When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

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loftguy
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by loftguy »

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.
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WinchesterMysteryHouse
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by WinchesterMysteryHouse »

I've seen the salvaged interior and signage of the Ship sitting inside the first floor of a West Bottoms warehouse.
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bbqboy
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by bbqboy »

The Ship was really cool. It had a wave sound effects machine the Bartender could activate. Great place.
brian89gp
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by brian89gp »

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?
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by kc-vino »

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
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by DaveKCMO »

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!
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by KCKev »

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.
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KansasCityCraka
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by KansasCityCraka »

It looks like a laundromat but instead it is filled with games.
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by KCKev »

I use to go down there and play the skeetball as a young lad..
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by AllThingsKC »

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?
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Belle the dog
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by Belle the dog »

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.
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by moderne »

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.
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by supastudio »

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.
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by Mhudson »

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. 
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

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. 
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FangKC
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by FangKC »

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.
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FangKC
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by FangKC »

Firefighters on engine. 1950.

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Union Station Lobby. 1930.

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Man putting freight cars. 1920.

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Trucks at freight house. 1930.

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Jet engine locomotive: 1950.

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

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Photo: People on train car. 1930.

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Last edited by FangKC on Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by AllThingsKC »

What's the year of that photo, Fang?
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FangKC
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by FangKC »

Which one?
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Re: When Downtown KC was a powerhouse - A must see for all

Post by AllThingsKC »

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.  :P
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