by Christy Ubelaker, KCK Urban Hikes Guide
It’s First Friday Art Walk season in KCK and we’re bringing back our KCK Third Fridays Golden Hour Kaw Point Urban Hike! We’re also starting our Lewis and Clark Bike Ride at Kaw Point. But what’s so interesting about it? Let’s dive into its history.
Where the heck is it? At the Kawsmouth, 1401 Fairfax Trafficway, in Kansas City, Kansas. The entrance is tucked away in the southernmost part of the 100 year old historic Fairfax Industrial District. Fairfax Industrial District 100 Year Celebration video.
The first peoples in this area were the Kanza, Osage, Otos and Missourias. (In 1825, the federal government forced the Kanza and Osage tribes to give up their land along the Missouri River and move to reservations in Central Kansas.)
1804: The Corp of Discovery/Lewis and Clark Expedition embarked on their military expedition from St. Charles, Missouri, traveling upstream on the Missouri River. They reached the confluence of the Missouri and Kaw/Kansas Rivers 43 days/340 miles later. Their party of 51 men included an enslaved man named York. He was vital to the success of this military mission to explore the newly purchased lands, establish relations with the Native Peoples and find a trade route to the Pacific Ocean. York was the first African American to cross the continent, see the Pacific Ocean and one of the few in the group that could swim. You can find a stone dedicated to York at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon here.
The expedition camped at Kaw Point for three days; while here, they made repairs, hunted, and recorded the flora and fauna of the area. It was their first time seeing bison and the massive flocks of Carolina Parakeets. Clark commented “the Countrey about the mouth of this river is verry fine”.
1843: The 1830 Indian Removal Act forcibly removed Native Americans from their homelands and relocated them to lands in “Indian Territory” When the Wyandot were forced to make their way to Kansas City, KS on a Trail of Tears, the lands promised to them were already occupied. Until they were able to negotiate lands, their only option was to set up camp where the steamboat captain dropped them off in the middle of the night; Kaw Point Park.
Living in this area for about a year, they experienced historic flooding and devastating typhoid and measles. They laid their loved ones to rest on a hill, in what is now the Wyandot National Burial Ground (Huron Indian Cemetery). The Wyandot are a strong, resilient people. They built Wyandott City, which later became Kansas City, Kansas. (Wyandotte County)
1944: The Harry Darby Corporation was located where Kaw Point Park is now. Harry Darby was born/raised on Strawberry Hill (1895), he was an industrialist and eventually became a Kansas Senator. (He resided in the Historic Westheight Neighborhood at 1220 Hoel Parkway, KCKS). Workers shaped steel into locomotives, rail cars and casings for large bombs. They were also churning out LCTs and LCMs – amphibious landing craft which the Navy used to transport tanks and troops from ship to shore. They would launch and test these “prairie ships” on the sandy banks of the Kaw, then ship them 2,000 miles down the rivers systems to Louisiana…then off to the war effort. Eisenhower and Churchill didn’t agree on many things, but they concurred that the small landing craft tanks were the primary reason the Allies won World War ll. Read here about how in 1944, the rivers being so low it halted the Prairie Ship’s journey down the Missouri River, panicking the War Department.
1990s: In the late 90s, Kaw Point Park was known as River City USA and was the home of the Missouri River Queen. The Missouri River Queen was a 3-deck sternwheeler that offered dinner cruises and excursions. The park had a small railroad system and train and exotic animals.
2002-2004: In 2002, Robert Kennedy, Jr. visited Kaw Point, he was asked at a press conference, what he thought of the area. He replied “This is a squandered resource.” This motivated Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS and many volunteers to begin the process of building and improving the park in preparation for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemorative event held on June 26-29, 2004.
The Wyandotte County Lewis and Clark Task Force, in partnership with the State of Kansas, Unified Government, local Convention and Visitors Bureau, Friends of the Kaw, various community organizations, and private funders, worked together making improvements and additions to this legacy project. These included trail resurfacing, the construction of an amphitheater, installation of informational signage, flood mitigation work, and bank and woodland restorations.
Mike Calwell was an original member of the Lewis and Clark Task Force/Founding member of Friends of Kaw Point Park and was instrumental in building the boat ramp for the 2004 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebration and all of the access points along the Kaw River. Over the years he spent many hours at the park making many improvements including the design and building of the Encampment Theater; concreting the woodland paths; the design, production and installation of the 45 foot Lewis and Clark silhouette; and many other small projects and improvements. Click here to learn more about the park, its events and volunteer information.
2006: When the Missouri American Water MR340 Race was launched in 2006, it was billed as the “world’s longest nonstop paddling race”. Paddlers put in at Kaw Point Park and paddle 340 miles to St. Charles, Missouri. (Where the Corp of Discovery launched) That first year, the Missouri River Relief hosted 15 paddlers, and the race has grown! In 2022, there were over 600 paddlers competing in the event. The interest in this event is growing and numbers for 2023 are expected to be BIG! Even if you don’t think you want to experience 340 miles of the Mighty MO, be sure to check out the early morning launch on August 1, 2023!
Information on the MR 340 and other river events
2012: Kaw Point Park was designated as a Lewis and Clark Destination Site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail by the National Park Service.
2016: Kaw Point included in Kansas City’s Riverfront Heritage Trail, a 15 mile bicycle and pedestrian trail that sweeps along the Missouri and Kansas Rivers in both Kansas Cities. The trail highlights and celebrates our riverfront heritage. Along the way you will find historic sites, local businesses and artwork. The 2.6 connector to Kaw Point Park was installed in December 2016.
Whether you join us for our Golden Hour Kaw Point urban hike leaving from KCK’s Third Fridays festivities, a Lewis and Clark Bike Ride, or you explore the area on your own, we recommend that you venture out to this hidden natural gem in the middle of a bustling industrial district in Kansas City, KS with one of the best views of Kansas City, MO.
