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INTHISISSUE
continued on page 5
2New Acquisitions
3Museum News
The Orient
in Johnson County?
8
Fun Facts about Johnson
County Cities and Towns!
9
Design Your Own Home!
A Facelift for the City Beautiful: Urban Renewal in Olathe
What is Urban Renewal? Urban Renewal is a
program Olathe has selected to help the city solve
its problems of inadequate housing, traffic tangles,
improper sites for industry, decaying business areas
and poor city planning done in the past.
Olathe Urban Renewal literature.
Downtown Olathe A City Beautiful?By the early 1960s, Olathethe City Beautiful
was beginning to look a little shopworn. As the
construction of I-35 made car travel away from the
city quicker and easier, Olathes historic downtown
experienced hard times competing with newer
shopping centers. In 1964, a fire destroyed a
significant portion of Olathes historic downtown,
and prompted the Olathe Development Association
an organization of property owners and concerned
citizensto examine strategies for revitalizing their
city. In an effort to revitalize their communitys
urban center, this group applied for a federal Urban
Renewal grant. Their plan would replace or refreshthe citys old buildings and reroute streets to create
an outdoor mall.
In the mid-1960s, a market analysis reported
that Olathe, due to its centralized location, the
proximity of northeast Johnson Countys growing
population, and easy access to major highways,
offers the prime location for the establishment of
the nucleus of a fine regional shopping facility and
concluded that for Olathe, there is no alternative to
redevelopment of the central business district.
The report fur ther noted that Olatheans spent
approximately $6 million a year shopping in their
city, but that a significant portion of their purchasing
powerup to $20 millionwas being drawn away
from their hometown by the allure of shopping
facilities elsewhere in Johnson County and in
Kansas City. The highway access which could be
Suburbia for Everyone?
In 1966, Donald and Virginia Sewing moved theirfamily to Fairway. They purchased an unassuming
three-bedroom ranch-style home at 4118 W. 59thStreet for $23,000. Donald was a banker and realestate agent based in Kansas City, Kansas, while hiswife stayed home with their two young children.While this may seem unremarkable, their arrival inthe neighborhood prompted front-page stories in the
Kansas City Star, and the number of cars driving bytheir house to check out the new neighbors createda traffic jam. Why all the interest? The Sewingswere the first black family to move into the affluentenclave of northeast Johnson County.
Racial discrimination had long played a role in
the life of suburbia, and in a sense had been one
of the driving factors behind its creation. Theconstruction of highways, funded by the Federal-
Aid Highway Act of 1956, served not only toimprove the nations transportation systems, butalso provided middle-class whites a route by whichthey could escape the citiesand their ethnic andminority neighbors. Post-World War II affluencemeant that car ownership was a possibility fora greater number of Americans, and the newhighways, as local developer Whitney Kerrobserved, tremendously increased the amount ofland available for development. A 1958 reportdescribed the typical northeast Johnson Countianas someone who works in Kansas City, Missouri,and commutes between work and home in a private
automobile... The report further noted that JohnsonCountys car population in 1957 was 51,087
or approximately one passenger car for everytwo persons.
Once in the suburbs, suburban developers such asthe J.C. Nichols Investment Company and the KrohBrothers used deed restrictions to exclude somepotential buyers, such as African-Americans orJews, who may also have had the financial meansto leave the city behind. These restrictions, whichoften also prohibited the ownership of farm animalsor the posting of advertisements on properties, wereintended to safeguard property values a commonfear among whites was that selling a house to ablack family would inspire panic selling amongthe neighbors, causing property values to plummet.
This unidentified couple won the prize for most original
costume at the Leawood Country Clubs Halloween costume
contest in 1965. Racial prejudice was openly accepted within
some Johnson County social circles. Photograph courtesy of
Leathers Publishing.
Volume XXI, Number 2 and 3 Spring/Summer 2008
continued on page 4
Artists drawings like this one depicting the proposed pedestrian
mall made Olathes Urban Renewal project look very appealing.
JCM Collection.
10
The City Kid &
the Suburban Kid
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DONORS TO THE
COLLECTIONNEW ACQUISITIONSThe Johnson County Museum collects artifacts from all periods of the countys history,
from early settlement through the present day. The following items are among some of
the recent donations to the permanent collection.
Ellen Burd
Jim Converse
Dona Grainger
Patricia Heitschmidt
Arabel JohnstonThomas McCabe
Norman Pishny
Mary Savage
Donna Kill
Mary Ann Walters
Jackson County Historical Society
EDITORS NOTEThis double-issue of the Album
represents the spring and summer
2008 issues.
HONORED ON ALL LEVELS
WISH LIST:
The Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) of Shawnee Mission North High
School honored all veterans at the 2007 Veterans Day ceremony held by the Sons of Union Veterans
of the Civil War, Franklin Camp #5 at Olathe Memorial Cemetery. This groups drill team won the
coveted national championship
in the drill category at a
competition held at Naval Air
Station Pensacola, Florida, in
2006. Jim Converse of Overland
Park contributed the image of
this championship team.
CAPTURING THE TIMES...Patricia Heitschmidt recently donated photographs of
her late husband, Robert Hetischmidt, to highlight withartifacts on display in the museums exhibit Coming of
Age in Johnson County: 1960-1976, which was on view
through August 31st of this year. In 1968 at the age of
24, Robert Heitschmidt left Johnson County to enter the
Army. A truck driver and office clerk, he spent a year
in Viet Nam. In 1970, he was awarded a Bronze Star.
He returned home to his wife in Johnson County after
his service.
DONT FORGET THE TV!Tom McCabe recently contributed this
Midland portable television, used by
the McCabe family of Olathe on manycross-county road trips in the 1980s.
Manufactured in Korea the unit was
distributed by Midland International
Corporation, which had a retail location
in downtown Mission on Johnson
Drive. This early portable television
was powered by plugging its cord into a
vehicles cigarette lighter.
