Kansas City’s Civil War History

Located in Kansas CIty's historic City Market, the Arabia Steamboat Museum boasts the largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world. These artifacts, recovered from the hold of the sunken Steamboat Arabia, are rich in beauty as well as history. Excavated from a Kansas cornfield, the Arabia carried dishware, jewelry, silks from China and perfumes from France. Among many other fascinating pieces of cargo, a full-scale replica of the Arabia's main deck brings the size   and strength of the steamboat to life. This exciting, visitor-friendly museum provides keener insight into the nostalgic past of the steamboat era and gives visitors a sense of Midwestern living prior to the Civil War. The Battle of Westport, fought in and around modern day Kansas City, signaled the beginning of the end for General Price and his Confederate Army. Often called the Gettysburg of the West, this battle, which engaged almost 30,000 troops, was a triumphant victory for the Union army. The Monnett Battle of Westport Fund offers downloadable brochures for a 25-stop walking tour of Westport and a driving tour of the 23 major battle sites, available at www.BattleofWestport.org.

Area Westport businesses supply these brochures as well. Today, Kansas City's Loose Park preserves much of the battlegrounds and commemorates the fight with markers that tell the story of this critical battle. The Harris-Kearney House, built in 1855, sits in the middle of modern day Westport along what was once the Santa Fe Trail. The home's original owner, John Harris, was also the proprietor of the Harris Hotel, which is no longer standing. Many well-known names of the day patronized the hotel, like the James and Younger brothers, Buffalo Bill and Wyatt Earp. Union General Samuel Curtis headquartered at the Harris Hotel and, during the Battle of Westport, he stood on the hotel's roof with his binoculars as the fighting raged throughout the town. As Kansas City's oldest brick home, the Harris-Kearney House preserves many of the family's original Civil War-era furnishings, like this beautifully-restored pianoforte. The John Wornall House Museum, once called the most pretentious house in the section, was occupied by both Union and Confederate troops and used as an emergency field hospital during the 1864 Battle of Westport.




Now embedded in the bustling community of Brookside, the Wornall House was once the center of a sprawling 500-acre farm on the Missouri frontier. Visitors today can experience the house as if in the 1860s, as the house's interior and furnishings accurately reflect the time period. Gardens located behind the house grow historically-accurate herbs and perennials. The museum features many special events throughout the year for children and adults alike, with special Christmas tours and frequently-changing exhibits.

The Battle of Westport Museum, located inside the Swope Park Interpretive Center, sits on what was once Byram's Ford, where a major portion of the battle was fought. The museum features a hands-on education room, with an authentic Civil War soldier's campsite. The Faces of War Room is dedicated to the civilians, families and slaves affected by the Civil War. The museum holds artifacts recovered from the battlefield and tintype photos of soldiers who lived in the Kansas City area and fought for their lives in the Battle of Westport..