Kansas City's West Bottoms Historic District

 

West Bottoms-North Historic District (N39^o6’10” W94^o36’15”) consists of 29 buildings dating to 1880. The buildings are brick, from one to seven stories. This area became a hub of activity after the completion of the Hannibal Bridge in 1869, which funneled railroad traffic to the floodplain at the junction of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. The district reflects the growth of Kansas City as a manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution center in the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Kansas City began as a hub for wholesale and warehousing since it was an outfitter for the western trails. It continued in these roles as a railroad hub. The area was devastated by, but recovered from, disastrous floods in 1903 and 1951. Some of the companies locating the district were:

West 9^th Street buildings in the historic district:

·        -- Kemper-Paxton Mercantile Company, 1427 West 9^th Street, dating to 1901

·         --Abernathy Furniture Company, 1501-1523 West 9^th Street, 910-912 Liberty Street, and 915-925 Wyoming Street, dating to between 1880 and 1917, now the West Bottoms Flats

St. Louis Avenue buildings in the historic district:

·         --Fire Insurance Patrol No. 2, 1310 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1890

·         --Police Station No. 2, 1312 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1901

·         --Samuel Freeman Livery, 1316 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1880

·         --Seavey and Florsheim, 1317 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1902

·         --Multi-tenant building, 1321 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1909

·         --Bliss Syrup and Preserving Company, 1329 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1897, now Rangel Distributing

·         --Sherwin-Williams Paint Company, 1400 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1903, now Dynatron Elevator, Inc.

·         --Swift and Company, 1401 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1888

·         --1404 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1967

·         --Security Building, 1405 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1909, now occupied by Cook Brothers Insulation

·         --McManus-Heryer Brokerage, 1408 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1922

·         --Biggs and Koch Company, 1415 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1885, now occupied by Cook Brothers Insulation

·         --Newby Transfer and Storage, 1422 St. Louis Avenue, dating to1900

·         --Trumbull and Company, 1426 St. Louis Avenue and 925 Liberty Street, dating to 1899

·         --Ryley, Wilson and Company, a Romanesque Revival grocery warehouse, 1502 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1887

·         --Bayles Vehicle Top and Trimming Company, 1522 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1903, now operating as the Wood Lot

·         --Hogue Mercantile Company, 1600 St. Louis Avenue, dating to 1930

Union Avenue buildings in the historic district:

·         --J.G. Peppard Seed Company, 1400 Union Avenue, dating to 1889, now Doc’s Caboose

·         --Geiser Manufacturing, 1408 Union Avenue, dating to 1900

Wyoming Street buildings in the historic district:

·       --Imperial Casket Company, 920 Wyoming Street, dating to 1928, now TRX Great Lakes

·         --Bemis Brothers Bag Company, 921 and 937 Wyoming Street, dating from 1904 and 1920, respectively

·         --Dehoney Hay and Grain Company, 938 Wyoming Street, dating to 1913

The Riverfront Heritage Trail passes by the north side of the district on Forrester Road.

Ridenour-Baker Grocery Company, 933 Mulberry Street, bounded by Mulberry Street, St. Louis Avenue, Santa Fe Street, and Union Avenue in the West Bottoms (N39^o6’10” W94^o35’56”), is separately listed on the NRHP and is adjacent to the historic district; it dates to 1910. The building was a commercial office and warehouse property and was an early example of reinforced concrete construction. The company was a wholesale distribution business that operated in the West Bottoms beginning in 1858 and continuing until 1936. In addition to wholesaling, the company also manufactured and packaged coffee, spices and peanuts. It sold products under the label FFOG, for First Fruit of the Garden.

Just to the south on Mulberry, C.A. Murdock Manufacturing Company Building, 1225 Union Avenue at Mulberry (N39^o6’8” W94^o35’58”), dates to 1887. The building is significant for its contribution to the expansion of the railroad freighting industry in Kansas City. The Romanesque Revival building was built for a company that manufactured and distributed coffee, tea, and spices. Due to a sprinkler system, it was the only building in the vicinity to survive a devastating 1918 fire. It operates today as the Murdock Lofts. To the east of the Murdock building was the site of Union Depot. A historic marker on Union Avenue near Forrester Road describes the trail station, which opened in 1878 and connected the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroads. It was the largest building west of New York at the time it opened; it featured a clock tower 125 feet high. Over 180 trains per day arrived. It was nearly destroyed with the 1903 flood; it was replaced in 1914 with present-day Union Station on Pershing Road.

Faultless Starch Company Building, 1025 West 8^th Street between Madison and Santa Fe Streets in the West Bottoms (N39^o6’19” W94^o35’44”), dates to 1903 and is separately listed on the National Register. The company still operates at the building today. Faultless Starch Company grew to be one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of dry white starch. The company was helped in its marketing by attaching primers for learning to read to its products in Texas and by hiring Huey P. Long as a salesman in the Southeastern States. This was prior to his more famous career as governor of Louisiana.

Sewell Paint and Glass Company Building, 1009 West 8^th Street between Santa Fe Street and Madison Avenue in the West Bottoms (N39^o6’20” W94^o35’43”), dates to 1903 and is separately listed on the National Register. The 5-story brick building with Romanesque Revival features was the home of one of the major manufacturers and distributors of industrial paints, varnishes, and lacquers in the early 20^th century. Today it is the Faultless Event Space.