KCRag Forum

Fang....do you happen to have access to photos of the Ship?  It was a bar on 10th just east of the Fredric Hotel on the south side of the street between Oak and Locust.

Also would be interested to see photos of the Wonderland Arcade that was on the Southwest corner of 12th and Grand.

I think that the crew reviewing this site would find those interesting.

I've seen the salvaged interior and signage of the Ship sitting inside the first floor of a West Bottoms warehouse.

The Ship was really cool. It had a wave sound effects machine the Bartender could activate. Great place.

Seeing how busy it was back then, it is hard to believe it got so bad and is only now starting to turn around.  Out of curiosity, does anybody have pictures/information of the loop being built?

Does anybody have any detailed pictures of store fronts and a view from pedestrian street level for locations in the Rivermarket?  It seems like that area was never that photographed.  I'm talking about the blocks like Walnut, Delaware, 3rd street, the buildings on the site of the current HOK, the buildings to the west of HOK, etc.  You don't see many photos in general of that area from the 60s to the 90's

i have a great "kansas city" coffee table book that i found at the river market antique mall that was printed in 1973 by hallmark; it's full of such photos touting the "river quay" entertainment district. wish i had a scanner!

loftguy wrote:
Also would be interested to see photos of the Wonderland Arcade that was on the Southwest corner of 12th and Grand.

I think that the crew reviewing this site would find those interesting.

It looks like a laundromat but instead it is filled with games.

I use to go down there and play the skeetball as a young lad..

KCKev wrote: I use to go down there and play the skeetball as a young lad..

Looks like it was fun.  But, just like downtown at the time, where were the people?

Photos are great!  I had always wondered what the interior of the Hotel Baltimore looked like.

I may be admitting my age but I clearly remember Peck's downtown store along with the inimitable Emery Bird Thayer.  There has never been nor will there ever be a retail store with the graciousness of Emery Bird's.  To the last day it was open, Emery Bird's was the epitome of grace and refinement.  I had lunch at the Charl Mont about a month before EBT closed.  I also remember riding the 1890 vintage elevator (located adjacent to the Petticoat Lane entrance) for about a half hour one afternoon with the elderly elevator operator telling stories of Kansas City.

Emery Bird's was a fine establishment.

I  have a photo of me as a toddler sitting on the EBT's Santa's lap.  All the other Santas downtown were just helpers, my parents explained to me.  The one and only real live Santa was always at EBT.

Does anybody have pix of KC when it was crap?  Like when Union Station was abandoned and the roof was leaking or when Bartle Hall wasn't over the Loop.

supastudio wrote: Does anybody have pix of KC when it was crap?  Like when Union Station was abandoned and the roof was leaking or when Bartle Hall wasn't over the Loop.

I'm pretty excited to see this myself!  Those are some pictures you don't see too often on here. 

If you pick up some of the "Then and Now" books, many of the urban pictures in the 'Now' shots are from more depressing times in the 90s. 

The Union Station book also has photos of when the station was run-down and dilapidated. There is a great photo of a bubble room that was like a big balloon where they didn't have to heat the entire station.

Firefighters on engine. 1950.



Union Station Lobby. 1930.



Man putting freight cars. 1920.



Trucks at freight house. 1930.



Jet engine locomotive: 1950.



People standing in rain outside Union Station. No photo date. I'd guess 1920s by cars and Hotel Plaza not being across the street.



Photo: People on train car. 1930.

What's the year of that photo, Fang?

Which one?

FangKC wrote: Which one?

When I had posted that question, you only had the first photo in your post.  That was the one I was asking about.  But, since you've added the others, I'm kind of interested in knowing when all of them were taken.