History

Electric Park.

curiousKC: A Brief, Entertaining, History of the East Bottoms

By | May 4, 2020

curiousKC explores the vibrant history of Kansas City’s East Bottoms, highlighted by a famous brewery and an amusement park.

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Strang Depot (1930s)

Securing the Cornerstone of the Johnson County Land Boom

By | April 15, 2020

The Overland Park Historical Society is moving into arguably the most historic building in Overland Park – the 1906 depot built by railroad entrepreneur William Strang, Jr.

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Winners of Kansas Fittest Family Contest 1923

The Gene: A Brief History of Eugenics in the Heartland

By | April 8, 2020

In conjunction with Ken Burns’ latest documentary, “The Gene: An Intimate History,” Kansas City PBS is exploring local connections to genetic science and some ethical questions raised by exploration of the human genome.

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Nurses at the University of Kansas Medical Center demonstrated the use of a tank respirator, or “iron lung,” for polio patients in 1950.

Age of Coronavirus: KC’s Role in Winning the War on Polio

By | March 31, 2020

Kansas City played an underappreciated role in conquering polio, a public health scourge with some similarities with the current COVID-19 outbreak.

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A postcard aerial view of Fairyland Park.

curiousKC: Winning Access to Fairyland Park

By | March 9, 2020

Kansas City’s Fairyland Park was a focus of civil rights activists before voters approved a public accommodations ordinance in 1964.

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