The Museum is looking for images ofmodern architecture in Johnson County.
If you have pictures of a home, office
building or business from the 1950s and
60s, please consider donating copies
of the images to the Museum. Contact
Kathy Daniels, Curator of Collections and
Exhibits at 913-715-2551.
Thank you!
Johnson County Museum
Friends Board of Trustees
Heather Woodson,President
Vacant, Vice-President
Linda Leeper, Treasurer
John Andrade, Secretary
Calvin Engelmann
Mary Kay Ingenthron
Ed Landers
Diane Linver
Mindi Love
Larry Meeker
Jennie Stolper
Mary Tearney
Museum Advisory Council
Nancy Wallerstein, Chair
Ben Mann, Vice-Chair
Bill Anthony
Cal Engelmann
David Oliphant
Jerrry Snider
Heather Woodson
Museum StaffMindi Love, Director
Erin Befort, Curator of Education
Kathy Daniels, Curator of Collections & Exhibits
Melissa Fisher Isaacs, Assistant Curator
Russ Czaplewski, Collection Manager
Tom McCabe, Ofce Manager
Stephanie Clayton, Laneseld School Manager
Denise Hartley, Intern
Andy Davis, Historical Interpreter
Ashley Fuller, Historical Interpreter
Bethany Taylor, Historical Interpreter
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ANNUAL CAMPAIGN PARTNERS
Thank you to these businesses,
family foundations, and individuals for
their 2008 support of the Museums
educational programming.
SPONSORS($1,000 and above)Commerce BancsharesFrederick and Louise Hartwig Family
Foundation
Stinson, Morrison, Hecker, LLP
Target
Tension Envelope Foundation
Wal-Mart Foundation
PATRONS($500 and above)CEO Enterprises
Kansas City Power & Light
Smith & Loveless
Ralph Van Goethem
PARTNERS($100 and above)Overland Park Heritage Foundation
Taco Uno
ENDOWMENT GIFTSWe would like to thank those who
invested in Museums future by making
a gift to the Endowment fund in 2008.
Thank you for your generous support!
Charlotte Brown
Kay and John Callison
Kathryn Charlton
Carolyn EnglundGinny Fisher in memory of Ruth Hervey
Bill and Marjorie Franklin
Paul and Barbara Gorman in memory
of Ruth Hervey
Frederick and Louise Hartwick
Family Foundation
Ann Kindred
Merck Partnership Giving matching
gift of James and Martha Bostick
H.O. Peet Foundation
Frances H. Robertson in memory
of Gordon Robertson
Spectra Energy Transmission LLC
Sprint Foundation matching gift
of Ralph ReidJoan Barkley Wells in memory
of Marguerite Wells
MUSEUM NEWS
The Orientin Johnson County?Atop a hill, in the midst of an unusual five way
intersection stands a house many know as the pink
pagoda, and one of the more eye-catching homes
in Johnson County. Located at 8702 W. 49th
Terrace in Merriam, the home was originally in
the South Park community, built along the Hocker
Interurban commuter line in 1918 by local
Rosedale bank owner and realtor John Sanders.
The exotic architecture of the home, with roof
eaves that curve upward with each story, was
thought to have been inspired from his wife
Valaskas trips to the Orient.
By July of 1979, the home had fallen into severe
disrepair, but new owners Carol and Frank
Gochenours recognized its potential. They
embarked on massive renovation efforts to
modernize the home, inadvertently sparking the
concern of the community. People began stopping
by to inquire about the home so much that a 5 foot
sign was placed in front of the home to reassure
the public that it was under renovation, not being
demolished. The interior plaster and lathe walls
were replaced, wiring updated, and the home
placed on jacks to install new beams to stabilize
the foundationalong with a long list of other
updates and repairs. The final touch that truly
transformed the home was simply the choice
of paint color. Inspired by the brightly colored
homes of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the
Gochenours replaced the original tan color of
the home with a more flamboyant salmon pink.
The eccentric home mesmerized the
community until 2001, when it underwent
another large transformation into a commercial
curiosity. The Gochenours lived in the home
until 1993, when they moved to a more
rural location and rented out the home.
Unfortunately, it was again starting to fall into
disrepair and the owners decided to petition
to have the home rezoned for commercial
endeavors. JCs Hidden Treasures, a local
antique and garden center, became the first
commercial venture. Today, the home is again
at a crossroads and its future is uncertain.
Recent plans have for a fortune teller and a
martial ar ts studio to locate in the structure
have not been realized. Whatever the future
holds for this building it has clearly fascinated
the community for 90 years and remains
today as an excellent example of exotic revival
architecture in Johnson County.
KIDSCAPE BUZZ!The Museum of History has been alive with
the buzz of little voices and little feet taking in
the sights and sounds of the Museums latest
exhibit, KidScape. Designed for children 39
years old, the completely hands-on exhibit
opened September 20, 2008 and will continue
through August 23, 2009. The concept is a
suburban streetscape to teach young children
about community and the people who make it
unique. Visitors can immerse themselves in six
areas: the park, City Hall, a fashion boutique,
a book store, a hospital, and a theater to meet
some of Johnson Countys most talented
individualspast and present. One example is
the city park where you can fish, play golf or
bowl, and try your hand at virtual sports games
on a Wii video game. While there, visitors can
meet professional baseball pitcher and teacher at
the Kansas School for the Deaf Luther Taylor of
Olathe and professional golfer Tommy Watson.The activities in each environment are fun and
engaging and reinforce the idea that each one of
us is important to the success of our community.
The exhibit is proving very popularthe
Museum experienced record attendance numbers
in October and November this year. Invite your
friends and family for a visit to check out what
all the buzz is about. Remember, admission is
free and its well worth the trip!
