Perspectives in Landscape History

PERSPECTIVES IN LANDSCAPE HISTORY

DANIELNADENICEK EDITORS Stephanie A. Rolley, Kansas State University

Introduction continuing across the state line westward (BPBCKMO 1990). Development in these George Kessler's 1893 parks and boulevard Kansas communities was inspired by plan for Kansas City, Missouri shaped a Kessler's vision. city known today for tree lined streets connecting distinctive neighborhoods. This paper examines the visual and physi- Kessler's boulevards and parkways ensured cal impact of Kessler's work at the Kansas/ that Kansas City would stand apart fiom Missouri state line. The green and gray of the mosaic of more than eighty municipali- five possible extensions of the system ties that became the contemporary metro- illuminate the importance of the context in politan area. The impact of his work is which he worked. The influence of the most notable at the Kansas-Missouri state long term practice of a landsca~earchitect, line. There, a transformation (often abrupt aggressive economic development, a city though sometimes gradual, from graceful planning strategy, and luck all contributed boulevards and parkways to ordinary to the unique Kansas City, Missouri plan residential streets and commercial strips) is and the successful or unsuccessful exten- most obvious. Many of the roads go, quite sion of that plan into Kansas. literally, fiom green to gray. As one travels out of Missouri and into Kansas on some of the roadways planned by Kessler, one is Kansas City, Missouri's Parks And struck by a sudden change in roadway and Boulevard Plan community character. In these locations, immediately dramatic differences in land The 1893 Kansas City Parks and Boulevard use, roadway design, and plant material Commissioners plan laid the groundwork reflect the long term visual and physical for a new city. Until that time, the area was impact of the Kessler Plan. Other Kessler composed of small scattered settlements 5 1 boulevards transition smoothly to roadways which developed in the area because of the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas vard systems at the turn of the century, I Rivers (Oficial State Atlas of Kansas Kansas City, Missouri's plan remained the 52 1887). While each settlement was thriving, foundation for future long term planning business and civic leaders envisioned efforts. something greater for the larger community. They visited other cities like New Four criteria guided Kessler's design of York, Chicago and Minneapolis and came the Kansas City, Missouri system. All back with pictures and stories to tell. The boulevards were to have "a maximum three potential economic, social and aesthetic percent grade providing ... good locations value of a parks and boulevard system for high quality residences.. . without inspired August Meyer, an industrialist, and natural or artificial obstacles to remove" William Rockhill Nelson, a newspaper (BPBCKCMO 1883). The result was a editor, to lobby fiercely for such a system system that connected the existing settle- in Kansas City, Missouri. Their efforts ments and promoted the development of resulted in formation of a Parks and Boule- new areas. It was a system that promoted vard Commission and retention of George low density development surrounding Kessler's design services. Kessler arrived central locations. Today those central in Kansas City in 1892 at the age of thirty locations include Westport, a high density to become the superintendent of parks for a residential, retail and restaurant area; the small railroad. While working for the Plaza, a neighborhood, and later a regional, railroad, he established an office and was shopping district located on Brush Creek; employed as Secretary and Engineer of the and, w rook side, a quiet neighborhood newly formed Kansas City Board of Parks shopping and residential district. This and Recreation (Wilson 1989, p. 108). His decentralized plan is suited to an automo- plans for Kansas City became the founda- bile dependent community. While it is an tion of a successful landscape architecture easy fit with today's society, it was an practice. unusual concept for a horse and carriage city at the turn of the century. First pro- The original plan called for ten miles of duction of the automobile came in 1902, boulevards with one hundred foot rights-of- after construction was completed on the way and three parks. By 191 5, the plan first legs of the Kansas City system. Kan- was expanded to include a total of eighty sas City, Missouri grew with the automo- miles of boulevards and additional parks. bile industry and the growth of each was The system was constructed quite quickly surely a catalyst for the other. after planning was completed. The two decades following adoption of Kessler's August Meyer presented four rationales for plan were marked by rapid development construction of a comprehensive boulevard guided by the boulevard and parkway system in the 1893 Report of the Board of system. After the parks and boulevards Parks and Boulevards Commission. He delineated in the 19 15 plan were con- cited the value of beauty, the city's duty, structed, the boulevard system remained the effect of parkways or boulevards on largely unchanged until the late 1980s and real estate and the experience of other cities even today continues to serve as the frame- as motivation for building the city's future work for the city's development. Unlike on Kessler's simple framework. Economic many cities that developed park and boule- development formed the backbone of Meyer's persuasive argument as three of his four rationales relied upon the appeal of The boulevard fiamework that facilitated financial gain. He noted that Kansas City, Missouri's growth was limited by the broad Missouri River to the north we are but just beginning to realize and wooded slopes to the east. However, it that by beautifying our city, making might easily have extended across the state our city beautifid to the eye, and a line into Kansas. Physical opportunities delightful place of residence, existed and expansion was supported by abounding in provisions that add to community sentiment. Campaigns were the enjoyment of life, we not only mounted in the late 1800s and early 1900s will do our duty to our citizens, but as business and property owners attempted we shall create among our people to connect with and expand upon Kansas warm attachments to the city and City, Missouri's success. For example, the promote civic pride, thereby supple- Kansas City Star often referred to the West menting and emphasizing our Side and the East Side instead of identify- business advantages and increasing ing the Kansas Cities by theirstates (Kan- their power to draw business and sas City Star 1907, May 7). Editorials and population (BPBCKC 1893, p. 9). columns appeared regularly in the paper calling for unification of the two into one The possibility that the system might result municipality. Despite support from many, in an improved quality of life was one the political and physical barriers were too objective of the proposal but the primary great. Surmounting a state line, three motivation was increased revenue, both county governments, multiple local govern- individual and civic. ments and the Kansas River was too much. The boundaries between the jurisdictions became quite visible as the metropolitan What Kansas City Became area developed.

