Johnson County Museum Album - Spring-Summer 2008

8/13/2019 Johnson County Museum Album - Spring-Summer 2008

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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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ALBUMJohnson County Museums 2

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 on page 7

continued on page 7


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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.



8/10


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


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.



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.



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


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.



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.



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.


Origins. Johnson County Sun, 27 July 1990


9/10


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

o $50-99 Good Friend

o $100-249 Really Good Friend

o $250 and up Best Friend

oI am making an additional contribution of

$________ in honor/memory of

________________________________

Free admission to The 1950s All-Electric House

Quarterly newsletter, ALBUM

10% off gift shop purchases & 50% off program fees

Invitations to Members Only events

Discounts and/or free admission to over 250 history

museums nationwide!

oEnclosed is my check for $______ payable to

Friends of Johnson County Museum.

oPlease charge $______ to my credit card.

oMastercard oVisa

Return to 6305 Lackman Road, Shawnee, KS 66217.

___________________________________

Signature

___________________________________Acct. Number Exp. Date

oPlease send me information about volunteer

opportunities.

oMy company matches charitable

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!


10/10


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!

Johnson County Museum Album - Spring-Summer 2008

Documents

Transcript of Johnson County Museum Album - Spring-Summer 2008