Kelly's Westport Inn is a famous drinking establishment in Westport

Westport, Kansas City

Westport is a historic neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Originally its own town, it was annexed by Kansas City in 1897. Today, it is one of Kansas City's main entertainment districts.-Background:...

, Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

, constructed around 1850.

History

The grandson of Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...

, Albert Gallatin Boone http://kansasboguslegislature.org/mo/boone_a_g.html, operated a grocery there for a time. While some people believe that for a time, a tunnel running south connecting to a stable was part of the Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...

http://www.sfdnet.com/rus/story.asp?StoryID=8 helping slaves escape to the North and that the tunnel still exists, running under the street to the stable, which is now also a drinking establishment called the Dark Horse Tavern, Kyle Kelly (one of the Kelly brothers who own the establishment) himself says, "There are many tales of our old building and this is one of the more common ones. I do not believe that there ever was a tunnel from Kelly's to any neighbor, but there certainly could have been. Our basement is 'interesting' and may cause someone to believe it was a former tunnel because the basement under the front part of the building resembles a tunnel."

Sometime around 1900, the Wiedenmann family operated a grocery there, which catered to Kansas City's elite. With the repeal of Prohibition

Prohibition in the United States

Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...

, Phil Taggart rented the building and opened a saloon named the Wresters Inn. A few years later, Randal Kelly, born in County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, became a bartender. He soon became a partner. The bar became a popular attraction, particularly during Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...

, and continues to be a well loved destination.

In 1996, Kansas City native Eddie Griffin

Eddie Griffin

Edward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...

 used Kelly's as the inspiration for the setting of his sitcom Malcolm & Eddie

Malcolm & Eddie

Malcolm & Eddie is an American television sitcom that premiered August 26, 1996 on the UPN Network, and ran for four seasons. This series starred Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin in the lead roles. This show was canceled after its fourth season, and aired its final episode on May 22, 2000...

, starring himself and Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Malcolm-Jamal Warner is an American television actor, film director, and musician. He is best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Additionally, he appeared as Malcolm McGee on the UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie. He is currently starring as Dr...

.http://imdb.com/title/tt0115259/plotsummary