Kansas City, or KC to us locals, is the largest city in Missouri. It has one of the most affordable housing markets in the country and is home to over 2 million people. Most recently, Downtown Kansas City was selected as one of America’s Best downtowns by Forbes magazine.
The award was for the city’s rich culture, investment in art, the fountains, great shopping and of course, our food.
The first documented visitor to the area was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, a French commander who deserted his post at Fort Detroit. He settled in the area with a Native American wife and explored all around Missouri.
He wrote “Exact Description of Louisiana, of Its Harbors, Lands and Rivers, and Names of the Indian Tribes That Occupy It, and the Commerce and Advantages to Be Derived Therefrom for the Establishment of a Colony,” which restored his status with the French authorities in 1713.
Lewis and Clark were the next explorers to visit the area in 1804. They camped at the joining of the Kansas and Missouri rivers and mapped the area as “a nice place for a fort.”
Then, in 1809, Louis Bertholet settled what is now the modern KC by building a cabin on the site near where Minnesota Avenue and Fifth Street now stand. More French settlers followed, meaning French was the official language of the town for a while.
Other European settlers came to the area to farm, trap, hunt and sell furs. One such was René Auguste Chouteau, who built a trading post by the river. He called the post, “The Village of the Kansas” and stayed for a number of years before moving upstream.
The town of Kansas officially came into being in 1839, a year after Chouteau and others founded the “Town of Kansas Trading Company.”
As a burgeoning, modern city, there is always something to do here. The history of the city, along with the mixture of cultures and variety of inhabitants make it a vibrant, interesting place to work and play.
Kansas City plays host to many art and cultural venues, including: Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Starlight Theatre and the Theater of Kansas City.
Music plays a big part in our lives and there are plenty of venues within which to enjoy it. They include: The Kansas City Symphony, The Kansas City Chorale, Wunderbar at Grunauer, Danny’s Big Easy and many more.
KC has a rich and important history, having played quite a part in the Civil War. We take our past seriously and there are a number of cultural and historical sights to see. They include: Nelson – Atkins Museum of Art, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, the Liberty Memorial and the National WW1 Museum.