by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 

Looking at the original owner of Lots 22 through 38, many familiar names could be seen; Keshler & Young, Frank Gregg, Elisha Moore, Ed Williams, and D. M. Majors. One name, I do not recognize is that of H. H. Dean.

​After spending, perhaps wasting, too much time, let me just say I have no idea who the man was or whether he ever lived in our town. Because he owned lots 36, 37, and 38 on the eastern most edge of the original town, I think we might assume he was merely a land speculator who never actually lived here.

That being said, lots 22 through 25 were filled with various businesses during the early years of the last century. Early photos suggest that lot 24 was at one time a tonsorial and bath house and lot 23 was the millinery shop where my grandmother once made hats before she was married in 1906. 

The Tonsorial
 
Lot 25 was purchased by Ed Williams in January of 1919.  About 1930, he and his son, Otis , opened a meat market and grocery store. It remained a grocery store with several proprietors, the last being Roland Frantz who closed the store in 1973 (Valley News, April 16, 2020).

The Last Grocery Store on Main Street
 
For approximately 16 years in the 1970s and 1980s lots 22, 23, and 24 were occupied by Model Engineering a company that manufactured plastic items, among them, souvenir cups. It was also a hotel in the 1930s and a marina (for weekenders at Tarsney Lakes) in the late 1940s/early 1950s.

Lots 22 and 23 are now the tattoo shop and Lot 24 is Slinger’s Bar and Restaurant. If you need an old car restored, visit Lot 25. The dog trainer on Lot 26 is in the old U. S. Post Office building/Chamber of Commerce Office. I remember an ice house on that lot in the 1950s.

Ed Williams also owned Lots 27 through 30 and for many years, their home was “on the corner of Main Street, across from the old Christian Church.” Mr. Williams, quite the entrepreneur, owned a slaughter house  which occupied Lots 31 & 32.

Over the years Mr. Wm. Loring purchased all of the remaining lots; 33, 34, 36, 37,and 38, which comprised the original town. Lot 35 was and is today owned by the railroad. William and Ada Loring  built their home around 1920 on Lots 33 & 34 and it still stands. Today it is a cabinet shop.

So, next time you are Downtown Grain Valley, perhaps this will help you visualize the vibrant town of the 1950s.
 
Next week learn about the first Graves and Ashcraft Addition, the West side of Main Street.
​

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


This week’s article shall begin with the Original Town, Lot 19, a location I knew very well as a child.  The building on Lot 19, which burned on December 9. 1959 was Napier Hardware, a business owed by my parents, Mildred and Charlie Napier. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Lot 19 is a pie shaped piece of land in the half-block that borders the railroad on the northeast side of Main Street.

The first owner of this lot was Mell Hulse It was sold to M. L. Hall on January 20, 1900. And this is where my research has hit a snag. In the Recorders book it appears that  N.T. Webb purchased the land on May 21, 1909 and the Warren Webb Mercantile Co. purchased Lot 19 and the building on November 16, 1910. However, I have a photograph of the Warren Webb Hardware dated 1902. I suppose 120 years later, it doesn’t really matter, but it is curious.

The lot and building were sold to W. H. Loring  on June 7, 1916 and for the next 50 years, it was known as Loring Hardware. When Mr. Loring died the title was transferred to his wife, Ada Loring. For many years following his death, Loring Hardware was managed by Abner Hanes and later Cecil Poage. My parents bought the business in 1949. However, it must have been bought with a mortgage because the title transfer did not occur until May 29, 1956. That would also explain why the name change didn’t occur until that time. I never really knew why and I never asked either of my parents. I just remember old Painter Neal, a sign painter who lived “out south” came to town one day and painted Napier Hardware on the large window near the front door. Unfortunately, I have no photographs of my family’s business. Some years after the fire, Hugo Pierce purchased the vacant lot and it 1972 Lot 19 became the property of The Bank of Grain Valley.

The information for Lot 20 is somewhat sketchy. There are only 4 names on the deed prior to 1962; N. Bohin, Ed Williams, W. J. Pratt and Edgar Huff. In 1962, three years after the fire Mary Mollenkamp, granddaughter of the Bank of Grain Valley President, at the time, is listed as the owner and then Model Engineering who also owned Lots 21-24.  Since the fire in 1959 Lot 20, like Lot 19 has only been vacant and a parking lot. Prior to the fire Lot 21 was actually Front Street as shown on the map.

