Fairfax District - changed from MO to KS in the 1800s

[DanCa]

Here's an odd tidbit I just stumbled across while doing some research for work on Wikipedia regarding the MO River:

Since the lower river meanders through a broad floodplain in Midwestern states, it has often changed course and in its wake left numerous oxbow lakes (Big Lake is the largest such lake in Missouri). In the early 1800s the United States Supreme Court (which decides state border disputes) ruled that when the river changed course the border also changed (as happened with the Fairfax District at Kansas City, Kansas which switched from Missouri to Kansas.) However, in the late 1800s the Court began ruling on absolute boundaries, creating geographic oddities such as Carter Lake, Iowa, which is now a piece of Iowa on the west side of the Missouri between downtown Omaha and Eppley Airfield, and the French Bottoms in St. Joseph, Missouri, a piece of Missouri on the west of the river, requiring Missouri residents to go through Kansas in order to reach Rosecrans Airport.


I've been in that piece of Iowa by Omaha.  I remember seeing the "Welcome to Iowa" sign and at first I thought it was a joke, but checked the map and realized the river must have moved at some point. 

[AllThingsKC]

The river also used to flow NORTH of River Bend (which is in Jackson County).  Untill a flood came, and the river changed its course.

Now, there's a part of Jackson County that is North of the River, and there's a part of Clay county that is South of the River.

[shinatoo]

I'm guessing that if the whole are had stayed in tact on the Missouri side that is where out major airport would be. Stupid river.

[voltopt]

I think even before the 1951 flood, the fairfax district was planned as the large airport location.  The 51 flood took out Fairfax, but didn't affect Municipal.  Mid-Continent Airlines built a new runway up north by Platte City, because of this flood, which eventually became MCI (Kansas City international)

[Highlander]

I think even before the 1951 flood, the fairfax district was planned as the large airport location.  The 51 flood took out Fairfax, but didn't affect Municipal.  Mid-Continent Airlines built a new runway up north by Platte City, because of this flood, which eventually became MCI (Kansas City international)

Fairfax was built in 1921 but expanded in the 1940's when Fairfax became the production site for the North American B-25 bomber.  After the war, I believe TWA's precursor company bought part of the North American works for maintenance but then moved the base up to Mid Continent.  The Fairfax runways were longer than Municipal but I do not ever remember reading plans that Fairfax would usurp Municipal as KC's main airport although I guess TWA may have been thinking in that direction right after the war. 

[dangerboy]

I'm guessing that if the whole are had stayed in tact on the Missouri side that is where out major airport would be. Stupid river.

Platte County was actually in Kansas before it was in Missouri. The state line was originally at the Clay/Platte County line.  The northwest tip of Missouri was transferred in the 1800s in the Plate Purchase, includes present-day Platte County, St. Joseph, Maryville, etc.

[KCFutbol]

I've been in that piece of Iowa by Omaha.  I remember seeing the "Welcome to Iowa" sign and at first I thought it was a joke, but checked the map and realized the river must have moved at some point. 

Correct. Carter Lake used to be part of the Missouri.

[shinatoo]

Platte County was actually in Kansas before it was in Missouri. The state line was originally at the Clay/Platte County line.  The northwest tip of Missouri was transferred in the 1800s in the Plate Purchase, includes present-day Platte County, St. Joseph, Maryville, etc.

Before 1836 the Platte Purchase area was part of the Missouri Territory. Before Kansas was a state (1861), or even a territory (1854) the area now know as Kansas was part of the Missouri Territory. Platte was never in Kansas in any sense of the word.

[dangerboy]

Before 1836 the Platte Purchase area was part of the Missouri Territory. Before Kansas was a state (1861), or even a territory (1854) the area now know as Kansas was part of the Missouri Territory. Platte was never in Kansas in any sense of the word.

My bad.   Kansas wasn't even a territory at that point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platte_Purchase

[aknowledgeableperson]

The river also used to flow NORTH of River Bend (which is in Jackson County).  Untill a flood came, and the river changed its course.

I was lead to believe that it was the COE that changed the river course for river traffic.  Not sure what came first but what flood are you talking about.  Maybe the one in the early 1900's?

[shinatoo]

I was lead to believe that it was the COE that changed the river course for river traffic.  Not sure what came first but what flood are you talking about.  Maybe the one in the early 1900's?

COE changes the course of the river at River Bend knocking a 4-6 hours off of barge travel time and greatly reducing navigation difficulties.

[FangKC]

New signage for the Fairfax District shows the history of the B-25 bomber development.

Click right side to advance through photos.

https://www.facebook.com/b25history/pho ... =3&theater

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post. ... 1390050596

[Eon Blue]

Video of the Liberty Bend Cutoff in 1949: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uug4ae6TJV4

[scooterj]

Video of the Liberty Bend Cutoff in 1949: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uug4ae6TJV4

Cool! I'd always thought the Liberty Bend shift happened due to natural flooding, I had no idea it was man-made and also so recent!

[grovester]

Do you think that affected the currents upstream? Would the bend have calmed the entire flow?

[scooterj]

Before 1836 the Platte Purchase area was part of the Missouri Territory. Before Kansas was a state (1861), or even a territory (1854) the area now know as Kansas was part of the Missouri Territory. Platte was never in Kansas in any sense of the word.

My bad.   Kansas wasn't even a territory at that point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platte_Purchase

I missed this thread when it first started so I'm 11 years late in clicking on that Wikipedia link. Reading about the legal issues surrounding the Platte Purchase led me to an article about the Indian Removal Act; and from reading that, Thomas Jefferson might very well rival the current resident as the most despicable person to ever reside in the White House.

[flyingember]

Do you think that affected the currents upstream? Would the bend have calmed the entire flow?

The outside curve of a bend also could trap debris, creating a fast spot as the curve would help create instability in the flow as the river could have shrunk in size quicker than it eroded the inside curve

[flyingember]

It gets way more interesting. The county seat of Jackson County is not entirely inside Jackson County.

Where the Blue River enters the Missouri there's a triangle formed where the river used to be, Rock Creek forms two sides.

This small triangle of Clay County is split up among Kansas City, Independence and Sugar Creek. NKC Schools appears to be the district for all of it, south of the river.