COMING OF AGE RECEIVES
RECOGNITIONThe Museums recent exhibit Coming of Age
in Johnson County: 19601976received a
2008 Award of Excellence from the Kansas
Museums Association. Melissa Fisher-Isaacs,the museums assistant curator and lead curator
on this project, accepted the award at the
associations annual meeting in Manhattan,
Kansas, on October 31st. The committee that
reviewed the submissions was impressed by
the museums work in documenting unique
and diverse segments of Johnson Countys
population. One technique the Museum utilized
to capture such information was to create
an online survey for the community. Over
100 people, representing a wide age range,
shared their experiences. Many respondents
were children who remembered an idyllic
time of feeling safe, playing outside well into
dark, and having the freedom to explore theirneighborhoods. Many adults during that time
remembered the open space compared to
todays congested traffic and developments.
They also recalled where they were during
pivotal periods in our nations history, such as
the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy,
Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert K. Kennedy,
as well as more uplifting events like the landing
on the moon. The Museum is proud to be
acknowledged by our museum colleagues for
this exhibit, and we appreciate the communitys
support of the project. Thank you!
The home, located at 8702 W 49th Terrace in Merriam,
Kansas, as it appeared in 1996. JCM Collection.
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continued from page 1
bringing outsiders into Olathe was instead encouraging
Olatheans to shop elsewhere. The report urged prompt
and bold action in seizing the opportunity to
reclaim Olathes status as the center of influence
in Johnson County.
Olathe was not alone in this situation. Cities across
the nation faced problems stemming from aging
infrastructure, new transportation routes and patternsof development, and impoverished neighborhoods.
Unlike the newer suburban communities that had
sprung up during the post-World War II building
boom, which were designed to accommodate modern
lifestyles and expectations, older cities like Olathe
found themselves at a crossroads. Many, like Olathe,
turned to the federal government for help. The 1949
Housing Act, signed into law by President Truman,
provided federal funding for rebuilding the nations
citiesa program which would become known as
Urban Renewal. The Kansas law authorizing cities to
participate in the Urban Renewal program was passed
in 1955.
In 1965, Olathe established its Urban Renewal Agency.By the fall of 1966, the agency made public its
tentative plan for redeveloping Olathes downtowna
plan which included the relocation of Santa Fe,
Kansas, and Water streets; space for a courthouse
expansion and a civic center (which would house some
departments of city government, the public library,
and provide meeting rooms for civic groups and an
auditorium for theatrical productions); additional
parking lots, the closure of downtown streets to
automobile traffic to create a landscaped outdoor mall;
and the acquisition of land for the construction of
major retail facilities. An initial acquisition appraisal
of properties in the areas proposed for redevelopment
was also begun at this time.
In December 1966, federal officials tentatively
approved Olathes redevelopment plan. In January
the following year, the Board of Johnson County
Commissioners likewise granted their unofficial
approval to the project, and in March 1967, Olathe city
commissioners unanimously adopted the proposed
plan. The final approval came in June 1967 from the
federal government and a contract for $3,136,365 was
issued. The Urban Renewal Agency quickly set to
work negotiating for the purchase of St. Pauls Catholic
Church, the old St. Paul elementary school, and the
Catholic rectorythe first of 102 homes and businesses
that would ultimately be purchased and demolished
as part of the downtown Olathe Urban Renewalproject. Despite the overwhelming community support
for the project, as evidenced by the speeches given
by community members at a public hearing for the
redevelopment plan, some downtown merchants had
already begun to express their opposition to the closure
of the streets running through the downtown district
an aspect of the plan that was vital to the creation of
the outdoor mall, which called for public benches,
fountains, and other beautifying elements.
After a year and a half of demolition, construction
began in June 1969 on the water features,
sidewalks, and canopy which would transform the
downtowns atmosphere into that of an outdoor
mall. The following month, construction on the
first new building in the downtown area, the
Patrons Building Corp. structure, began. Cracks
in the plan were evident by November 1969, when
Olathe voters defeated a bond issue which wouldhave provided funds for the construction of the
proposed civic center as well as a new city pool.
By early 1970, letters-to-the-editor in the Olathe
Daily Newswere showing signs that citizens were
fatigued by the experience of watching their citys
landmark buildings fall, and less than thrilled with
the projects results. Mrs. Floyd Huggins observed
that, Maybe tearing down these buildings is
progress. But soon Olathe will be known as the
city with many parking lots, not Olathe beautiful.
Even former mayor Peter Martin characterized
the project as short of a triumph, and suggested
that new design consultants be brought in. Were
a little disappointed with the water feature anda couple of things, he added. Even the current
city manager, Ray Riley, said of the water feature
that we couldnt have possibly created a worse
traffic hazard if wed sat down with the engineers
and said, Lets draw the worst traffic hazard
we can think of. Business owner Phil DeNeve
observed that [the mall] doesnt look anything
like the beautiful picture in the newspaper. Olathe
citizens dissatisfaction with urban renewal echoed
the conversation about the program that was taking
place at the national level. Although a presidential
study group recommended that the program be
continuedthe panel said urban renewal could
exorcise the specter of increasing apartheid in
the nations citiesothers complained that theprogram created urban wastelands that have
remained year after year before redevelopment
began. And some communities, such as
Hutchinson, Kansas, were so strongly opposed
to the program that the city leaders passed laws
against Urban Renewal projects.
Local citizen dissatisfaction also stemmed from
the feeling that the original plan for Olathe was not
being followed. That plan called for the outdoor
mall to be closed to automobile traffic, but intense
merchant opposition reversed this decision. Despite
the results of a poll of Olathe residents152 of 237
respondents favored blocking all traffic from the
mall area, while only nineteen favored the revisedplan ultimately chosen by the city commission
the commissioners chose to allow one way
traffic through the area. At a May 1972 meeting
of the city commissioners, the final plan for the
downtown project was amended to delete the
relocation of Kansas Avenue, the full mall concept,
and the elimination of some street right-of-ways.
continued on page 6
Olathes Urban Renewal project promised to make the historic
city thoroughly modern. JCM Collection.
