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The Westport Historical Society... celebrates and commemorates the 19th Century when Americans journeyed West to chase their dream. Many chose the town of Westport as the point where they "jumped off" onto the trails and into the great American Wilderness. Westport, in the heart of Kansas City, is a small village that is filled with legend and history. The Westport Historical Society celebrates the lively history of Westport and its first citizens. We welcome you to visit us and step back in time to an earlier day when Westport and the Town of Kansas were on the nation's frontier. More than 150 years ago, thousands of adventurers from all walks of life came to Westport to explore and seek their fortunes along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. Mountain men and preachers walked the lanes and streets of Westport, drawn here by the mystique of the West. The village of Westport flourished with a cosmopolitan flavor as merchants outfitted wagon trains headed to the Spanish and Mexican settlements. Everyday, more and more people began their westward journey in Westport and as the town grew, the foundation for Kansas City was laid. Today, Westport is a thriving community where people live and shop in many of Westport's original buildings. Although the reason why people flood to Westport has changed in the past 150 years, the energy and vitality of the district remain the same! The Westport Historical Society actively preserves the unique moment in history of the great Westward Migration by sharing the stories of how Kansas City began and by educating the greater Kansas City community of Westport's role in the shaping of the society in America. The Society also researches the Battle of Westport, the largest Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi. We are partnered with the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund in its efforts to restore and preserve the Westport Battlefields. We invite you to bring research ideas to us. As a member, you have access to our resources and contacts! History students of all ages, school districts, history buffs and Westport's residents are all encouraged to make the Historical Society their favorite resource. *NEW* Experience our Exciting Visiting Exhibit! FREE AT LAST: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America Exhibition Presented at the Westport Historical Society Kansas City, MO (May 1, 2010)—The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s national touring panel exhibition, FREE AT LAST: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America, visits the Westport Historical Society and Harris-Kearney House Museum, 4000 Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri, June 5-25, 2010. The exhibition draws visitors into an interaction with the history of the abolition movement through the end of slavery, offering the chance to consider racism in America today through the lens of its complex historical event. FREE AT LAST: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America investigates the question of how slavery in America developed into an institution, and how it came to be condemned as it divided the nation during the Civil War. Visitors can explore an early fragment of Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech, letters by abolitionists and slaves, and personal letters from soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Views of these rare documents, previously unavailable to the public nationally, are accompanied by photographs, broadsides, and other images, give a rare opportunity for adults and youth alike to experience the abolition of slavery and contemplate the challenging legacy of slavery in America. FREE AT LAST: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America focuses on the Founding Era, Slave Resistance, Slavery and the Law, Abolition, Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation, and African Americans in the Civil War. Curated by David Brion Davis, Sterling Professor of History at Yale University, and James Oliver Horton, Benjamin Banneker Professor of American Studies at George Washington University, this national touring exhibition is made possible by funding from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York City, with additional support from Park University’s Program of History and Phi Alpha Theta Chapter, Zeta Omicron. The exhibition will be available for viewing Wednesdays-Saturdays from 1 PM-4 PM. Admission will be $5.00 per person. Group tours may be arranged by contacting the Westport Historical Society at westporthistorical@gmail.com or (816)-561-1821.
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Kansas City, Missouri,
64111 
