Reprint of folded map of the West Bottoms area of Kansas City, MO in 1895, including stockyards, packing and wholesale houses, drawn by Augustus Koch. The West Bottoms area where the Missouri and Kansas Rivers merge had been written about in 1804 in Captain William Clark's journals: "the countrey about the mouth of this river is verry fine." He noted that the area teemed with elk, deer, buffalo, bear and the now extinct Carolina parakeet. The West Bottoms area was then used to outfit the many travelers setting out on the Oregon and Santa Fe trails. The biggest outfitter in the area was the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company, but with the decline of the Pony Express, the company went out of business. Its facilities went on to become the Kansas City Stockyards. Since the 1870s, the Kansas City Stockyards boomed because of its central location in the country and its close proximity to trains. The Pendergast era began in 1890. Under city bosses James and Tom Pendergast, Kansas City was considered immune from the national prohibition, and as a result, Kansas City enjoyed a development burst that included the Country Club Plaza, Country Club District, Kansas City Boulevard, and Ward Parkway. All projects used Pendergast Readi-Mix concrete. These "wide open days" of considerable violence and corruption, continued until 1940 when Pendergast was convicted of income tax evasion. The Kansas City Stockyards were destroyed in the Great Flood of 1951. They have never fully recovered.
The map features clearly labeled street names with lively scenes of railroad, carriage and pedestrian traffic. It features a detailed inset illustration of Reid Bro's. Pkg. Co Ltd.
Complete reference list below.
Features numbered & lettered references to the following locations:
0-12. Advance Thresher Co.
a-13. C. A. Brockett Cement Co. and Warehouse Office No. 800, Delaware St.
J-29. Jacob Dold Packing Co.
K-27. Abernathy Furniture Co.
L-10. Avery Planter Co.
L to Q-39 to 48. Armour Packing Co.
L-24. Riley, Wilson & Co. Wholesale Grocers.
O to J-6 to 10. Union Depot (Passenger).
L-11. Creamery Package Mf'g Co.
L-19. J. G. Peppard, Seed House.
F-21. Missouri & Kansas Dairy Assn.
G-16. The Beaham Mfg. Co.
R-9. Nichols & Shepard Co. Threshing Machinery.
L-22. F. W. Biggs & Co. Hides, Wool & Tallow.
L-22. Arthur, G. W. Koch Butchers & Packers Tool & Supplies.
R-28. A. Steinhorst & Co. Pickles, Vinegar, Kraut, Preserves.
0-29. Jos. Schlitz Brg Co. Milwaukee Lager Beer Depot.
E-9. New Albany Hotel, Geo. E. Green, Prop.
L-14. Glasner & Barzen, Wholesale Liquors, Sole Agents for Dick Bros. Quincy Brg Co.
G-10. Blossom House, Fred S. Doggett Prop.
G-8. Union Depot Hotel, Fred S. Doggett Prop.
M-7. Freight Office Of the C. M. & St. P. Railway.
G-1. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Freight Depot.
M-15. Eagle Manufacturing Company.
H-14. Long Bros. Wholesale Grocers.
J-13. Woodward, Faxon & Co. Wholesale Druggists.
Q-9. Keystone Manufacturing Co.
Q-8. Buford & George Manufacturing Co.
P-11. McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.
P-10. Rock Island Implement Co.
& 20. Stock Yards Exchange Building.
X-16. Missouri Pacific Freight Depot.
L-17 & 18. Richards & Conover Hardware Co.
L-17. Station "A" Post Office.