Modern MallWhen the Metcalf South ShoppingCenter opened on August 3, 1967,it was envisioned by its developersas a sort of utopian city, one witha full-range of stores, restaurants,playgrounds, and parks, wherepeople shop, work, relax, meet, andhave fun...attend meetings, inspect
scientific or cultural exhibits, andmaybe even danceall this withperfect weather year-round. Theshopping center, anchored on thesouth end by Sears and on the northend by the Jones Store, boasted800,000 square feet of floor space,and was 99% leased on opening day.A plethora of free admission exhibits,demonstrations, other promotion
events, including a visit from Expo67, the Canadian worlds fair, filledthe malls activity calendar for monthsafter opening day.
Metcalf South was part of a growingtrend across the United States. In1957, it was estimated that there were2,200 enclosed shopping malls in thecountry; by years end, an August 1967Kansas City Stararticle predicted,there would be 10,000. The majorattraction, besides the 58 stores andshops under one roof? 4,500 parkingspaces. Observing the shopping centerphenomenon, one writer mused:
The day may soon be at hand when a
shopping center in some sub-suburban
location will incorporate itself, elect a
mayor, and become a city on its own.The ingredients are all therestores,
restaurants, banks, a post office (one center
outside Manhattan has its own hospital). And
it would be only logical. For the shopping
center is the first and only urban unit to
be devised specifically and exclusively to
accommodate that bugaboo of older cities,
the automobile.
Certainly it was no accident thatMetcalf South was located just northof the newly completed section ofI-435, giving shoppers travelingon I-35 easy access. Now, instead
of driving to downtown Olathe orKansas Citylandscapes designedto accommodate pedestrians arrivingby public transportation rather than
motorists needing parking spacesJohnson Countians could fulfill alltheir consumer impulses with one stopin a car-friendly environment.
Too, Metcalf South was at thevanguard of Johnson Countystransition from bedroom community toedge citythe ease of transportation inthe suburbs due to the construction ofI-35 and I-435 not only made shoppingeasier, but also allowed businessesto ship and receive goods moreconveniently. As more developersand business owners discovered theadvantages of locating their operationsoutside of Kansas City, fewer JohnsonCounty residents needed to commuteto Kansas City to work.
To learn more about Metcalf SouthShopping Center or leave yourimpressions of it, check out the bloghttp://www.labelscar.com/kansas/metcalf-south.
These canopies and the water feature, located at the intersection
of South Kansas Avenue and West Park Street, were intended to
modernize Olathes historic downtown. They proved unpopular
with many local residents. JCM Collection.
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Although racially restrictive covenants weredeclared unconstitutional by the Supreme Courtin 1948, minorities continued to face barriersto suburban home ownership. Discriminationin lending practices and the de facto racismpracticed by many real estate agents, whorefused to show homes in certain areas toundesirable buyers, made the AmericanDream of owning a home in the suburbs animpossibility for many minorities.
Early in the struggle, civil rights workersrealized that breaking down barriers to equalopportunities in housing would be a key factorin ending racial discrimination in general.
Not only did discriminatory housing practiceslimit the mobility and opportunities availableto minorities, but it also made it unlikely thatthose who held racial prejudices would havethe experience of living next-door to someoneof a different race. This was the essence behindDonald Sewings strategy for integratingnortheast Johnson County:
I wanted them to know that whenever you think of
yourself you think of us because it aint no difference
except the color and this is the whole message. Its
always been my message, but I think they got an
education. I know my neighbors got a real genuine
education. They got a chance to see first-hand how
these black folks live... Are they any different from us?
What about our kids and their kids? Well, the kids take
care of everything. You turn the kids loose and you
dont have to worry about a thing. They dont see green
or red or nothing...
As a real estate agent, Sewing adopted thestrategy of scattering black families who wantedto purchase a home throughout the communitiesof northeast Johnson County, rather than takingthe more common approach of clustering blackfamilies in one area.
The theory was if you use the scatter approach, the
integration, in housing, there is no place to run to.
Wherever you go there is going to be some minorities
blacks, Hispanics or somebody. That was the whole
idea and that worked out real well.
Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 wasa victory for minority populations on somefronts, it did not provide for equal opportunity
in housing. This prompted a group of concernedcitizens throughout the Kansas City metropolitanareathe Greater Kansas City Council onReligion and Raceto organize and direct
their efforts towards fair housing. Beginning in1965, the Council organized the Good NeighborPledge Campaign; this grassroots campaigninvolved 200 volunteers canvassing the 5-countymetropolitan area for signatures in support offair housing. In all, the Good Neighbor Pledgecampaign collected over 21,000 signatures, with5% of those coming from Johnson County. Thenames collected were then published in localnewspapers, as a show of community-widesupport for equal opportunity in housing.
A key figure in the organization of the GoodNeighbor Pledge Campaign and subsequent
efforts in the struggle for civil rights and fair
housing in Johnson County was Ruth Shechter.Mrs. Shechter, a Jewish woman who moved toFairway with her husband and children in 1958,chaired the Kansas Advisory Council on CivilRights and was instrumental in the formationand activities of the Shawnee Mission Fair
Housing Council. In a 1995 interview, Mrs.
Shechter remembered her familys participationin the fight for fair housing:
Not only did we participate [in the Good Neighbor
Pledge Campaign]I participated, but my children...
grew up learning how to run a hand operated printing
press... And we turned out a lot of material
educational material, mailings, and everything else; and
I remember one Senate Committee threatened to cut
the funds of the [Kansas] Commission [on Civil Rights]
because they happened to be supporting this mailing
all over the state. And I had a great deal of pleasure
in inviting the entire Senate Committee to the Kansas
underground press in my basement. Hand operated,four kidsfolding, stuffing...
