August in the Archives

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. We dove into the archives to see what August has looked like in Kansas City’s past, from 1926 to 1968. All photos are courtesy of the Kansas City Public Library and its meticulously curated Missouri Valley Special Collections.

Note: Dates and photo titles are also provided by the Kansas City Public Library.

August 15, 1926

“First Gran Fiesta Dancers”
On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, partiers planted the roots of what would become a cornerstone organization based in Kansas City’s Westside.

Photo via MVSC

August 28, 1929

“Graf Zeppelin over the Liberty Memorial”
Long before KCI’s single-terminal dreams took flight, Kansas Citians craned their necks skyward to catch the LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin drifting over Liberty Memorial. The German airship was en route from Los Angeles to New Jersey amid part of a groundbreaking round-the-world journey.

Photo via MVSC

August 28, 1935

“Sorting and Packing Peaches at Unity Farm”
These farmhands and their haul were part of something bigger than an orchard. Unity Farm, founded in 1919 as a retreat for the new Unity movement and its downtown HQ, blended spiritual practice with self-sufficiency — rows of peaches included. What began as farmland would eventually grow into today’s Unity Village near Lee’s Summit, still serving as the movement’s headquarters.

Photo via MVSC

August 15, 1945

“V. J. Day”
Forget confetti at a Chiefs parade — Kansas Citians packed 12th Street shoulder to shoulder to celebrate something far bigger: the end of World War II. This photo, looking west from Main, captures the joy (and chaos) of V-J Day in downtown KC. Can you spot the familiar buildings still standing today?

Photo via MVSC

August, 1947

“Waldo Streetcar Station”
All aboard: this view shows the Waldo streetcar station on Wornall just north of 75th Street, where passengers hopped the 56 Country Club Route. While the original stop is long gone, our Explore the Streetcar Stop series has been tracing some of its historic tracks.

Photo via MSVC

August 27, 1952

“Wornall Street Excavation”
We can’t help but wonder if that was the last time the street saw serious work before today’s construction chaos. Some things never change…

Photo via MVSC

August, 1952

“Camp Cardiac”
File this one under only in the archives: campers at “Camp Cardiac” coaxing a raccoon to make tiny paw prints.

Photo via MVSC

August, 1965

“Prairie Village”
Before teardowns and two-stories became the norm, Prairie Village looked a little different. This 1965 snapshot shows the suburb’s early days of tidy single-story homes.

Photo via MVSC