Mud Flood. Kansas City. Missouri. 1860's. Receipts.

COVER PHOTO
Corner of Delaware and Fourth, looking south from Third, in the 1860's. In a photograph of this collection dated 1867, clay banks have been removed, streets paved, and buildings added to the right.
Gift of Mrs. Arthur T. Brink

Howdy ya’ll. Today we’re going to look at some astounding photographs of Kansas City, Missouri taken between the years 1860 and 1899. This collection of 150 images, all highly detailed, and most never before seen, appear to identify Kansas City as a location which bore the brunt of weather events in the 1800’s. We see a “renovation” process occurring in the mid 1800’s during the time of the first photographs (which we will look at today).

This renovation clearly shows that in some (most) locations of Kansas City, the initial ground level had jumped by anywhere from 10 to 20 feet. We then see buildings with infrastructures appearing to go deep inside the landscape. We also see “bluffs”, and I’d be bluffing if the entirety of these bluffs didn’t appear to me to be indigenous in nature; as if one larger earthwork or superstructure.

In the narrative we’re told these locations photographed are simply layers of construction, yet the historical timeline of Kansas City indicates this whole flood of mud would have occurred almost overnight, as the city developed mainly from the 1840’s onward, with our photographs beginning shortly after that. So what can you see in these images?

To me they are some of the most detailed and clear evidence of a much larger operation that was being used in major cities all around the country; that is, to highlight the previous attributes of the landscape, and build on top of them, rewriting the history in the process. So let’s get right into; 150 of the oldest photographs of Kansas City ever taken. I really want to hear your thoughts and ideas on this one down below, & enjoy!

SOURCE
Jarid Boosters

THE NARRATIVE
The floods that affected Kansas City, Missouri around the 1860s were part of the city's early history of dealing with the challenges posed by the Missouri River. The region experienced significant flooding as early as 1826, which led to the relocation of the Chouteau fur-trading agency to higher ground.

By the time the Town of Kansas was formed in the 1850s, it had already faced one of the greatest floods on record. This flood washed away warehouses and led to the death by disease of scores of Wyandotte Indians who had been relocated to nearby bottomlands. The impact of this flood was profound, as it prompted Missouri River shippers and Santa Fe trail traders to favor the rocky landing at Kansas City's riverfront over the muddy landing at Independence.

As Kansas City continued to grow, it did so with the awareness of the flood risks. After the railroad arrived in the 1860s and the Missouri River was bridged, the West Bottoms area, along with bottomlands on the Kansas side, saw a boom in development with rail yards, stockyards, meatpacking operations, and other businesses. Despite the known risks, the city's expansion into the lowlands reflected a resilience and determination to thrive even in the face of natural disasters.

The historical record indicates that while there were floods before and after the 1860s, the specific details about floods during that decade are not as well documented. However, the pattern of flooding and its impact on the development of Kansas City is a testament to the city's ability to adapt and recover from these natural events.

SOURCE
Open AI