The following books about the history and development of Kansas City are available for purchase through the Archives Division of KC Parks.
Kansas City’s Parks and Boulevard
by Patrick Alley and Dona Boley
Part of Kansas City Missouri’s fascinating history comes alive through the use of historical photographs as the authors highlight history and development of the park and boulevard system, for which Kansas City is internationally known.
Paperback. 128 pages. Pristine condition. B/W photos and maps. Published 2014. Arcadia Publishing.
$20, if picked up at Kansas City Parks and Recreation Office( 4600 E. 63rd St., KCMO). $25, includes shipping and handling in the United States.
The City Beautiful Movement in Kansas City
by William H. Wilson
This book is an excellent history of Kansas City’s advancement in city planning and beautification in the 19th and early 20th centuries under the leadership of people such as George E. Kessler, August Meyer, Delbert Haff and William Rockhill Nelson. The book tells of city development and gives biographical information about the main people involved in establishing Kansas City’s park and boulevard system.
Hardback with dust jacket. 171 pages. Pristine condition. B/W photos and maps. This is the 1990 reprint of a book originally published in 1964. Lowell Press Publishers.
$15 if picked up at the office and $20 which includes shipping and handling, in the United States.For outside the United States, please call (816) 513-7643.
A City Within a Park: One Hundred Years of Parks and Boulevards in Kansas City, Missouri
by Jane Mobley and Nancy Harris
A City Within a Park provides a look at the history and development of the internationally known and respected park and boulevard system of Kansas City.
First Edition. Hardback with dust jacket. 107 pages. Pristine condition. Color and B/W photos, drawings and maps. Published in 1991 by the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Kansas City, Mo., Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. Lowell Press.
$15 if picked up at the office and $20 which includes shipping and handling, in the United States.For outside of the United States, please call (816) 513-7643.
Historic and Dedicatory Monuments of Kansas City
compiled and edited by Lillie Kelsay
This reference book gives the history of many of Kansas City’s memorials and monuments. It includes historical information, a photograph and the location of each monument.
Paperback. 85 pages. Published 1987. Pristine condition. B/W photos. Published by the Kansas City, Mo., Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.
$5, includes shipping and handling in the United States. For outside the United States, please call (816) 513-7643.
For more information about KC Parks archival collections, please contact: Archives – Parks and Recreation Department, 4600 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, MO 64130 . Contact (816) 513-7643 or archive.parkrec@kcmo.org.
