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From ‘Downton’ to the Paris of the Plains

As the series wraps in the Roaring 20s, we recall KC during this bygone era

   Posted on February 27, 2016 by Lindsey Foat
Black and white photo of a woman standing in the middle of a street
Looking north along Main from the west side, between 11th and 12th in downtown KC in 1925. 
Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri.

As Downton Abbey comes to a close next week, we’ll say goodbye to our beloved lords and ladies. The final season is set in 1925 and 1926, and this got us wondering what KC was like during these years.

If the Dowager had absconded to Kansas City instead of the South of France — as she did for part of the final season — here’s what she would have found in Kansas City during that same time frame. After all, it was during this era that an editorialist for the Omaha Herald wrote, “If you want to see some sin, forget about Paris. Go to Kansas City.”

Black and white photo of hundreds of cattle herded into pins
Cattle pens near the Livestock Exchange Building in KC in 1925. 
Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri
More cows than people? Between the 1920 and 1930 censuses, the population of Kansas City, Missouri increased from 324,410 to 399,746. But during the same decade about two million head of livestock passed through Kansas City Stockyards each year.
Black and white photo of McGee street f rom 1925 with old cars on it
1925 photo looking south along McGee from McGee Street Viaduct. 
Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri
It may have been Prohibition, but Granny could still have gotten a drink. Tom Pendergast gained control of the city council and police in 1925. The reign of “Boss Tom” is credited with keeping the booze a-flowing in KC. (Check out our recipe for a Dowager-inspired cocktail!)
Black and white photo of Liberty Memorial form the 1920s
1926 photo of the recently completed Liberty Memorial. 
Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri
“War makes early risers of us all.” The Dowager of Grantham summed it up. After the Great War, Kansas Citians took it upon themselves to raise $2 million to build a monument to honor not only those lost, but also the principles of liberty and freedom. On November 11, 1926 President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the Liberty Memorial. That same year plans began for a new public art gallery using the estate of William Rockhill Nelson.
Vintage valentine card of a young girl on a red sofa saying "parking permitted evenings by appointment"
Hallmark Valentine’s Day card from the 1920s. 
Hallmark.com
The crown of a new empire. The Hall Brothers Inc. began selling greeting card in Kansas City in 1918. In 1925, the company started stamping the back of their greeting cards with “Hallmark.” So if Violet cared enough to send the very best back home, she could have.
Black and white photo of a band
The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks musical group circa 1925. 
Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri
Do you think that any of them know what the others are playing?” That was Violet’s reaction when a jazz band played at Downton Abbey. That same improvisation was a large part of the jazz scene in Kansas City. Among the most popular bands at the time was the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks.
 
Coon-Sanders Nighthawks – Hong Kong Dream Girl (1925)
Black and white photo of the Country Club Plaza lights from the 1920s
The Country Club Plaza light display circa 1932.
Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri

Merry Christmas Violet. In past seasons the Crawley family lit candles on Christmas. For the final season the tree is adorned with strings of lights. 1925 was the first year that Christmas lights decorated the rooflines of the five buildings of the Country Club Plaza.

The series finale of “Downton Abbey” airs at 8pm on Sunday, March 6 on KCPT. This Sunday, February 28, “More Manners of Downton Abbey: A Masterpiece Special” will air in that same 8pm time slot on KCPT.