As for the building on Lot 20, during the late 1920s and early 30s, it was one of three small hotels in town. The lower floor sometimes housed a restaurant and rooms where the proprietor might have lived. Outside stairs on the south side of the building led to the second level with as many as 6 or 8 separate rooms.

I do not know when the hotel closed. I do know that gasoline pumps were in front of the building in the 1940 when Mr. Huff ran an auto repair shop there, selling gas out front. When the building burned there were 3 apartments on the second level and the lower floor was vacant. The fire was started in one of the apartments by a sleeping man who fell asleep (more likely passed out) with a lit cigarette. At the time, Grain Valley did not have city water! Many homes and business near the area had roof fires that night. Less than two weeks later a city water bond, which had failed for years, passed with only 3 NO votes.
 
Next week learn about the remaining 18 lots, part of the Downtown Grain Valley revitalization/Missouri Main Street porject.
​

A few more hours at the Recorder of Deeds Office in the Jackson County Courthouse and I am able to tell you a bit more history about some of the businesses in our town. Although more businesses currently exist on the west side of Main Street, the “original town” was on the east side.
 
Some readers may recall seeing this map of the original 4 acres which appeared in the Looking Back column of Valley News on July 23, 2020. As you can see, when the town received the land from Mr. Lucas, those four acres were divided into 38 separate parcels. Lots 1 through 18 were on the south side of the railroad and lots 19 through 38 were on the north side.  They stretched from 1st Street on the North (now Walnut) to the edge of town (there was no street on the south end) and included Main Street and Cypress with a 10-foot alley in between.

The first owners of these lots would have been the early settlers, and many of the names were earlier associated with both Stony Point and Pink Hill –Bishop, Browne, Harris, George, Spindle, Hulse, Bohn, Cannon, Wood, Keshler, Keener, J. F. Gregg, Elisha Moore, E. J. Williams, Dean, and D. M. Majors. A few put buildings on their lots, but many like James Lucas were land speculators and soon sold their lots to individuals who would put a business in our town.

Lots 1 & 2 were sold to J. N. Daniel, a doctor who established his practice in Grain Valley for several years. August and John Heidelberger both purchased multiple lots, although there is no record of them ever owning a business. In 1944, Ray Frantz purchased lots 1 through 8 and built his home and business there. It may be important to note that each lot (1-8) was only 22 ½ feet wide and 115 feet deep. Thus, multiple lots were required for almost anything that would be built. At some point prior to 1904, Harris Street was established south of Lots 8 and 9. 1904 was when Mabel (Harris) Peal was born to Charles and Lula Harris (great-great grandparents of current Mayor Mike Todd).

Lots 9 through 12 were owned for many years by the Rosa Stillwell. In the 1950s Elwood Elliott and later Eura Bush had a house at the end of Harris Street. Lots 13 through 18 were owned  by 9 individuals before being purchased by the Grain Valley Lumber Co. in 1913. From the 1940s until the mid-1960s Floyd Sharp had a lumber yard there. Today, that would be the car wash!
 
Next week learn about the businesses north of the railroad tracks, part of the Downtown Grain Valley revitalization/Missouri Main Street project. Visit the Historical Society to view the records of all of the owners of the original town and the Graves and Ashcroft addition (west side of Main Street)  from 1878 through 1975.

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


“Housing permits up 127 percent through November.” And no, it’s not a mistake or a typo. It is a quote from the Kansas City Star on January 2, 2003. I recently stumbled across this article written over twenty years ago. Grain Valley ranked 10th in the metro among cities that had issued the most single-family housing permits through November of 2002.

At the time Grain Valley,  a town of about 5,000, was in the midst of a housing boom. The article further stated, “Grain Valley issued 257 single family permits through November according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, a 127 percent increase from the same period in 2001. It was the largest percentage increase among area cities that had issued more than 100 permits in 2002.”

Summarizing the article, Grain Valley was apparently growing for four reasons.

• Grain Valley was satisfied with building smaller homes than nearby Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit.
• Grain Valley had plenty of land available for annexation and development.
• Grain Valley had recently upgraded water and sewer systems .
• And finally, the article touted the small-town appeal, a new city hall, swimming pool and community center and a great school system.

