of their families by giving their names to the streets. Whoever laid out an addition in those early days named the streets within its limits as he chose, and the names selected gave an instant clew to the pioneer owner's identity. The sons and daughters and other descendants of James H. McGee and E. Milton McGee were honored. These names of the McGee family are found in looking over old plats: Allen, Menard, Mobillion, Milton, Gertrude, Catherine, Amelia and Adeline. Main street in the McGee addition. south of Twelfth street was named Eleanor.

James McGee settled on a tract of land adjoining the old townsite on the south in 1830. He lived in a log cabin for four years and then built a home at Twentieth street and Baltimore avenue. He died in 1838. McGee street was named in honor of Milton McGee, who made his addition to Kansas City in 1857 and built a small town on the land, offering liberal terms to buyers.

Campbell and Charlotte streets were named after John Campbell and his wife, Charlotte. Holmes street was named after Nehemiah Holmes. Lydia avenue was named for Lydia Guinotte. Guinotte avenue indicates that the early family residence was in the East bottoms. Dripp street in the southwest part of the city suggests Major Andrew Dripps, the father of Mrs. William Mulkey.

Many streets separated by hillsides or gullies received several names until the grading made a uniform thoroughfare and the street retained but one of numerous names, or was rechristened. In this manner a number of original street names were lost. What is now Market square was known as the public square in early Kansas City. Towns formerly were built around an open square or plaza. It appears that the idea was copied from the Mexican style of platting towns and cities with a plaza in the center. The old squares have since been utilized for courthouses, market places and other public buildings.

Indian names were not popular with the early settlers. From the number of tribes with euphonious names only two streets were christened with Indian names. Wyandotte and Delaware streets were named after the Wyandotte Indians who lived just across the Kaw river and the Delaware Indians whose reservation was farther west.

The shortest street is Cedar, which begins in the alley in the rear of 1622 St. Louis avenue and runs north two hundred feet. Elm and Ord have the shortest names of the Kansas City streets. Maiden lane, which runs from Washington street to Bluff street between Sixth and Seventh streets, was named by Eugene Field in honor of the street in St. Joseph where his wife lived during their courtship. Steptoe street in old Westport is one of the oldest in Kansas City.

Vine street was named after Mrs. Vienna Chase, whose home is at the southeast corner of Twelfth street and Garfield avenue. Wall street was once known as Amarette, in honor of Mrs. T. B. Bullene. Penn street was so

called in honor of the state in which Kersey Coates was born. was named after Dr. Benoist Troost, an early physician.

Troost avenue

During the period shortly after the Civil war Walnut street, from Sixth to Eighth, was frequently impassable by reason of the soft clay, kept continually wet by the overflow of a spring in the street between the present location of the Midland hotel and the Grand Opera House. John Johnson and his six sons were the first white settlers to cross the Blue river. The Johnson land, through which Woodland avenue was first laid out, was covered with a heavy growth of timber which gave the name to the street.

The peculiar bend in lower Main street is explained by the fact that when the street was opened and graded southward a serious obstacle was encountered at Missouri avenue. The late Thompson McDaniels lived in line of the new route and it was decided to pay him one hundred dollars for interfering with his well and dooryard. After several weeks spent in negotiation the council decided the city could not afford to pay for such improvements. Then they compromised by turning the street westward, thus saving Mr. McDaniels' yard and well.

These streets were named for Kansas City people: Guinotte, Hardesty, Shelley, Scarritt, Bales, Goodrich, McGee, Troost, Garland, Scott, Warner, Watkins, Winants, Tichenor, Smart, Ridge, Heist, Campbell, Chouteau, Merceir, Martin, Mastin, Hasbrook, Munford, Hale, Henderson, Gregory, Holmes, Hunter, Baird, Salisbury, Hopkins, Marsh, Sheaffer, Merrill, Anderson, Allen and Dunham.

The following thoroughfares were named for cities and states: Baltimore, Denver, Brooklyn, Colorado, Quincy, Illinois, Delaware, Alton, Indiana, Misouri, Pennsylvania, Milwaukee, Michigan, Lawrence, Lexington, Rochester, Santa Fe, St. Louis, Virginia, Wyoming, St. Paul, Springfield, Fort Scott, Richmond, Winchester, Frankfort and Independence.

These streets were named after statesmen, authors and soldiers: Madison, Douglas, Lincoln, Lafayette, Franklin, Blaine, Monroe, Jefferson, Washington, Jackson, Cleveland, Harrison, Garfield, Benton, Fremont, Clay, Sherman, Hamilton, Gladstone, Irving, Whittier, Bryant, Randolph, Peery, Boone, Fulton, Aberdeen, Bayard, Pendleton.

Numerous changes have been made in the names of Kansas City's streets since 1872. Previous to that time most of the streets bore the names of the members of the old pioneer families. A few have been retained. In February, 1872, an ordinance was approved by Junius Chaffee, acting mayor,

THE ! W YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

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and Dan Geary, city clerk, changing seventy-three names of streets at one For convenience the cross streets were changed from the names of time-honored citizens to numbers.

CHAPTER VI.

THE LEVEE OUTGROWN.

A township justice of the peace and a constable were able to preserve order in the "Town of Kansas" until 1853. A circumstance occurred in December, 1852, that hastened the necessity for a municipal government. A man was arrested for some trivial offense and brought to trial, whereupon. it was discovered that the officers who tried the case held commissions issued for the next township east, locating the jurisdiction of the justice of the peace and the constable six miles from where they had been exercising authority. The town at once applied to the Missouri legislature for a charter and, February 22, 1853, Governor Sterling Price placed his signature to a bill incorporating the "City of Kansas." After the charter had been granted the following announcement was posted:

"Notice is hereby given that, according to the provisions of an act of the general assembly of the State of Missouri, approved February 22, 1853, entitled 'An act to incorporate the City of Kansas,' an election will be held by the qualified voters within the limits of said city as defined by said act, at Kansas, on Monday, the 28th day of March, A. D. 1853, to ascertain whether they will accept or reject the act of incorporation."

The election was held and the charter was ratified by a large majority. The boundaries of the town, as defined in the charter, were the river on the north, Ninth street on the south, Summit street on the west and the alley between Holmes and Charlotte streets on the east. Not all of the land included in this territory was platted until several years after the charter was granted.

The charter obtained, the "City of Kansas" announced that an election. would be held April 18, 1853, for the purpose of electing a mayor and aldermen. A proclamation to this effect signed by Dr. Benoist Troost, Lott Coffman and Thompson McDaniels, was posted on the trees near the levee. At the election sixty-four votes were polled. William S. Gregory, the whig candidate, was elected mayor with thirty-six votes. Dr. Benoist Troost, the Democratic candidate, received twenty-seven votes. A democratic council was elected, composed of the following: Dr. Johnston Lykins, Thomas H.