The Greater Kansas City Council on Religionand Race was one way the local clergy of allfaiths and denominations worked to combatsegregation and discrimination. One notableclergyman who worked to end discriminationin housing was Reverend Robert Meneilly,founder of the Village Presbyterian Church. Hisoutspokenness on behalf of fair housing, inspiredby Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was showcasedin a 1965 sermon urging his congregation tosupport changes in housing legislationas he
In 1965, the Greater Kansas City Council on Religion
and Race unveiled its Good Neighbor Pledge
Campaign. This grassroots campaign collected over
21,000 signatures in support of fair housing, with 5% of
those coming from Johnson County. JCM Collection.
A Civil Right Pioneer:
Donald Sewing
Donald Sewing liked to say that, after seeing
warhe served as a medic in the Korean War,
where he earned a Bronze Starnothing much
fazed him. So when he and his wife Virginia
made the decision to move their young family
from Kansas City, Kansas, to northeastJohnson County, Sewing was undaunted by the
challenge. Earlier efforts to integrate northeast
Johnson Countys exclusive neighborhoods
had been unsuccessful. For instance, in 1963,
a black family bought a home in Westwood.
Before they could move in, a group of white
residents in Westwood raised $25,000nearly
double the value of the hometo purchase
the house and keep the family out of the
neighborhood.
A 1956 graduate of the University of Kansas
City (now UMKC) School of Business,
Sewing had established a thriving real estatebusiness based in Wyandotte County. Despite
his real estate background, however, finding
a house to buy in Johnson County was not
easymany white realtors sought to maintain
the segregated status quo by refusing to show
homes to blacks. To circumvent this barrier,
Sewing used his professional contacts to
locate a house for sale in Fairway, and bought
it directly from the owner. When the Sewing
family moved into the house in February 1966,
they were faced with a traffic jam of cars
driving past, and a lone picketer whom they
invited in for a soda. Soon enough, thanks in
part to the support of Fairway mayor NealePeterson, life returned to normal for the
Sewings and their neighbors.
His move to Fairway was not Donald Sewings
first effort to end segregation in housing, and
it wouldnt be his last. In the early 1960s, he
and another black realtor worked to integrate
white suburbs in Wyandotte County by
purchasing homes and holding them until a
black buyer could be found. Soon after his
family settled in Fairway, Sewing began
helping other black families find homes in
neighborhoods throughout northeast Johnson
County. He estimated that at least fifty familiesparticipated in this scattered approach
to integration.
When Donald and Virginia Sewing and their
children, Evelyn and Henry, moved to Fairway in
1966, they became the first black family to move
into northeast Johnson Countys exclusive suburbs.
The family is pictured here at the grand opening of
Sewings real estate office in Overland Park in 1970.
The Sewings third child, Donald Sewing II, was born
in 1971. JCM Collection.
Ruth Shechter moved with her family to Fairway in
1958, and immediately became a key figure in the
struggle for civil rights and fair housing in Johnson
County. JCM Collection.
In 1941, the J.C. Nichols Corporation included this covenant as part of the deed restrictions for a subdivision in Prairie
Village. In 1948, the Supreme Court declared this practice unconstitutional. JCM Collection.
continued from page 1
continued on page 7
continued on page 7
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continued from page 4
TO LEARN MORE...
To learn more about the history of
downtown, the Urban Renewal
program, and the effect of the
automobile on urban planning,
check out these fascinating books!
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life
of Great American Cities. New York:
Random House, 1961.
Kay, Jane Holtz. Asphalt Nation:
How the Automobile Took Over
America, and How We Can Take It
Back. New York: Crown Publishers,
1997.
Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City.
Cambridge [Mass.]: Technology
Press, 1960.
Isenberg, Alison. Downtown
America: A History of the Place and
the People Who Made It. Historical
Studies of Urban America. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2004.
Fullilove, Mindy Thompson.
Root Shock: How Tearing Up City
Neighborhoods Hurts America, and
What We Can Do About It. New
York: One World/Ballantine Books,
2004.
The Fairview NeighborhoodPlanning for the second phase of Olathes Urban
Renewal project began in December 1967. This
phase would turn its attention from downtown
to approximately 300 acres of blighted or
deteriorating residential area on Olathes north
sideparticularly the historically black Fairview
neighborhood. It was no secret that there was
discrimination in housing in Olathe, from real
estate agents who refused to show houses to black
buyers to landlords who would only rent certainproperties to black tenants. This knowledge and
past experiences by members of Olathes black
community concerned many about where they
would go if their neighborhood was included in
the urban renewal project. Despite neighborhood
opposition, the city pushed forward with its
plans to include the Fairview neighborhood in
the urban renewal project and promised several
months of study in order to best meet the needs
of the affected residents. In an effort to voice the
concerns of neighborhood residents, the Fairview
Neighborhood Council was established. Headed
by Joseph Person and assisted by Ruth Shechter, a
Fairway, Kansas, resident and chair of the Kansas
Advisory Council on Civil Rights, the councilhoped to mediate between the Urban Renewal
Agency (URA) and the Fairview neighborhood.
Despite such efforts, ultimately, the neighborhood
residents voted to approve the project.
At a public meeting to discuss the plan, Mayor
Peter Martin expressed his hope that the project
would result in a totally integrated community,
while assistant Urban Renewal Agency director
Al Behrens reassured audience members that the
URA was required to prove its ability to relocate
all displaced persons within their ability to pay
before any demolition is startedthe federal
Uniform Relocation Act of 1970 laid out the
regulations for relocating people whose propertywas acquired by federally funded projects. In
January 1970, a spot appraisal survey was begun
in the area to determine the range of property
values within the project area. In addition, Dr.
