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Kansas City: Excitment Flows in the City of Fountains
Okay, first things first . . . you gotta know how to talk like a local.
If you mean Kansas City, Kansas . . . it's “KCK”. If you're talking about Kansas City, Missouri, you say: “KCMO (KC-moe).” We're focusing on the later, Kansas City, MO — a great “Federal” city. Despite what the famous comedian Groucho Marx once said about the place (“It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy”) KCMO is a great place to work, live and visit. This year, it was recognized along with nine other metropolitan areas as an “ All-American City, one of the most prestigious community recognition awards around. The city is just like the music and food it's famous for: sizzling and very friendly!
Officially, Kansas City was established in 1853 by a group of investors who recognized its significant role in westward expansion. It was an early hub of innovation. Hannibal Bridge, for example, built in 1869 as the first bridge over the Missouri river, established the use of many key techniques later used in dozens of other bridges. The Hannibal, still in use today, was one of the few surviving structures of the Great Flood of 1903. KCMO is also the home of many “civic” firsts—including the first public welfare board—the Board of Pardons and Paroles, which served as a model for bigger cities in years to come. In 1974 Kansas City had the first-of-its-kind City Action Center, where residents could call in and address any issues or complaints about city services and expect prompt responses. Today, many major cities have developed “311 call centers” based on this early approach.
Two innovations however stand above others in cultural and gastronomical importance: From the roaring ‘20s to the early ‘40s, jazz—with a unique swing sound--reigned in Kansas City. This rich jazz legacy flourished during Prohibition when political boss Tom Pendergast allowed alcohol to flow freely in the city. The city's own Count Basie is credited for taking the KC style of jazz to a national and international audience. Today, live jazz can be heard regularly at more than 20 area nightclubs. And you can learn more about it at the recently opened American Jazz Museum ( www. americanjazzmuseum .org) . Well worth the trip.
And then there is Kansas City barbecue, which gained popularity in the area in the 1920s and hasn't slowed down since. The KC secret: meat is slow smoked for up to 18 hours, usually over hickory. Today, the city's signature food is served up at more than 100 barbecue establishments, each boasting its personal house specialty. Trying to discover ( www.visitkc.com ) the best is a delicious adventure.
Some other “musts” . . . The ultra hip Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art ( www.kemperart.org ) has become a leader among modern and contemporary art museums in America . The Museum's permanent collection includes works by such renowned artists as Dale Chihuly, Petah Coyne, Morris Louis, Georgia O'Keeffe, Fairfield Porter, Jaume Plensa, Matthew Ritchie, Wayne Thiebaud, and Andy Warhol. It's the place tfor cool young Feds to see and be seen . . . and to eat (the resurant is fabulous!) Admission and parking are also fabulous—free!
Recently designated by the Federal government as America 's National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum ( http://www.nlbm.com ) (part of the Museums on 18th & Vine complex, where the American Jazz Museum is located), this facility recreates the look, sounds and feel of the game's storied past. Video presentations and memorabilia in the 10,000 square-foot multimedia exhibit chronicle the history and heroes of the leagues from their origin after the Civil War to their demise in the 1960s. As the centerpiece of the museum the Coors Field of Legends features 10 life-sized bronze sculptures of Negro Leagues greats positioned on a mock baseball diamond as if they were playing a game. (And if you can't get to the NLBM, it may be able to come to you! A "mobile museum" is touring 25 Major League Baseball Parks in U.S. cities through 2007.)
Kansas City is also known for its fountains, and for good reason. The Humane Society built Kansas City 's first fountains in the late 1800s to provide clean drinking water for horses and dogs. Today, the city is home to more than 200 fountains—more than any other city in the world except maybe Rome . Some of special interest to young Feds:
The Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain in front of Union Station is the highest shooting fountain in the city. Holding up to 85,000 gallons of water, it pumps up to 9,225 gallons of water per minute and its 232 small jets and nozzles can shoot water up to 120 feet into the air. It was a gift of the H&R Block Foundation to the people of Kansas City . A favorite of IRS employees!
The Firefighters Fountain, completed in 1991, is a great example. It is one of the largest fountains in the city, with an 80-foot diameter basin holding 76,000 gallons of water. It features a memorial terrace with the names of the city's fallen firefighters carved in granite.
The Vietnam Veteran's memorial was dedicated in 1986 to all Vietnam veterans, with a special salute to veterans from the Kansas City area. It includes a memorial wall with the names of 336 area veterans killed or missing in action. Located on the east side of Broadway Boulevard, just south of Westport, the memorial includes a series of reflecting pools and fountains.
And finally, you've got to stop at where the buck stopped! Just 35-minutes from the Kansas City International Airport, in Independence, MO is the Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library (www.trumanlibrary.org) . One of 11 U.S. Presidential Libraries in the United States, the museum features two interactive exhibits on the Truman Presidency and his life and times. There is a replica of Truman's White House Oval Office and more than 30,000 objects are on display, including gifts to President and Mrs. Truman from foreign heads of state; gifts to the Trumans from private citizens; personal possessions of the Truman family; political memorabilia relating to the Truman Presidency and to the American Presidency in general; and objects associated with the historical events of Truman's career, and particularly with his Presidency. The museum is also known for staging fascinating special exhibitions.