Kansas City, Missouri was the impetus for what has become a sprawling metropolitan area. Today there are 1.5 million people living in the five county area known as the Opportunities Missed And Advan- Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The dy- tages Gained namic booming development of Kansas City, Missouri at the turn of the century Examination of the five opportunities might have initiated a cohesive metropoli- presented by Kessler's designs in Missouri tan area. However, despite many possibili- for extensions across the state line reveal a ties, turn of the century proposals for one range of factors influencing development. Kansas City united through government, Moving north to south, these potential economic development andlor physical connections are with Kessler's Kansas City, connections went unheeded. Kessler's plan Kansas plans, Valentine Road, Roanoke offered several opportunities for connec- Parkway, Ward Parkway and Meyer Boule- tions but very few extensions were actually vard. This review examines the influence 53 made. of Kessler's design criteria on the visual I and physical character of adjacent land the limited system Kessler proposed never I use, roadway design, and plant materials materialized and by 19 13 the city had 54 use and the continuation, or lack thereof, retained another landscape architect (Hare across the state line. and Hare, 1913; Kansas City Star 1908, February 19).

Kessler's Plan for Kansas City, Valentine Road in Roanoke Park Kansas Moving south, the second opportunity for a The first opportunity for continuation of boulevard connection between Missouri the Kessler plan into Kansas came in and Kansas, Valentine Road, was devel- Kansas City, Kansas where he was em- oped and advertised as a parkway within a ployed to prepare plans for a park and park. To enhance this image, the develop- boulevard system for the West Side (Kan- ers added 1,500 shade trees to the already sas City Star 1907, May 23). The intent wooded area (Kansas City Star 1907, June was to follow one general scheme for both 30). Valentine Road and other boulevards the East and the West Sides and "then, the wind through Roanoke Park. Today, perfected harmonious park scheme of the Roanoke Park is a little bedraggled and East Side and the West Side, connected by some of the adjacent homes are a little the two channels of communication, will be worn, but the rustic stonework, the spread- in reality one system, encompassing the ing shade trees, and the dramatic rolling one city" (Kansas City Star 1907, April 29, topography still provide a graceful setting p. 1). Community support for connections for what was once an exclusive residential across the state line was strong and indus- area. Developed according to Kessler's trial leaders in the river bottoms were criteria, the boulevards follow the topogra- calling for a viaduct across the Kansas phy and are lined with rows of trees. Now River. But those connections would come the triple row of trees is restricted to a as commercial transportation improve- single or double row but the effect must be ments rather than as a comprehensive parks similar to what Kessler intended. and boulevard system. Valentine Road is the terminus of several In addition to being fifteen years behind boulevards. It becomes 38th Street and their Missouri counterpart, the Parks Board then abruptly ends at the state line. Here, in Kansas City, Kansas was hampered by a more than at any other potential connection law suit filed in the Kansas Supreme Court. between Missouri and Kansas, the line Immediately after retaining Kessler, the between green and gray is most stark. The city's work with him was put on hold for boundaries established in 1907 by the over a year while the question of whether developer for the sale of lots in Roanoke the law was constitutional was resolved Park set the permanent edges of this dis- (Kansas City Star 1908, February 9). trict. Originally the centerpiece of an Ultimately, the city's law was determined exclusive residential district, today, Valen- valid but the parks and boulevard move- tine Road is a ragged edge on a fading ment lost momentum. Although individual neighborhood. When the Roanoke Park parks and boulevards were improved, even area was platted, the city limit for Kansas City, Kansas had not been extended south to include Rosedale, the community to the of the city by Interstate 35. Roanoke west of the park. The area directly west of Parkway served as a land bank for future the state line was rural and occupied by Kansas City, Missouri development but scattered residences. Rosedale ultimately never realized its potential as an extension became part of Kansas City, Kansas but into Kansas. developed with a very different character than its Missouri neighbor. When the Ward Parkway University of Kansas Medical Center with multi-story buildings and acres of surface Ward Parkway does not actually cross the parking was located on the Kansas side of state line. Instead it veers sharply to the the state line, the contrast between green south and parallels the state line. At the and gray was complete. point where Ward Parkway might have continued into Kansas, the roadway contin- Roanoke Parkway ues west with the name Shawnee Mission Parkway. This parkway was composed of Directly to the south of Roanoke Park, several distinct roads, Johnson Drive, 63rd Roanoke Parkway was designated as a Street and Highways 56 and 169 until the parkway in Kessler's historic plan. As a late 1980s. parkway, it was intended to serve as a pleasure drive and transportation connec- Rather than a parkway of Kessler's intent tion. Residential development came in which would serve as a central spine to later decades, consisting of two and three draw traffic into the center of the comrnu- story apartment buildings rather than the nity, Ward Parkway changes to a highway "high quality residences" Kessler envi- at the state line. The Kansas version of this sioned in his design criteria. The roadway elegant parkway is a highway that, instead design is clearly that of a parkway, the of collecting traffic and carrying it to a park street curves through rows of trees and or shopping district, collects traffic