Westport, Kansas City
Encyclopedia
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.
and his family in 1831, along the Missouri River
. It was plat
ted three years later, and formally incorporated in February 1857. Isaac's son John Calvin McCoy
is generally considered the "father of Kansas City" after he formally founded the town and then got his supplies from a rocky point on the Missouri River between Grand and Main Street that became known as "Westport's Landing." When the landing became popular young McCoy and other residents banded together to form the "Town of Kansas" company to buy the land. Westport's Indian trade extended to the Great Plains and Rocky
Mountains. By 1850 Westport, together with Kansas City, displaced Independence, Missouri
as an outfitting and starting point for traders, trappers, and emigrants heading west on the Santa Fe Trail
and Oregon Trail
. The town's greatest prosperity came 1854 to 1860. During the Civil War
, there were many skirmishes between pro- and anti-slavery groups in the area, and the Civil War's
Battle of Westport
was fought there in October 1864. Trade fell off sharply during the Civil War and never recovered. Fast-growing Kansas City had the railroads, and annexed Westport in 1899.
Today, Westport is known as one of Kansas City's main centers of entertainment and nightlife.
The neighborhood is home to a number of restaurants and bars, including Kelly's Westport Inn
, an Irish-themed bar located in the oldest building still remaining in Kansas City. Kelly's inspired the main set of Malcolm & Eddie
, a TV sitcom starring Eddie Griffin
and Malcolm-Jamal Warner
. Westport has a lively music scene, with several venues for live musical entertainment.
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...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Originally its own town, it was annexed
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
by Kansas City in 1897. Today, it is one of Kansas City's main entertainment districts.
Background
Westport was first settled by Reverend Isaac McCoyIsaac McCoy
Isaac McCoy was a Baptist missionary among the Native Americans in present-day Indiana, Michigan and Missouri. He was an advocate of Indian removal from the eastern United States, proposing an Indian state in what is now Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma...
and his family in 1831, along the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. It was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted three years later, and formally incorporated in February 1857. Isaac's son John Calvin McCoy
John Calvin McCoy
John Calvin McCoy is considered the "father of Kansas City."McCoy was born in Vincennes, Indiana. He studied at Transylvania College in Lexington, Kentucky, during 1826-1827...
is generally considered the "father of Kansas City" after he formally founded the town and then got his supplies from a rocky point on the Missouri River between Grand and Main Street that became known as "Westport's Landing." When the landing became popular young McCoy and other residents banded together to form the "Town of Kansas" company to buy the land. Westport's Indian trade extended to the Great Plains and Rocky
Mountains. By 1850 Westport, together with Kansas City, displaced Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
as an outfitting and starting point for traders, trappers, and emigrants heading west on the Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
and Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
. The town's greatest prosperity came 1854 to 1860. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, there were many skirmishes between pro- and anti-slavery groups in the area, and the Civil War's
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Battle of Westport
Battle of Westport
The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West," was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumbered Confederate force under Major General...
was fought there in October 1864. Trade fell off sharply during the Civil War and never recovered. Fast-growing Kansas City had the railroads, and annexed Westport in 1899.
Today
The neighborhood is home to a number of restaurants and bars, including Kelly's Westport Inn
Kelly's Westport Inn
Kelly's Westport Inn is a famous drinking establishment in Westport, Kansas City, Missouri, constructed around 1850.-History:The grandson of Daniel Boone, Albert Gallatin Boone , operated a grocery there for a time...
, an Irish-themed bar located in the oldest building still remaining in Kansas City. Kelly's inspired the main set of 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...
, a TV sitcom starring 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,...
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...
. Westport has a lively music scene, with several venues for live musical entertainment.
See also
- California TrailCalifornia TrailThe California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California...
- Oregon TrailOregon TrailThe Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
- List of neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri
- Westport High SchoolWestport High School (Missouri)Westport High School was a comprehensive high school located at 315 East 39th Street in Kansas City, Missouri. It was part of the Kansas City, Missouri School District. A trowel was used to lay the cornerstone of the school on June 8, 1907...
External links
- Westport's Official site
- Westport Historical Society
- Notebooks of James Gillespie Hamilton (a Westport merchant), from the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
website - Westport VIP The VIP treatment for Kansas City's nightlife scene in and around Westport.