Driving these old roads is like treasure hunting. The wealth at the end? It is an adventure, and the ability to see where we are as being directly influenced by these pathways of the past. As I peel back each layer of history pouring over old maps or trying to drive a hundred year old auto trail, I find myself going back farther, and eventually finding the wagon ruts of old settlers, or even the pathways of the people who had come before, and laid down tracks that are ancient and well worn long before the US government decided to give those tracks numbers on a shield in order to make it easier to follow them on a map. To find this treasure, we must first find the treasure maps, and that, is not very easy. The clues are there, however.
In tracking down the Jefferson Highway, I realized by looking at a map that another roadie posted, Steve Varner, that parts of the Jefferson Highway are also shared by the National Old Trails Road, which was started in Kansas City, and lead to the development of many of the auto trails. The National Old Trails Road, at least through the Kansas City metro area follows roughly the path of the old Boonslick Trail from eastern into central, Missouri, then the Lewis and Clark trail (the Missouri River) to Kansas City. Then, beginning in Independence, or Westport, Missouri, settlers heading west would outfit themselves for the crossing over into the Kansas territory, along the state line on the Santa Fe, California, or Oregon Trails. The National Old Trails Route, follows the Santa Fe and California trails. Jefferson Highway, a north/south highway, crosses the NOTR downtown, after crossing the Missouri River at the ASB (Armour - Swift - Burlington) bridge, built in 1911, and parallels it (as far as I can tell by looking at the old JH and NOTR maps) before merging with it near Lenexa and following it to Lenexa. So the goal of my journeys these past few days was to follow the Jefferson Highway, then cross over to the National Old Trails Route, which seems to happen when I drive south from Rosedale on the old Presbyterian Indian Mission Road.
Sunday 11 January 2015
Treasure Hunting
Code Yellow
The weather in January has been chilly, but there is a slight thaw. Either way, exploring a road by car is ideal as long as there is no ice.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 15:43:20
Leaving the house on errands, and explorations on my day off.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 15:48:40
I turned south on the Old Pike Road in Clay County, Missouri.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 15:52:34
There is a historic marker for the Old Pike Road, that even mentions the Jefferson Highway.
On my first day of doing this, I realized I hadn't transferred over my map tracks, or KML, or GPX files to this phone, which is also my GPS and tracking device. So my first day out was hap hazard and rough.
When I arrived in North Kansas City, I made a wrong turn, one of many. Also, I am going by a transcript I have read in the Clay County Historical Societies archive, which was written in the Gladstone, Missouri online guide. The North Holmes entrance into North Kansas City, seems logical by the descriptions, but it is not actually described anywhere, so it it a guess that this was once the way into North Kansas City from the North on the Jefferson Highway. I have a map that shows this routing. A later map, from about 1920, from the Gallup map company actually shows JH coming in on North Oak, then on North Cherry Street into North Kansas City.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:45:05
North Holmes looking north over the Levee in North Kansas City.
Northeast 32nd Street is pretty consistent in the maps. Heading west from here then south on Swift into town, once you see it, does make a lot of sense.
Turning south on Swift in North Kansas City...
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:46:08
Swift these days on the north end is a broad boulevard with a green strip in the middle.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:46:51
Passing a park, Swift narrows to a broad two lane street as it enters downtown North Kansas City.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:47:47
Downtown North Kansas City, Missouri.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:47:55
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:48:10
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:49:43
Heading down to 14th Street on Swift, to make a right towards Burlington.
We head south on Burlington towards the Armour - Swift - Burlington (ASB) Bridge, which was the way the Jefferson Highway crossed the Missouri River. The ASB Bridge was replaced by the Heart of America Bridge in 1987.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:51:01
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:51:11
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:52:01
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:52:58
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:53:31
Crossing the Missouri River on the Heart of America Bridge.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:54:23
The ASB bridge still stands next to the Heart of America Bridge.