on a connects one residential district to another. highway lined with commercial destina- Like many historic parkways, it is now a tions. Because an extension of Ward fast moving thoroughfare. Recognized as a Parkway travels across the state line, the quick way to travel between the Westport visual and physical impact of Kessler's area and the Plaza, Roanoke Parkway is a design criteria are quite obvious. On the busy urban shortcut. Missouri side, the residences are "high quality" and the roadway is in a "naturally The parkway never reached the state line. sightly locality," at least in the areas where It deadends in Westport Road and the Brush Creek running through the median potential extension was never realized. has not been encased in concrete. The road Although Johnson County was developing follows the winding creek bed and is lined across the state line, the area directly with manicured lawns and large shade adjacent to the state boundary remained trees. In contrast, the extension on the rural for several decades. When that area Kansas side is lined with office buildings, a ultimately became southwestern Kansas shopping mall and, further to the west, gas City, Kansas, it was a small neighborhood, stations and fast food restaurants. 55 dominated by the University of Kansas Medical Center and separated from the rest Traveling across the state line, an immedi- 1 ate distinction between Missouri and dent communities connected to Kansas Kansas is not obvious. The Mission Hills City by the rail line (Blair 1915). The 56 Country Club, located at the southwest communities in between are infill that intersection of the Parkway and State Line developed in later decades (Standard Atlas Road, is a landmark in the Kansas City area 1922). and extends the Romantic visual character of Ward Parkway into Kansas. It is only Meyer Boulevard after one moves out of Mission Hills and Mission Woods, the communities abutting Meyer Boulevard is perhaps the grandest of Kansas City, Missouri at the parkway, that the eastlwest boulevards designated by a dramatically different character begins. Kessler's plan. Lined with stately homes, Mission Hills, established in 1914, and the boulevard terminates a few blocks east Mission Woods, established in 1937, were of the state line in a traffic circle. The developed as residential communities by recently renovated fountain at Meyer Circle the J.C. Nichols Company. Nichols' is an impressive display and favorite local communities were a part of the early landmark. 1900's real estate boom. He recognized the value of boulevards and parkways to land Although Meyer Boulevard ends at the development and employed those in the traffic circle, the roadway continues on to relatively new profession of landscape and across the state line with a new name, architecture. Nichols was instrumental in Tomahawk Road. While the homes are not the designation of Ward Parkway in the as large as those lining the boulevard 1915 parks and boulevards plan (Worley, named after August Meyer and the roadway 1990). Although the Kansas extension not as grand, the transition from one state came later than Ward Parkway, Nichols' to the other is virtually seamless. At the support ensured a green transition. state line, one is greeted by the Mission Hills City Hall and the roads through In addition, the parkway's development and winding neighborhood streets developed ultimate character seem to reflect the only slightly later than their immediate impact of established transportation follow- neighbors to the east, but with the same ing the turn of the century. J.C. Nichols degree of care and expense. As the road speculated on land in the then suburbs of continues to the west, the imprint of southwestern Kansas City, Missouri. As Kessler's design criteria reaches into Mission Hills was established on former Kansas not so much as an extension but as pasture land, the boundary of the urban an appendage to the Kansas City, Missouri area was stretched. Community residents system. A historian has noted that Kessler could travel by streetcar or automobile. certainly influenced the design through his Beyond this edge, automobile transporta- role as a consultant to J. C. Nichols. tion wasn't efficient or practical. Instead, Kessler designed Sunset Hills, the residen- development followed the Strang line of tial area to the north of Mission Hills and the Interurban system. For example, during that time persuaded Nichols to Overland Park, a Johnson County suburban preserve and plant trees. In addition, Sid community, was a contemporary of Hare, the landscape architect for Mission Kessler's Kansas City and the Nichols' Hills, was trained under Kessler (Worley communities were developed as indepen- 1990, p. 106). As with Ward Parkway, the combined vision of Kessler and Nichols tionship with those responsible for plan- resulted in an extension of Missouri's green ning the Kansas City, Missouri's future was into Kansas. strengthened by his work with those who funded development. Because Kessler's Conclusion practice included a lengthy association with J.C. Nichols, the real estate developer Study of these five opportunities for con- responsible for many of the areas served by tinuation of the Kansas City, Missouri the boulevard system, the implementation boulevards into Kansas reveals the substan- of his vision for a comprehensive system tial impact of the desigr, framework George was supported by actual construction. Kessler created. One hundred years later, the influence of his design criteria is still In a 1912 interview, George Kessler re- evident. The simple pattern of rows of marked that "when I came to Kansas City, street trees combined with stately boule- there were hardly half a dozen landscape vards and winding parkways provided a architects in the country" (Wilson 1964, p. strong framework for the city's develop- 41). While his estimate may have been a ment. In addition, the breaks and continua- little low, he certainly was onk of a few tions in his system at the state line depict turn of the century landscape architects the importance of the context in which he who shaped the practice of the profession. worked. His simple ofice consisting, as he