O.Z. White of Trinity University in San Antonio,
Texas, conducted a socio-economic survey of the
Fairview neighborhood.
In 1971, the Olathe Urban Renewal Agency
learned that, because all money for non-freeway
system routes was already committed through the
end of the decade, the State Highway Commission
was unable to provide funding for the relocation
of a portion of K-150 and an overpass for the
Santa Fe railroad tracks. Because this financial
assistance was key to the success of the Fairview
Project, the UR Agency requested that the
project be converted from an Urban Renewal
Project to a Neighborhood Development
Program; this request was granted. Under the
NDP, the Fairview project was reduced in size,with an area of approximately five blocks south
of Loula Street was removed from the plan. In
March 1972, work began on a project to widen
Santa Fe Street and provide better access to
downtown from I-35.
In the course of the Fairview project, fifty-nine
parcels were purchased. Fifty-seven structures
were scheduled for demolition. Thirty-three
families, sixteen individuals, six businesses,
and two churches had to be relocated. By the
end of 1973, eight of the families remained in
the twelve block project area, eighteen families
had relocated outside of the project area, and
four families had left the city of Olathe. Ofthe individuals to be relocated, three remained
in the project area, nine moved outside of the
project area, and three left the city of Olathe.
As of December 1973, three families and one
individual had yet to be relocated. One of the
churches was completely rebuilt in 1973. Owner-
occupant families and individuals displaced
by the project were eligible for up to $5,000
approximately $24,395 in 2008 dollarsin
addition to the fair market value of their
property, to assist them in purchasing a decent,
safe, and sanitary dwelling of modest standards.
And the Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, meant
that racial discrimination in housing-related
transactions was illegal. In their 1973 annualreport, the URA noted that it was quite proud of
the fact that all the owner-occupants were able to
purchase standard new or existing homes either
in or outside the project area.
In 1974, federal support for the Urban Renewal
program was withdrawn, and Olathes URA
office closed its doors. While the projects
results have received mixed reviews, one thing is
certain: after Urban Renewal, the City Beautiful
would never look the same.
Before and After. Before the Fairview Urban
Renewal Project, this home at 610 N. PineStreet had no indoor bathroom or hot water.
The new dwelling, replaced with assistance
from the Urban Renewal Agency, had both
modern amenities. JCM Collection.
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remembered it, I did a sermon one Sunday, ifblack people want to move into Prairie Village,
why in the world shouldnt they? And theyought to be welcomed. This sermon, publishedon the front page of the Kansas City Times,brought wider attention to his messageand asuitcase-worth of hate mail from the community.Despite this criticism, Dr. Meneilly continuedhis involvement with the movement. In addition
to his role as minister, Dr. Meneilly also servedas the president of the Council of Churches ofMetropolitan Kansas City and Vice Chairmanof the Prairie Village-Leawood Fair HousingCouncil. And Dr. Meneilly wasnt the onlymember of the clergy involved. On February22, 1966, the Interfaith Convocation on FairHousing, held at the Municipal Auditorium in
Kansas City, Missouri, served as a clearinghousefor ideas for making fair housing a reality. TheCouncil proclaimed February 25 and February27, 1966, to be Fair Housing Sabbath, a day inwhich clergy across the metro area urged theircongregations to get involved with, or at leastaccept, fair housing efforts in their communities.
Following the Good Neighbor Pledge Campaign,the Johnson County contingent of the GreaterKansas City Council on Religion and Racedecided to form a separate group, the ShawneeMission Fair Housing Council. This group alsoincluded representation from Olathe. For severalyears, beginning in 1967, the group sponsoredSpring and Fall Homes Tours, which allowedminorities to tour homes on the market, in thehopes of encouraging more minority families tomake their home in Johnson County. They also
surveyed realtors and apartment complexes todetermine sale and rental practices in the county.They collected narratives of experiences withdiscrimination in housing-related transactions,
and distributed educational materials about therealities of fair housing. In 1971, as a resultof the urban renewal project impacting theFairview Neighborhood in Olathe, the councilpartnered with the Fairview Neighborhood
Council to rehabilitate homes for low-incomefamilies.
1968 was a watershed year in shaping racerelations and the fair housing issue in theKansas City metropolitan area. In the wake ofMartin Luther King, Jr.s assassination, riotingin Kansas City brought the impact of racialdiscrimination home to suburban JohnsonCountians. Fears that the riots would spillacross the state line prompted Kansas GovernorRobert Docking to place Johnson County undera state of emergency and implement a curfew.A newspaper article reported that sales ofgasoline, except in the gas tanks of automobiles,was barred and liquor and cereal malt beveragedealers were ordered closed... The 8pm to 6amrestrictions ordered citizens off the streetsand closed taverns retail and wholesale liquorestablishments, gasoline stations and retailers offirearms and ammunition. The riots in Kansas
City prompted an open dialogue across themetropolitan area about the local state ofrace relations.
That year also saw Congress pass the CivilRights Act of 1968including Title VIII ofthat act, which prohibits discrimination in thesale, rental, or financing of dwellings, and inother housing-related transactions... In 1970,the Kansas Legislature passed HB 1614, which
prohibits discrimination in housing due to raceor religion, and enables the Kansas Commissionon Civil Rights (now the Kansas Human RightsCommission) to investigate evidence that racialor religious discrimination is being practiced.These acts of legislation were victories for theorganizations that had worked tirelessly to makefair housing a reality in Johnson County.
Despite the many barriers to equality that werebroken down by advocates for fair housingin the 1960s, Johnson County today remainslargely homogenous. 2006 United States Censusfigures indicate that 90.3% of Johnson Countys516,731 residents are white, while people from
a diversity of ethnic backgrounds make up theremaining 9.7%.
TO LEARN MORE...
