The shenanigans started early. Kansas City, Missouri (1853) precedes the state of Kansas (1861) by eight years. In 1872 a collection of Kansas towns on the border merged and named themselves Kansas City to take advantage of the popular original city just, like, right over there in Missouri.
Both sides of my family come from the NE corner of Kansas, and it’s no surprise to people who know me that I’m descended from sneaks. It’s a local legend that Kansas City (Kansas) intended to trick bankers into lending the newer city money thinking they were lending to the larger and more prosperous city.
Showing even more “sand” or “balls” or “ovaries” or “gumption”, Kansas politicians made a grab to annex the large Missouri city into Kansas the state. The Kansas City Times editorial board in 1878 wrote: “Kansas City, Mo., is the legitimate outgrowth of the state of Kansas. In everything but a line on the map she is essentially a city of Kansas.” Annexation didn’t happen.
“Kansas” as a place name started with the Kansas River, itself named after the Kanza People of the Kaw Nation.
This video lays out even more amusing details:
Also check out the Kansas City Star on the history & confusion about KCK and KCMO that Trump has brought to the fore.