Crossing the Missouri River, the exit is the 3rd street exit into the river front area of Kansas City, Missouri.
On third street, a left turn is made on Grand to head south into downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Cross over the north end of the loop into downtown. In the late teens and early twenties, this did not exist, of course. The downtown loop was begun in the late 1950's after the passing of the interstate act of 1955.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:56:27
View of downtown, Kansas City, from the river front area.
Heading south on Grand to 19th street and Southwest Boulevard.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:57:11
Heading south past the Admiral intersection, which was where Jefferson Highway split and headed east into Jackson County. This path I'm on heads west, into Johnson County, Kansas.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:58:09
Sunday, January 11, 2015 16:58:34
Turning left, and heading west on 19th street, which when it bends to the southwest becomes Southwest Boulevard.
Southwest Boulevard, in what is now called the Crossroads Arts District. In the time of the Jefferson Highway, this really was a crossroads area where several major highways coming into the city intersected (Old Trails and Jefferson Highway to name two). It was also an area, I believe, that housed a lot of stables and hostling areas for horses to serve the needs of downtown. When the internal combustion engine replaced the hoof, this area became a huge conglomeration of auto parts places, garages, car dealers, etc. Directly north of the area where 19th bends to become Southwest Boulevard is the old Jail that serviced Union Station. Earnest Hemingway would come to the jail to get story ideas for his articles when he worked for the Kansas City Star. There were several hotels in the area that served Union Station as well. The whole area fell into decline after World War II as automobiles and aircraft replaced trains, and as the car dealers started moving to the suburbs.
This was a major crossing area of many roads. Before the overpass was built, this was one of the biggest interchanges of streets in the Kansas City area. Passing under the I-35 overpass, the area of the Crossroads transitions quickly to the West Side, which is a primarily hispanic area of town and a great place to sample hispanic culture and food.
Southwest Boulevard (Jefferson Highway) passes the throat of Union Station. At one time it was not grade separated by an overpass. Trains and cars shared the same grade. There once was a mural here depicting what often happened if some hapless person had their machine stall out on the busy tracks. Now Southwest Boulevard passes under an overpass where trains pass above. To the southwest of here, this is where the Kansas City Terminal railway had its service yards and stored all the coaches for the trains coming in and out of Union Station. There is a big round house that is still here and is being used now as an office building.
Driving Southwest on the Boulevard (Jefferson Highway) you head towards the Kansas/Missouri State line at 31st Street, which was a row of businesses until the 1951 flood. Then the highway crosses into the town of Rosedale, Kansas, which has become a part of Kansas City, Kansas.
I turn south on Mission Road to Intersect with the National Old Trails Highway. Studying maps, since I drove this, I find that the Jefferson Highway continued on southwest of here towards Shawnee, then headed south intersecting with NOTR somewhere near Lenexa.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 17:14:59
I meet up with the National Old Trails road at 43rd, which is Westport Road, and truly is where the Santa Fe Trail headed across Kansas through here. The NOTR heads south toward 47th and Mission, passed Joes Kansas City, formerly Oklahoma Joes.
Mission Road is so named because it passes the Shawnee Presbyterian Indian Mission for which this area is named.
Mission Road is a meandering path.
On this day, not having an maps accessible on my phone, I lost track of the road. I went on my errand and headed back home to work on uploading maps into my phone so that I could use them to navigate with on my next errand.
I took Johnson Drive back as I know part of it was on the NOTR.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 19:10:03
Jefferson Highway, (Southwest Boulevard) in Kansas City, Missouri.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 19:13:44
Southwest Boulevard and Broadway in KCMO.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 19:16:05
Sunday, January 11, 2015 19:17:20
Sunday, January 11, 2015 19:19:43
New streetcar tracks in the river front area.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 19:36:49
I decided to try to follow the Old Jefferson Highway (up to 1920) back in through Clay County, Missouri. Doing it at night was difficult, though.