To grown his business in 1970, Donald Sewing
opened a real estate office at 7544 Floyd Street
in Overland Park. Later that year, a smoke
bomb was thrown through the offices window
but did little damage. But the mid-1970s,
Sewing decided to close his Overland Parkoffice. Despite changing laws that outlawed
discrimination in housing, Sewing still found
it difficult to gain entre into the circle of
Johnson County realtors, a handicap that
made the business too expensive to run. He
continued to operate his Wyandotte County
office until his death in 2007.
Overall, Sewing looked back on his
contributions to the civil rights movement in
Johnson County with satisfaction. Asked if he
considered his efforts to have been a success,
he replied, Did we do well what we set out to
do? Absolutely.
Donald Sewingcontinued from page 5
To learn more about race and the
suburbs, check out these great books!
Gotham, Kevin Fox. Race, Real Estate,
and Uneven Development: The Kansas
City Experience, 1900-2000. Albany:
State University of New York Press, 2002.
Nadel, Alan. Television in Black-and-White
America: Race and National Identity.
Culture America. Lawrence: University
Press of Kansas, 2005.
Satter, Beryl. Family Properties: Race,
Real Estate, and the Exploitation of Black
Urban America. New York: Metropolitan
Books, 2009.
Schirmer, Sherry Lamb. A City Divided:
The Racial Landscape of Kansas City,
1900-1960. Columbia: University of
Missouri Press, 2002.
Dr. Robert Meneilly, founder of the Village Presbyterian
Church, was outspoken on his views of social issues.
Not everyone appreciatedor agreed with
Dr. Meneillys progressive views. He received this
anonymous letter after giving a 1965 speech calling for
fair housing in Johnson County. JCM Collection.
Reverend Meneilly preached for social justice, including
support for fair housing in the 1960s. JCM Collection.
continued from page 5
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Fun Facts about Johnson County Cities and Towns!Have you ever wondered how your city or town got its name? If you were planning to renew your city ortown, would you rename it? Here are a few fun facts about how a few of Johnson County cities and townswere named!
De SotoFounded in 1857 and was named for theSpanish explorer Hernando de Soto.
Source: History of De Soto. City of De Soto, 2005.
http://www.desotoks.us/Pages/history.htm
EdgertonJudge David Martin arrived and owneda farm in the area where Edgerton existstoday. For this reason, Edgerton wasoriginally called Martinsburg. But residentsrenamed it Edgerton in 1871, in honor ofthe railroads chief engineer of the samename. Edgerton was the successor to thecommunities of Lanesfield, Martinsburgh,McCamish, and Hibbard.
Source: History of Edgerton. City of Edgerton, 2006.http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Edgerton/
FairwayRev. Thomas Johnson received the originalgrant for the land and the Shawnee IndianMethodist Mission was built; the missionthen closed and the property sold to J.C.Nichols Company in 1938, who builta home development here which had adriving range on the other side of thehighway. Nichols decided to call thearea Fairway because of its proximity tothe Mission Hills, Old Mission and KC
Golf Clubs.Source: Histor ic Johnson County. Johnson County
Herald, 3 September 1969, p. 7.
GardnerGardner is named in honor of GovernorHenry J. Gardner of Massachusetts, electedon the Know-Nothing ticket in 1854 whenKansas opened to white settlement.
Source: History of Gardner. City of Gardner, 2005.
http://www.gardnerkansas.com/go/ history_gardner.php
Lake QuiviriaDerived from Guadalquiver, an Arabicword from southern Spain meaningBig River, probably bestowed onthe Mississippi.
Source: Johnson County Cities Incorporation and Name
Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990.
LeawoodNamed for principal landowner, Oscar G.Lee, who purchased about 600 acres of land.
Source: Histor ic Johnson County. Johnson County
Herald, 3 September 1969, p. 7.
MerriamMerriam was the second settlement in thecounty. It was first known as Campbelltownafter early resident David Gee Campbell.The Post Office later changed the name toSpring Place for 41 days. It was also calledGlenwood for a short time. In 1881, the
community was tagged Merriam afterG.F. Merriam, the township clerk in 1858.
Source: Johnson County Cities Incorporation and
Name Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990.
MissionLouis Breyfogle purchased the 160 acres thatbecame Mission, Kansas, at the turn of the20th century. In 1926, his heirs subdividedit into Mission Hills Acres, and latershortened the name to Mission.
Source: Johnson County Cities Incorporation and Name
Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990.
Mission HillsThe area was developed by the J.C. NicholsCompany and was platted in 1914 as anextension of residential development from theMissouri side of State Line. It later organizedas the Mission Hills Home Company.
Source: Johnson County Cities Incorporation and Name
Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990.
OlatheShawnee Indian word for beautiful. Andfounded in 1857 by Dr. John T. Barton.
Source: Histor ic Johnson County. Johnson County
Herald, 3 September, p. 9.
Overland ParkOriginally platted in 1854 as Glenn, the Cityof Overland Park can trace its roots back to1905 with the arrival of its founder WilliamB. Strang Jr., who platted subdivisionsalong a military roadway. Strang envisioneda park-like community that was self-sustaining and well planned. He also soughtstrong commerce, quality education, vibrantneighborhoods, convenient transportationand accommodating recreational facilities.Strang platted several subdivisions andnamed one Overland Park.
Source: Overland Park: History. Overland Park Convention
and Visitor Bureau, 2003.
http://www.opcvb.org/welcome/history.html
Roeland ParkNamed for John Roe, great farmer andlandowner who bought 267 acres of land inthe area in the 1880s. He provided moneyto finance the Strang Line rail system and iscredited with bringing gas lines andhard-surfaced roads to the county.
Sources: Histor ic Johnson County. Johnson County
Herald, 3 September 1969, p. 7.
Johnson County Cities Incorporation and Name Origins.
Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990.
