(Editor's note: This is the 61st in a series of "then and now" articles on places and things of interest in Kansas City, Kan., compiled by area historian Margaret Landis in observance of the 100th birthday of KCK in 1986. Much of the information has appeared in past editions of The Kansan.)

(Transcriptions are presented without changes except to improve readability.)

Kansas City, Kan., has two rivers.

The Missouri River starts in Montana, flows in a southeasterly direction through the states of North and South Dakota and forms the eastern boundary of Nebraska and the northeast boundary of Kansas. It is the northern boundary of KCK.

The Kansas River is formed by the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers in Geary County and the Blue River at Manhattan. Two other important tributaries are the Saline and Solomon rivers. The Kansas River flows in an easterly direction, emptying into the Missouri River at KCK.

The Missouri then flows eastward through central Missouri into the Mississippi River just above St. Louis. Kaw Point has been described as "The Confluence" of the Missouri and Kansas rivers, "The Mouth of the Kaw," "Kaw's Mouth" and "Portsmouth." Here the Kansas River is 750 feet above sea level. The meeting of the Missouri and Kansas rivers brought many early travelers to this area for a variety of reasons.

"Where the Kaw River joins the mighty Missouri in its sweep eastward, has witnessed many events of historical significance to this area, among them:

• 1804: Lewis and Clark, on their epic exploring trip assaying the new Louisiana Purchase, camped three days and four blocks east.
• 1809: Louis Bartholet built a cabin three blocks south - first white settler.
• 1843: The Wyandotte Indians came from Ohio and purchased land from the Delaware Tribe. The Wyandottes established a ferry on the Kaw three blocks east; their council house, school and jail one block northeast; and Huron Indian Cemetery two blocks west.
• 1855: First courthouse and post office three blocks northeast.
• 1859: Wyandotte Constitutional Convention drafted the Kansas State Constitution in session at Lipman's Hall. Five blocks northeast."

Capt. William Clark recorded in his journal, June 28, 1804: "The high lands come to the river Kansas on the upper side at about a mile, full view and butiful (sic) place for a fort, good landing place."

Louis Bartholet was a licensed hunter and trapper. The Kanza (Kansas) Indians occupied this land before the Delawares and Wyandots objected to him being here. They protested to the government and after about a year in this area, he moved back to Missouri. The council house was on the east side of 4th Street between State and Nebraska avenues.

John McIntyre Armstrong began the first free public school in Kansas, July 1, 1844. A church was built the next year. John M. Armstrong and his wife, Lucy, lived near 5th and Freeman. Lipman Myer's Hall was between 1st and 2nd streets on Nebraska. This four-story brick building was the largest brick building in Kansas Territory.

The Dec. 6, 1965 issue of The Kansan reported editorially: "Several points of secondary historical concern lay within the area between the Missouri River, 5th Street, Jersey Creek and Ohio Street. Churches, hotels, the public levee, the Kansas Pacific Railroad yards and environs all contribute to making this small acreage jam-packed with sites of historical events."

Oct. 14, 1863, the first annual fair of the Wyandotte County Agricultural Society was held at the Brick Block on the levee in Wyandotte.

Another event of importance at Kaw Point was reported in the Kansas City Journal of May 25, 1881. The original copy of the paper was loaned by A.U. Schenewerk of the Leavenworth Road Association. It gave an account of a new dredging boat designed to be used in the improvement of the Missouri and Kansas rivers, launched after construction at the mouth of the Kaw.

"The boat was 70 feet in length by 30 feet breadth of beam and has upon her first and second deck 32 tons of machinery," the paper said.

"A large number of tons of sand and mud could be hoisted from the river's bed in a short space of time. In straightening channels, in dykeing river banks and in throwing up levee embankments... A.L. Glenn of Wyandotte was the captain and owner. In christening the craft, water was dipped from the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. Bon Voyage."

The Kansan, in the Dec. 2, 1965 news item announcing the dedication of the marker quoted Claude F. Pack, chairman of the board of Home State Bank, stating that the idea grew out of "The realization that many buildings and streets which figured in the early history of what is now the eastern edge of KCK, were completely destroyed when the Gateway Urban Renewal Project was launched a few years ago."

Much of this historic land at the west end of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct is used by the huge interchange of Interstate 70. Near the Public Levee is the River/Rail elevator, built in 1936, located on the Fairfax Trafficway.

Buildings built in the area after urban renewal, include: Gateway center, 4th and Minnesota; Gateway Gardens Motel, 425 Minnesota; Holiday Inn Towers, 424 Minnesota; Home State Bank, Minnesota at 5th; and constitution Convention Center, Minnesota at 5th.