It was later written that: "W. W. Rose was perhaps the boldest and most original political thinker that has attracted attention in Wyandotte County." (A. E. Neal, "Sidelines," The Kansas City Kansan, May 25, 1931.)
He believed in home rule for Kansas towns - that "Kansas City, Kansas should run its own affairs subject to the general laws of the State." He was an early advocate of municipal ownership of the water system.
The State of Kansas had the "Prohibitory Law" with regard to the restriction of the liquor traffic, but were lax in the enforcement. To help us understand the circumstances and the administration that followed, this quotation from Perl Morgan's History of Wyandotte County describes the situation: "As a matter of practical governmental policy, with incidental realization of the absolute inefficiency of the prohibition law of the State in enforcing the cessation of the liquor traffic in the larger cities, the new Mayor refused to attempt the enforcement of the law as it would entail the loss of more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,00.00) a year to the City in fees from liquor licenses with practically no restriction of the business save the more or less surreptitious methods would be adopted in its pursuance."
This tenure of office witnessed some turbulent times in the Mayor's office. Five men were to occupy the Mayor's seat - two ouster suits - and there were three elections. Here's a brief account:
April 4, 1905 - William W. Rose elected Mayor.Sept. 23, 1905 - Ouster suit filed against him for neglecting to enforce the prohibitory law.
April 3, 1906 - Mr. Rose resigned to run for Mayor again.
April 3 to May 7, 1906 - Councilman Edward E. Venard, of the Third Ward, Acting Mayor.
May 7 to May 11, 1906 - Joseph C. Laughlin, President of the Council, was Acting Mayor since Edward E. Venard was a candidate for Mayor.
May 8, 1906 - William W. Rose elected Mayor in Special Election on the "Wide Open" Policy.
Sept. 7, 1906 - Mr. Rose resigned. Fined $1,000.00 by the Kansas Supreme Court for contempt in trying to hold office. Sept. 7 to Dec. 12, 1906 - Coucilman Joseph C. Laughlin, of the First Ward, was Acting Mayor. Mr. Laughlin served 3 months, 5 days.
Dec. 12, 1906 - Special Election. Mr. Rose was debarred from holding the office of Mayor until the term for which he was elected expired. When W. W. Rose was unable to run for Mayor himself, he backed M. J. Phelan, as a Proxy Candidate, on the Democratic ticket. There was also the Republican, Socialist, Citizen's ticket with a blank column for the write-in candidate. Dr. George M. Gray was elected Mayor in the Special Election.
Mr. Rose was a candidate for Mayor four bona fide times and once by proxy.
William W. Rose - the Architect
William Warren Rose was born March 12, 1864 at Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. His early training and natural talent was toward architecture. He came to Kansas City, Kansas in 1896. In 1909, he became associated with David B. Peterson, doing business as Rose and Peterson.
We have had many splendid buildings that attest to his architectural ability, among them:
The Carnegie Building - Public Library was on Minnesota Avenue between 6th and 7th Street. It was built in 1902 and replaced in 1966. An outstanding feature of the building was the "Faces On The Library." Near the top of the building between the windows were the faces of: Goethe, Isaiah, Emerson, Longfellow, Homer, and Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Dante, Virgil, Darwin, Dickens, Cooper Hugo, Irving, Milton, Bancroft, and Gibbon.
|
Kansas City, Kansas High School, 9th and Minnesota Avenue. Later named Wyandotte High School. Fire destroyed this building in 1934. |
|
Catholic High School, 12th and Sandusky - built in 1912. |
 |
Bethany Hospital, located at 12th and Reynolds Avenue. This building was built around 1914. |
 |
Memorial Hall - The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial was one of his last works and thought by many to be his finest. |
 |
Sumner High School - The original Sumner High School, built in 1905. |
Other buildings were the Proposed City Hall, a masterpiece of design. The Scottish Rites Temple at 7th and Ann Avenue has recently been named in the designated Historic District. The Brotherhood Building, Board of Education Buildings, Grund Hotel, the White Church Church, the Bishop's residence and many other residences.
William W. Rose died May 24, 1931 at the age of 67. During World War I, he was a member of the Government War Labor Board and a member of Masonic Bodies. Mr. Rose is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.
THE KANSAS CITY KANSAN, Sunday, December 9, 1984: p. 2A. by MARGARET LANDIS