The Life and Times of “Wild Bill” Hickok in the Kansas City Area
Before he was known as “Wild Bill,” famed frontiersman and gunfighter James Butler Hickok spent three formative years as a young man in the Kansas City area – a period of his life little known to the public. Years later he would return as a national media star and living legend.
Men of No Reputation: Robert Boatright, the Buckfoot Gang, and the Fleecing of Middle America
Although little remembered today, Robert Boatright was one of the greatest con men of the early 20th century. With the assistance of a confederacy of crooks known as the Buckfoot Gang, he preyed upon the Midwest gentry and fixed athletic contests in the turn-of-the-century Ozarks.
Floods, Fires, and Buried Trains: Immigrant Stories of the Historic West Bottoms
The bustling, often chaotic, West Bottoms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries attracted dreamers of every stripe. Immigrants to Kansas City arrived by trains and horse-drawn conveyances seeking a better life in the fetid air perfumed by the stench of manure, burnt coal, and stale beer from nearby packing houses and saloons.
BALLOT THEFT: BURGLARY, MURDER, COVERUP – Blue Springs South
Gary Jenkins tells the story of how President Harry Truman asked James Pendergast to stop local Fifth District congressman Roger Slaughter from being reelected. The Kansas City Mob rigged the election. When their machinations were discovered, the mob blew a safe, stole the evidence, and then committed murder to cover up their actions.
Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup – Midwest Genealogy Center
Gary Jenkins tells the story of how President Harry Truman asked James Pendergast to stop local Fifth District congressman Roger Slaughter from being reelected. The Kansas City Mob rigged the election. When their machinations were discovered, the mob blew a safe, stole the evidence, and then committed murder to cover up their actions.
FUN ON THE BLUFF
Ready to make memories for the whole family? Join us for music, food, storytelling, games and crafts from the past. Take in the views of the Missouri River from the bluffs of this National Landmark, and explore life on the wild frontier of the early 1800s!
Abandoned Midwest (Hybrid)
Across the heartland, abandoned and forgotten towns hold relics of lives, dreams, and businesses. Photographer Regina Daniel shares reminders of the past through stories and photos of Midwestern ghost towns.
Rollin’ Down the River: Exploring the Mighty Missouri – Midwest Genealogy Center
In 2016, Larry Campbell spent seven weeks following the Missouri River by car from its (official) source in Three Forks, MT to where it empties into the Mississippi River near St. Louis. Pictures, stories, history, scenery, and people – all are built into this armchair-traveler presentation.
Rollin’ Down the River: Exploring the Mighty Missouri – Blue Springs South
In 2016, Larry Campbell spent seven weeks following the Missouri River by car from its (official) source in Three Forks, MT to where it empties into the Mississippi River near St. Louis. Pictures, stories, history, scenery, and people – all are built into this armchair-traveler presentation.
Rollin’ Down the River: Exploring the Mighty Missouri – Woodneath Library Center
In 2016, Larry Campbell spent seven weeks following the Missouri River by car from its (official) source in Three Forks, MT to where it empties into the Mississippi River near St. Louis. Pictures, stories, history, scenery, and people – all are built into this armchair-traveler presentation.