de- scribed it, of "just one room, a long table, a Perhaps most subtle is the impact of a few chairs, a desk or two, and some draw- landscape architect's practice as a long ers for pictures" (Wilson 1964, p. 42) was tern consultant to a city and its primary the source of plans that helped shaped not developer. Following Frederick Law only Kansas City but other cities such as Olmsted's example, Kessler established a Dallas, St. Louis, Denver, Cincinnati, and practice that included long-term working Indianapolis. relationships with municipalities. These relationships influenced the city's form A second important factor in the successful through comprehensive and site specific or unsuccessful extensions of the Kansas . design for Kansas City, Missouri. His City, Missouri boulevards into Kansas was association with the Kansas City, Missouri the combination of an aggressive economic Board of Parks and Recreation Cornrnis- development and city planning strategy. sioners spanned twenty years. Throughout Recognizing the potential for booming the first decade of the 1900s, Kessler growth, Missouri civic leaders used .eco- developed recommendations for small site nomic development goals and a compre- improvements throughout the system as hensive plan to shape that energy into a well as major additions to his system-wide city. Achievement of those goals was plan (Kansas City Star 1908, February 24). critical to the longevity of Kessler's impact Time has revealed the influence of that as well as the financial success of the relationship. In contrast, Kansas City, residential developments and commercial Kansas adopted his plan for a small initial enterprises that ensured the boulevards' system of roadways but seemed to have ongoing maintenance. Economic develop- trouble proceeding from there. His rela- ment supported by the continued invest- ments of people like J.C. Nichols combined with Kessler's long term planning resulted over road design. Eventually came the in a cohesive citywide framework. In- complete demise of boulevards and park- spired by New York City's and Chicago's ways as road classifications and with it park- and boulevard-related economic came a change in the opportunities for growth, Kansas City, Missouri went on to landscape architects. Distinct system-wide become a model for other cities. The design criteria for boulevards are now success of boulevards in these cities as unusual and the possibility of a park and vehicles for economic development was boulevard plan determining the future form documented by John Nolen in a 1930s of a city has been superseded by utility and study entitled Parkways and Land Values. highway plans (Rolley 1992). The increased property values and taxes envisioned by the 1893 Board of Parks and While only ten to fifteen years separated Boulevards Commissioners were more than Kansas City, Missouri's development and achieved. that of neighboring communities at the state line in Kansas, those were critical Finally, the simple luck of timing cannot be years. While Missouri was busy laying the overlooked. Timing played a critical role groundwork that would result in a nation- in the successes and failures of extensions ally recognized city form, Kansas was still of the boulevard system into Kansas. In a rural and urban development was scattered brief window of opportunity, the Kansas and sprawling rather than cohesive. There City, Missouri boulevards were completed were many different forces at work in at the height of the City Beautiful move- determining the visual and physical charac- ment while many of their extensions into ter in Kansas and Missouri. Differing tax Kansas were constructed a few decades structures between states and counties, later as a part of the city practical Good conflicting politics and varying city plan- Roads movement (Kessler 19 17). The City ning strategies all contributed to the draw Beautiful winding parkways and tree-lined for various types of development (Scott boulevards may be the greatest success of 1969). While the character of the Kansas the movement (Wilson 1989). The Mis- City metropolitan area's visual and physi- souri system's design was the first to apply cal growth cannot be tied solely to the principles of the City Beautiful move- Kessler's involvement or lack of involvement to a citywide plan (Pregill and ment, there is no denying the substantial Volkrnan 1993, p. 529) and perhaps the impact of his work on today's green and only one to conceive and construct a gray. The concepts behind Kessler's work complete system before priorities changed. were simple, the result is quite striking arid Just a few years later, tremendous changes the changes at the state line highlight just in transportation and roadway design . how important his work was in shaping the removed the opportunities that benefited green and avoiding the gray. Kessler's work. The impacts of the automobile on roadway design were more than References just increased speed and new surfaces, they helped bring a whole new city planning Blair, E. 19 15. History of Johnson Co., KS. movement into existence. By 1915, the Lawrence, KS: Standard Publish- Good Roads movement was well underway ing Company. and transportation engineering had taken Board of Park and Boulevard Commission- Kansas City Star. 1908, February 19. "To ers of Kansas City, MO. 1893. Make Kansas City, Kas., Beautiful." "Report of the Board of Park and Vol. 28, No. 155, p 4. Boulevard Commissioners." Kan- sas City: Hudson-Kimberly Pub Kansas City Star. 1908, February 24. "To lishing Co. Make Shawnee a Model Park." Vol. 28, No. 160. . 1914-1915. "ReportoftheBoard of Park and Boulevard Commis- Kessler. G. 19 17. "The Kansas City Park sioners." Kansas City: Hudson- System and Its Effect on the City Kimberly Publishing Co. Plan." Good Roads XIII: 23 (June 2). . 1990. Reference 1990, Parks, Recreation and Boulevards. Kansas Nolen, J. and H. Hubbard. 1937. Park City: City of Kansas City. ways and Land Values. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Hare & Hare. 1913. A Diagram Showing Park Areas in Relation to the Oficial State Atlas of Kansas. 1887. Distribution of Population. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co.

