Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Before Van Brunt Boulevard, A Dairy Farm

These two pictures were taken ca. 1899 and were titled "East Boulevard." They show the proposed site of the newest road to be constructed in Kansas City. At the time these were taken the land was a dairy farm. Cows are visible in both shots and, in the shot above, a barn is barely visible behind the trees in the upper right. Not sure at all of directions in these shots, but, if the lay of the land is any indication, the land slopping up would probably be toward the north. East Boulevard was later renamed "Van Brunt Boulevard." My personal guess is that this is north of St. John and that the ridge in the bottom photo is where Gladstone Boulevard eventually was constructed. There was a large pond where Elmwood Avenue and Windsor intersect that was used for watering the cattle.

5 comments:

  1. Outstanding shots; so important to Indian Mound History.

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  2. That was the feeling I got about the locations when I saw these too.

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  3. And of course I sit here thinking, "What kind of dairy cow is solid black?" Or maybe they are solid red and they're shorthorns.

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  4. I do like these. I'd be interested in where you found the photos. They're great.

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