 
I’m always saying History is yesterday. Twenty years ago is definitely HISTORY! So, fast forward to 2023 and Grain Valley is still growing, at an even more rapid pace.

The front-page photo of The Examiner on Friday, September 1, 2023 features The Lofts at Old Towne and the headline reads “Housing Growth Continues in Grain Valley.” Ward Development is responsible for The Lofts and numerous other projects in Grain Valley over the past thirty plus years. They were named the No. I home builder in the Kansas City metro area by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City in 2022, a title they will likely repeat in 2023.
 
So while yesterday is history, some history bears repeating! Grain Valley is definitely growing at a rapid pace. And that brings me to my final point. PLEASE share your photographs and artifacts with the Grain Valley Historical Society.
 
The Historical Society is opened on Wednesdays from 10 AM – 3 . Let us display your memories. It’s our legacy for the future!

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


This photograph was chosen for August because students now go “back to school” in August. When the picture was taken, school began after Labor Day in September. This gave young men more days to help their fathers with the crops and girls more days to help their mothers with canning the garden vegetables. Today, the school calendar seems to be tied to ending the first semester before the winter break. 

Mr. Frantz’s Bus Route, 1940
 

This photograph first appeared in Valley News on July 1, 2021. Since that time, I have learned a bit more about transportation in the Grain Valley School District.

Transportation began in the fall of 1937 when Mr. T. D. Peal purchased two buses which he contracted to the school district. The drivers were Mr. Peal a local feed salesman and Mr. Ray Frantz, the owner and operator of a gas station and a bulk fuel oil delivery business.

Each bus had two morning and evening routes. One driver first picked up the rural students south of town with a second route of students living near the school. The second driver also had two routes on the north side. (They didn’t mention how students living east and west got to school!)

To my surprise, this information comes from the 1942 Treasure Chest. It appeared near the back of the yearbook in the section labeled “advertising". It is titled “Transportation Report for Last 5 Years”.
  

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society

 
August 5, 1998; The Examiner
              On Tuesday the voters of Grain Valley eased the stresses and strains of growth by approving four bond issues, for a total of more than $4 million, that will help the city move ahead and won’t even raise taxes. The city plans to refinance some debt, taking advantage of lower interest rates. At the same time it can now issue bonds for a new water tower, a new city hall complex with a community center and police headquarters, street and sewer work and work on a park.
 
It’s history, but it sounds like we could write the same article today; a new water tower, a new police station, work on streets and new handicap accessible equipment for Armstrong Park.
 
August 19, 1998; The Examiner
              Grain Valley city officials agree that the city’s population will pass the 5,000 mark this year and that growth—both homes and businesses – will probably continue.
              Some of the new businesses that opened in the past year included Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which put its $3.2 million expanded national headquarters near the Interstate 70 Grain Valley exit. Groundbreaking on a Comfort Inn motel is expected to take place later this year.
 
Growth--both homes and businesses--will probably continue. Boy that “ain’t no joke.”  While more than 45 new businesses came to our town in 1998, only a relative few have survived. They include American Family Insurance, Farmers Insurance, State Bank of Missouri, Brass Armadillo, Sonic Drive-In, K & M Office Products, Marsh Screw Machine Products and GV Truck Sales. Obviously, these few have been joined by many, many more.
 
September 1, 1998; The Examiner
              A big change was expected this afternoon for Buckner Tarsney Road drivers in the vicinity of Pink Hill Road north of Grain Valley.
              Signs were to go up to make the intersection a four-way stop and an overhead flashing light there will blink red in all four directions. (Weather conditions delayed the installation a few days.)
 
Now if we could just resolve the situation on Buckner Tarsney at Duncan Road!
 
November, 1998, The Pointe
 
In November, 1998 Volume 1, Issue I of The Pointe newspaper was launched from 514 Main Street in Grain Valley. The paper was mailed free to patrons of the Grain Valley School District. The first edition included the following information, Matt Farlin, Editor; Monique Church, Advertising Director, Vickie Officer, Administration Director; Chris Fischer, Associate Editor; Gina Farlin & Brent Ince, Staff. The paper was printed for about 6 years.
 
