So, how well do you know the small downtowns of the Northland?
Hopefully by now you have tested your knowledge — below are the answers.
1. Kearney
Population: 9,038
Established: 1869
Kearney, originally called Centerville, was reduced to two or three families after the Civil War. The effect the Civil War had on his hometown allegedly spurred legendary outlaw Jesse James into a life of crime. James was born and buried in Kearney, and the city has a festival bearing his name every September.
2. Liberty
Population: 30,096
Established: 1829
Liberty is the second-oldest incorporated town west of the Mississippi River. The Liberty Jail once held Joseph Smith, famous prophet of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. The city is also the site of the first daylight bank robbery in peacetime — allegedly by the Jesse James gang.
3. North Kansas City
Population: 4,319
Established: 1912
North Kansas City was specifically planned as a small town north of the river, separate from the city of Kansas City. Today North Kansas City remains its own city, though it is almost completely surrounded by Kansas City, Missouri, on all sides.
4. Parkville
Population: 5,928
Established: 1844
Native Americans lived in the Parkville area for 6,000 years before it was settled by Anglo-Saxons and officially incorporated. Colonel Park, who held the claim to Parkville for some time, was a rumored abolitionist. His newspaper was raided by a pro-slavery group in 1855, and the printing press was thrown into the Missouri River.
5. Platte City
Population: 4,799
Established: 1843
Platte City was burned by Union soldiers in 1861. The Platte County Fair displayed a Confederate flag in reference to the city's Civil War history until 2015.
6. Weston
Population: 1,703
Established: 1837
Weston was founded as a steamboat port, and became the second-largest port on the Missouri River during the 19th century. It was even bigger than Kansas City. The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped near Weston's current day city hall, and Buffalo Bill was a Weston resident for a spell.
7. Smithville
Population: 8,954
Established: 1867
Smithville is named for Humphrey and Nancy Smith, a New York couple who became the first Anglo-Saxon settlers in the area. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Smithville was one of the fastest-growing populations in Missouri.
8. Gladstone
Population: 26,157
Established: 1952
Gladstone is the newest city in the Northland. It was originally founded as a Kansas City suburb, but today it's completely surrounded by Kansas City. Gladstone has also been known as "Linden" and "Happy Rock."
This look at the Missouri River is part of KCUR's months-long examination of how geographic borders affect our daily lives in Kansas City. KCUR will go Beyond Our Borders and spark a community conversation through social outreach and innovative journalism.
We will share the history of these lines, how the borders affect the current Kansas City experience and what’s being done to bridge or dissolve them.
