The first documented French visitor to the Kansas City area was Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River. Bourgmont was on the lam from French authorities after deserting his post as commander of Fort Detroit, after being criticized for his handling of a Native American attack on the fort. He lived with a Native American wife in the Missouri village about 90 miles east near Brunswick, Missouri, and illegally traded furs. Bourgmont was the first European known to visit the Kaw Nation of Native American Indians in 1724. He found them living in a single large village near the future site of the town of Doniphan, Kansas, on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. In 1780 the Kaw abandoned this village and took up residence on what was known then as the Kaw River. It’s known now as the Kansas River. The ruins of their earlier village were a significant landmark for many travelers. When Lewis and Clark ascended the Missouri, they noted passing the site of the "old village of the Kanzas" on July 2, 1804. In 1833, John McCoy established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail, 3 miles from the river. In 1834 he established Westport Landing on a bend in the Missouri River to serve as a landing point for the West Port. Soon after, the Kansas Town Company, a group of investors, began to settle the area and took their name from an English spelling of “Cansez” or Kansas. In 1850, the town was incorporated as the Town of Kansas. By this time, Independence and Kansas were critical points of travel in the westward expansion with three trails (Santa Fe, Oregon and California) passing through the area. By 1853, the City of Kansas was created.

Kansas City’s history is rich in so many other ways as well. Much is documented with landmarks and in museums and structures that still remain today. Today, Kansas City offers such an extensive array of amenities to its residents and visitors alike. They include: Numerous city parks that contain disc golf, dog parks, exercise trails, futsal, tennis and basketball courts, pickleball, picnic shelters, a running track, sand volleyball, two skate parks, multiple spraygrounds, nature and garden centers, memorial gardens, playgrounds, a Japanese tea room, trails, 5 golf courses and tennis practice boards. The city also has multiple museums, art galleries, historical centers, community gardens, more than 45 beautiful and unique fountains, annual festivals and events such as the Plaza Art Fair. Additionally, make sure you check out the holiday lighting at the Plaza, BBQ contests, a rodeo and much, much more. Great areas of Kansas City include West 39th Street, Brookside, Waldo, Westport, West Bottoms, River Market and the Crossroads District. Come and experience Kansas City today!