Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, in Jackson county, Missouri, U.S., the second city in size and importance in the State, is situated on the right bank of the Missouri immediately below the mouth of the Kansas river, 235 miles west by north of St Louis. It is a large railroad centre, several important lines meeting there, and giving the city large facilities for commanding the trade of western Missouri, Kansas, northern Texas, and part of Colorado and New Mexico. The Missouri at this point is crossed by a bridge 1387 feet long, resting on seven piers. The business in agricultural products is very large, and is constantly increasing, that of packing beef and pork being especially great, and growing with remarkable rapidity. The city was laid out in 1830, but its growth may be said to date from 1860, when its population numbered 4418. In 1870 the population had increased to 32,290, and in 1880 it was 55,787.