Kansas City Star. 1907, April 29. "It's the Pregill, P. and N. Volkrnan. 1993. Land- West Side Paseo." Vol. 27, No. scapes in History. New York: Van 220. Nostrand Reinhold.

Kansas City Star. 1907, May 7. "East and Rolley, S. 1992. "Boulevards as Places, West Side-One." Vol. 27, No. 227. Parkways as Highways: Kessler's Legacy in Kansas City," Design + Kansas City Star. 1907, May 23. "West Values:Proceedings of the 1992 Side Gets Kessler." Vol. 27, No. Council of Educators in Landscape 260, p. 1. Architecture Meeting. University of Virginia. Kansas City Star. 1907, June 30. "Roanoke a Place of Homes." Vol. Scott, M. 1969. American City Planning. 27, No. 282, p.8a. Berkeley: University of California Press. Kansas City Star. 1 908, February 9. "Now for West Side Parks." Vol. 28, No. Standard Atlas. 1922. Johnson Co., Kan- 144, p. 3a. sas. Chicago: Geo. Ogle & Co.

Kansas City Star. 1908, February 9. "West Side Park Law Valid." Vol. 28, No. Wilson, W. 1989. The City Beautzfil 144, p. 1. Movement. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. 59 I Wilson, W. 1964. The City Beautiful Movement in Kansas City. Kansas 60 City: Lowell Press, Inc.

Worley, W. 1990. J. C. Nichols and the Shaping of Kansas City. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press.