The old Jefferson Highway is cut by I-35 on Holmes in the northland.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 19:51:21
I went too far looking for my connection with Troost off Vivian, and had to turn around at Hayes Burgers and Chilli.
Consistent with the initial descriptions of the Jefferson Highway found on a passage from the Clay County Historical society written in the Gladstone City history, I turned north on North Troost in Kansas City North.
After a wrong turn, I found my way to North Flora Avenue.
Monday 12 January 2015
The next day, Monday, I set out again, pretty much on the same errand, but this time I had better maps loaded into my phone, which I uploaded onto Google Maps, which is not the best way to navigate as it has no setting for this kind of navigation and turns the screen off after about a minute.
Heading east towards Linden. The old alignment of the Jefferson Highway is the light line on the east side of Linden on this map.
I turned south on North Toost on the east side of the former town of Linden, Missouri.
Driving south on North Flora, which was then countryside, but is now Gladstone, Missouri, formerly Linden.
The road here really takes on a timeless aspect, even though there are suburban houses all around.
Turn west, left, on Englewood towards North Troost.
Turn left, or south on North Troost.
The eastern boundary of the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is the roads western border.
Passing where the Jefferson Highway is split by I-29. Here, I have to make a detour.
There is a big google looking church which almost looks like a spaceship ready to take off from the ground. Turning back towards where I need to pick up the Jefferson Highway heading south, it looks like I am passing through this church's parking lot, but it is actually a street.
Heading south on Holmes.
Holmes looks like a country road through this area.
Entering North Kansas City over the levee.
Heading south on Swift.
North Kansas City downtown.
Turning west on 14th from Swift.
Turning south on Burlington from 14th.
Heading south on the Missouri River across the Heart of America Bridge, built right next to the Armour - Swift - Burlington Bridge.
Exiting on the 3rd street exit and turning right on 3rd, towards the River Market.
Turning south on Grand towards downtown and 19th/Southwest Boulevard.
Turning right on 19th towards Southwest Boulevard.
Jefferson Highway crosses the state line into Kansas on Southwest Boulevard.
I have the highway turning south on my maps. I think that after checking my map sources that this is wrong. Jefferson Highway actually heads west into Merriam, Shawnee and then I think it head south towards Lenexa meeting up with the National Old Trails Road (NOTR).
The light green line is the National Old Trails Road, which I found online from Steve Varner.
I used this map to follow the NOTR to the southwest of downtown Overland Park.
This area is the old Presbyterial Shawnee Indian Mission
Turning west on US 56, or Shawnee Mission Parkway, which veers off onto Johnson Drive into downtown Mission, which is a really nice area that has just recently had a huge upgrade to parking and sidewalks.
Heading west on Johnson Drive into downtown Mission, Kansas.
Turning south, left on Lamar.
At 75th, another leg of the NOTR is intercepted.
The areas where the roads run diagonally on the map are ares, I believe where the Santa Fe trail actually ran through.
79th into downtown Overland Park.
Southwest on Santa Fe
For some reason there is this weird jog on the map by the Overland Park City hall. I took it, but I don't know the reason for it. I'll have to look at Steve Varners maps again to see if there was a particular reason. His maps have much more detail as far as landmarks.
Here I found a turn around, and continued on my errand, ending my exploration for this day.
Wednesday 14 January 2015
I decided to take the NOTR/Jefferson Highway back, after figuring out how to use the follow route option on Orux maps.
Having the maps in your GPS Device is a very labor saving convenience. I can follow the routes, even at night without distraction, which is very important.
I don't have the NOTR in Missouri yet. I followed what I believe to be the NOTR route through Westport.
I finished my errands and explorations coming back down Jefferson Highway off of the NOTR in Kansas City. As I continue this treasure hunt with more research and better maps, hopefully I will be able to map and share more routes and landmarks of this fascinating history beneath our tires.