Grain Valley has changed “just a bit” in the past twenty-five years. It’s always interesting to look back and learn where we started, be it 150 years ago or 25!
              

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
It takes me a minute to enter gifts to the Historical Society into the accession book. That’s because my curiosity about the items slows me down. I’m still looking at the books we received a few weeks ago. Sometimes they are informative and sometimes they are just good for a laugh. Such is the case with The Household Searchlight Homemaking Guide.

Published in 1937, the book deals “…in an intelligible and usable way with a wide range of homemaking problems including etiquette, weddings, menus, cooking, health and beauty, home furnishings and equipment, dyeing, stain removal, insect extermination, the care of the lawn, entertainment, club activities, and the mental health of children.” Quite a wide variety of topics!

According to the book’s foreword it is the product of uncounted years of experience on the part of the staff, and of five years of intensive investigation, testing and writing. The book includes so many topics because “…the American family does not live by bread alone; that beauty, dignity, emotional adjustment within the family, and wholesome interest in community affairs are integral ingredients of a satisfying home life.” (Keep in mind, the book was written over 85 years-ago.)

These qualities must have been important to Ruby McQuerry (Mrs. Elmer Duncan) as what appears to have been a well-read book ended up with her great niece. We believe it was hers because a recipe, handwritten by her, was found among the pages. What I’m about to share is from the entertainment chapter which begins with this message.

“Successful parties depend on suitable and original entertainment. The games must be chosen to interest the age group, and they must be appropriate to the type of party being given.”
 
The instructions were to give guests this list of flowers and ask them to fill in the correct names which I have provided in parenthesis.

1. One way to become rich (marigold)
2. An expression of pleasure and a sharp instrument. (Smilax)
3. A boy’s name and a pen (Jonquil)
4. A motor vehicle. A negative, and to avoid. (carnation)
5. To recline and slack. (Lilacs. Lie-lax)
6. Bewilderment and a letter (Daisy)
7. Large groups. (Phlox)
8. Existing forever. (Everlasting)
9. Cupid’s victim. (Bleeding heart)
10. A melancholy beauty. (Bluebell)
11. To complete, a letter, and to allow. (Violet
12. A brilliant light and a blossom. (Sunflower)
13. A pillar and a twining stem. (Columbine)
14. The tea hour. (Four o’clock)
15. An explosive sound and a letter. (Poppy)
16. Four. (Ivy, IV)
17. A Christmas green and a Rhenish wine. (Hollyhock)
18. A spread for bread and a container. (Buttercup)
19. Magnificence in the early part of the day (Morning-glory)
20. A gilded stick. (Goldenrod)

 
I can’t help but wonder if there is an age group alive that would enjoy this game today! Does anyone still play games? Perhaps someone who was around in 1937?

In the weeks to come I may offer you more advise from The Household Searchlight Homemaking Guide.

Meanwhile, drop by the Grain Valley Historical any Wednesday between 9 AM and 3 PM and check out this and other historical books.
​

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


From table linens and bath towels to doilies and dishes, numerous household items that once belonged to Ida (Houston) and William Rockhill Nelson, were embellished with the Nelson insignia.

Was this a family crest, a logo, an emblem, or merely a pretty decoration used to personalize their belongings? I will never know. My parents never knew, nor did my grandparents, because the decoration never appeared around the livestock at Sni-A-Bar Farms.

When William Rockhill Nelson’s 30-year trust was dissolved in 1945, there were no heirs to  inherit the furnishings from the cottage at Sni-A-Bar. To complicate matters, everything had the “N” on it.  Therefore, there wasn’t much that interested the Cochels, or the Davidsons, or the Reeds. So Mrs. Francisco, the long-time treasurer of the trust, and the lawyers told my Grandfather Napier, the only “N” in the bunch, to take whatever he wanted. My grandmother once told me there were 80 to 100 place settings of the dishes. She and grandfather took 12 and gave my parents 12 (places settings). Each setting included a dinner plate, a bread-and-butter plate, a soup bowl, and a cup and saucer. Because they are well over 100 years old, many are cracked, but I can still set the table for a small dinner party. I also have a few serving pieces, stamped with Tiffany’s of New York on the bottom.

Several years ago, my father offered them to the Nelson-Atkins Museum, but they were not interested. If you are, come to the Grain Valley Historical Society and see our exhibit. 

