From guerilla warfare and martial law to the elegant dresses of the Harzfeld Parisian Cloak Company, discover how everything became up-to-date in Kansas City (including the phrase "up-to-date" itself, which predates the song in Oklahoma ). Watch as the Jackson County Poor Farm became the state-of-the-art Truman Medical Center and learn why Old Westport is the real McCoy. Meet the resident mouse of the Laugh-O-Gram studio on Thirteenth and Forest, which took food from Walt Disney's hand as Mortimer before taking shape on Disney's drawing board as Mickey. In this collection of his best historical columns, David Jackson delivers a vivid portrait of the people, places and events that continue to shape this fascinating town.

The Maid Narratives shares the memories of black domestic workers and the white families they served, uncovering the often intimate relationships between maid and mistress. Based on interviews with over fifty people - both white and black - these stories deliver a personal and powerful message about resilience and resistance in the face of oppression in the Jim Crow South. The housekeepers, caretakers, sharecroppers, and cooks who share their experiences in The Maid Narratives ultimately moved away during the Great Migration. Their perspectives as servants who left for better opportunities outside of the South offer an original telling of physical and psychological survival in a racially oppressive caste system: Vinella Byrd, for instance, from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, recalls how a farmer she worked for would not allow her to clean her hands in the family's wash pan. These narratives are complemented by the voices of white women, such as Flora Templeton Stuart, from New Orleans, who remembers her maid fondly but realises that she knew little about her life. Like Stuart, many of the white narrators remain troubled by the racial norms of the time. Viewed as a whole, the book presents varied, rich, and detailed accounts, often tragic, and sometimes humorous. The Maid Narratives reveals, across racial lines, shared hardships, strong emotional ties, and inspiring strength.

FULL-COLOR edition This book is about fashion history. Specifically, it highlights Kansas City, Missouri's once world-renowned textile and garment manufacturing industry. It focuses on individuals that designer Ann Brownfield has had acquaintance or first-hand business connections with in her career, and in retirement as co-founder and director of the Historic Kansas City Garment District Museum. This book honors a diverse workforce from native Kansas Citians and minority first- and second-generation Americans-from all backgrounds and countries around the globe-who came to Kansas City for their livelihood. Anyone living, working, or visiting downtown Kansas City, the "Heart of America," might find this book of interest. Architectural historians should discover the built environment of the Garment District notable. Even barbeque enthusiasts will savor knowing that Henry Perry, "the father of Kansas City-style barbecue," got his start in 1908 from a stand in an alley in this historic neighborhood. Prepare yourself to gain an appreciation for an art form and way of life that is no more.

Independence Square in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, has been in the middle of some of the most pivotal events in local and U.S. history. Throughout this entire 185+year history, Jackson County's Courthouse on Independence Square has stood as a monument to the past and symbol for our future. After its 2013 restoration, what a perfect 'time' to "wind the clock" as we look back on the history of Independence Square and Jackson County's Historic Truman Courthouse. The Jackson County Historical Society, located in the Historic Truman Courthouse, promotes the study, appreciation, and interpretation of county history through its museum and archives, preservation and access to shared collections of historical materials, and educational programs and exhibits. The nonprofit historical organization is supported by memberships and donations. Visit the Historical Society on the Web at jchs.org.

This commemorative souvenir documents the origin and evolution of the oldest structure on the historic Independence Courthouse Square-the 1859 Jackson County Jail and Marshal's Home (and its 19th Century predecessors). "Captured" here is an in-depth study offering "skeleton keys" to "unlocking" history of the early lock downs, of those who defied frontier justice, and the systems and strongmen (and their overlooked wives) who tried to keep law and order in Jackson County, Missouri. A roster of ALL Jackson County Sheriffs AND Jackson County Marshals, and separate "rap sheet" of ALL legal hangings in Jackson County "caps" this first-ever comprehensive study spanning from 1826--when Jackson County was formed--to 1933 when the 1859 Jackson County Jail was decommissioned. David W. Jackson and Paul Kirkman have also explored how the site was adaptively re-used during the Great Depression of the 1930s; through World War II in the 1940s; and, how it was saved by the Jackson County Historical Society in 1958, and continues as a unique, cultural history museum, located at 217 North Main Street, Independence, Missouri.

For at least the last 25 years, an untold number of people have sought the best way to preserve the pioneer Davis-Smith Cemetery in Jackson County, Missouri. This book illustrates the lives (and sometimes tragic deaths) of the pioneers buried in this local cemetery. It also may serve as an example of how any community might save an historic cemetery for posterity.