County in 1850, which is traditionally considered the city's founding date. At the time, there were approximately 1,500 people living in the town. Three years later, Missouri rechristened the town to the City of Kansas and formally incorporated it as such. The city had a population estimated at 2,500 and covered an area of less than a square …show more content…
The major trails to the west passed through the area, and the city was the last place for travelers to purchase supplies before beginning their long, arduous journeys. However, rail travel began to become increasingly important following the Civil War. When the city was selected as the site for a railway bridge the Missouri River in 1869, the population boomed. In 1889, the name was officially changed to Kansas City, and by 1890, the population had increased to almost 133,000 people.
Over the years, Kansas City expanded its area through annexation, while a diverse and thriving economy attracted more residents. By 1970, the population of Kansas City peaked at more than 507,000 people. The next two decades saw a drop in population; the population fell to 435,146 in 1990, the lowest point since the 1940s. However, the population rebounded to 441,545 in 2000 and reached 459,787 in 2010.
(-- removed HTML --) Paving in Kansas City (-- removed HTML