ShawneeThis was the first community founded in
Johnson County. It was incorporated in 1856as Gum Springs, and was the first countyseat. The name was changed in 1922 whenthe city reincorporated. The name comesfrom the North American Indians who hadheadquarters here in the 1820s.
Source: Johnson County Cities Incorporation and Name
Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990.
Spring HillJames B. Hovey was the first citizen to settlein the Spring Hill area when he arrived inMarch of 1857. It was named after SpringHill, Alabama, which is near Mobile.
Source: History of Spring Hill. City of Spring Hill, 2000.http://www.springhillks.com/community/ climate/history.
html
WestwoodNamed after Westwood View ElementarySchool and three existing subdivisions.
Source: Johnson County Cities Incorporation and Name
Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990.
Westwood HillsDeveloped by the J.C. Nichols Companyin 1922 as a subdivision. According to aNichols publication, the city was highly
wooded, slightly rolling ground commandinga view of the beautiful Brush Creek valley.
Source: Johnson County Cities Incorporation and Name
Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990
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JOIN US!We invite you to be part of the Museums future by
joining the Friends of Johnson County Museum.
The Friends support exhibit development,
educational programs and special events.
Your membership and other contributions are tax
deductible.
Name _______________________________
Address ______________________________
City ____________________ State ________
Zip___________ Phone ________________
o $25-49 Friend
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Discounts and/or free admission to over 250 history
museums nationwide!
oEnclosed is my check for $______ payable to
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oPlease charge $______ to my credit card.
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Return to 6305 Lackman Road, Shawnee, KS 66217.
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oPlease send me information about volunteer
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donations. The matching form is enclosed.
DESIGN YOUR OWN HOME!
Your membership brings you the following annual
benefts:
TO LEARN MOREIn the 1960s, the city of Olathe was showing itsage! The city was 100 years old and in need ofimprovements. To revialize Olathe, community
members applied for a federal Urban Renewal
Grant. The grant provided the people of Olathe
with money to improve its downtown business
district and neighborhoods. There was also
enough money to build an outdoor mall! If you
were a citizen of Olathe in the 1960s, what
would you do to improve the city? Would you
build new homes and city buildings? Would youcreate an outdoor mall?
Color in the picture above and enter the Johnson
County Museums Urban Renewal Color
Contest! Pretend that you live in Olathe in the
1960s. Color the house and help renew Olathe!
All entrants will receive a prize.
Send entries to:
Johnson County Museum
Attn: Erin Befort
6305 Lackman Road
Shawnee, Kansas 66217
Check out these great resources to
learn more about communities!
Bullard, Lisa.My Neighborhood:
Faces and Places. Picture Window
Books, 2002.
Bourgeois, Paulette. Franklins
Neighborhood. Kids Can P, Ltd.,2002. 1-32.
Caseley, Judith. On the Town: a
Community Adventure. Greenwillow,
2002.
Disalvo-Ryan, Dyanne. Grandpas
Corner Store. Harper-Collins, 2000.
Kalman, Bobbie, and Niki Walker.
Community Helpers From A to Z.
Crabtree, 1997.
Pollack, Barbara. Our Community
Garden. Beyond Words, 2004.
Treays, Rebecca.My Town.
Educational Development
Corporation, 1998.
Online Resources:
www.jocohistory.net
www.atozkidsstuff.com/comm.html
www.kidsforcommunity.org/
So what does your 1960s house look like? Does it have brick or stone? What color is it painted? What
sort of plants are in the front yard? Color in the picture and send it to us!
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ALBUMJohnson County Museums 10
6305 Lackman RoadShawnee, KS 66217
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SHAWNEE MISSION, KS
PERMIT NO. 1395
Printed on
recycled paper
This newsletter is also available in alternate
formats for the visually impaired
MUSEUM OF HISTORY 6305 Lackman Road Shawnee, KS 66217
(913) 715-2550
Fax: (913) 715-2565
Email: [email protected]
www.jocomuseum.org
Tues-Sat 10:00 a.m.4:30 p.m.
Sunday 1:004:30 p.m.
ADMISSION IS FREE
THE 1950s ALL-ELECTRIC HOUSE
6305 Lackman Road Shawnee, KS 66217
(913) 715-2550
www.jocomuseum.org
TuesSun 1:00 p.m.4:00 p.m.,
guided tours every half hour
ADMISSION: $2 for adults;
$1 for 312 children.
LANESFIELD SCHOOL HISTORIC SITE
18745 S. Dillie Road Edgerton, KS 66021
(913) 893-6645
www.jocomuseum.org
TuesSun 1:005:00 p.m.
ADMISSION IS FREE
VISIT www.JoCoHistory.net to
access our photograph database!
The City Kid & the Suburban Kid
Editors note: Members receive a
10% discount on all items in the
Museum Store.
Many of us fondly recall sitting down to read
a favorite story with a mother, father, aunt or
grandparent. Often times those stories were old
fables recounted with a contemporary twist.
Aesops fable of The Town Mouse and theCountry Mouse is an old human story that
taught us about our desire for what we believe
others had. Author Deb Pilutti along with
illustrator Linda Bleck has artfully modernized
this classic fable in The City Kid and the Suburb
Kid(or The Suburb Kid and the City Kid).
Confused? The authors creative twist to this
tale is that the book can be read front to back
and back to front. Jack, the City Kid, and
Adam, the Suburb Kid, are cousins who have
invited each other for a summer visit. Eachis anxious to leave the shortcomings of his
environment and experience something better.
What each discovers is that he does the same
things but in the context of a different lifestyle
and each ends up longing for the lifestyle left
behind. The book is beautifully illustrated
and is ideal for reading to
pre-schoolers. And early
readers will find it an
aspiring challenge.
With the opening of the
museums latest exhibit
KidScape, this and other
unique books for pre-school
through early elementary
age children are available
in the Museum Store.
Remember, members
receive a ten percent
discount on all purchases!