​If the town ever builds anything on the Sni-A-Bar land, I will donate these items along with some furniture pieces. Otherwise, they will be at the Grain Valley Historical Society. Come and see our exhibit. We’re open on Wednesdays from 10 AM – 3 PM and by appointment!

Marcia Napier will be honored this September as Grain Valley's Citizen of the Year. 

Every year, the Truman Heartland Community Foundation invites local mayors to nominate a member of their community to be recognized as their city's Citizen of the Year. The chosen citizens are selected based on their volunteer work, contributions to their city's economic or financial development, leadership in business, and efforts toward promoting a more positive and inclusive community for all.
 
Honorees from each eastern Jackson County community will be recognized at the Truman Heartland Community Foundation's Toast of Our Towns Gala, on Saturday, September 23, at the Sheraton Hotel at Crown Center. 

In its submission to the Truman Heartland Community Foundation, the City of Grain Valley detailed Napier's ongoing commitment to her hometown.

"In every thriving community, there are individuals whose unwavering dedication, selfless spirit, and profound impact make them stand out as beacons of inspiration. These exceptional individuals embody the essence of good citizenship, going above and beyond to uplift their communities and enrich the lives of those around them. The City of Grain Valley takes great pride in celebrating the achievements and contributions of this year's 2023 Grain Valley Truman Heartland Citizen of the Year.
 
Marcia "Marty" Napier serves as a member of the Historical Society, where she volunteers her Wednesdays at the museum - welcoming the public to explore the treasures of our city. Through her profound commitment to the Historical Society, Marty not only enhances the public’s understanding of the past but also serves as an illuminating force for the present and future of the community. In addition to her invaluable contributions to the Grain Valley Historical Society, Marty holds other key positions on various boards, including the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Downtown Grain Valley Board of Directors, the Grain Valley Education Foundation Board, the advisory board for the Grain Valley School District Counseling Department, and was recently a member of the Truman Heartland Community Foundation Advisory Board (Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove).
 
An advocate for supporting and nurturing community growth, Marty promotes the importance of investing in local businesses. With the momentum of the newly formed Downtown Grain Valley non-profit organization, Marty will play a big factor in the revitalization of Main Street by highlighting the community spirit that continues to help our city thrive.
 
Marty exhibits a deep passion for empowering the youth. Upon retirement, after dedicating thirty years of her career to the field of education, Marty focused her attention on guiding young adults - serving as the house mom for Alpha Gamma Rho. After leaving Mizzou, Marty returned home to Grain Valley where she continues supporting the school district and high school athletic teams. In 2017, she endowed the Napier Football Award, a scholarship bestowed upon a Grain Valley football player selected by the team.
 
Marty's unwavering dedication to excellence and high expectations for her community has garnered her to be recognized as the 2023 Grain Valley Truman Heartland Citizen of the Year."

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
Last Wednesday, I was visited by a “friend of the Historical Society.” Due to her generosity, the Historical Society has been on the receiving end of many gifts from Karen Carmack. Last week was certainly no exception as Karen arrived with two priceless books and her Grandmother Carmack’s graduation spoon.

Karen is the daughter of Peggy (Williams) and Layton Carmack and the granddaughter of Laura (McQuerry) and Otis Williams and Lulamae (Shrout) and Eugene Roy Carmack, all residents of Grain Valley.

When she arrived with the spoon, I must admit I was delighted, but also very curious. I had never heard of a graduation spoon, let alone seen one. While I photographed the spoon for this week’s paper, you really need to visit the Historical Society Museum for a good look at the lovely little spoon. The bowl of the spoon is engraved with “G.V.H.S. 1920”” and at the end of the handle is her grandmother’s first name, “Lulamae”. 

​

Graduation Spoon belonging to Lulamae Shrout Carmack, GVHS, 1920
 
Perhaps you know about graduation spoons. I did not.  Thanks to the internet, I can share with you that students in the early 20th century were often given souvenir spoons featuring their alma mater. Many of these graduation spoons had a male or female figure in graduation garb on their handles. Others had handles decorated with pens, books, and globes.

At the turn of the last century (1900 era), a high school education was not all that common. Only a small fraction of the population had an opportunity to attend high school and an even smaller percentage to graduate. A spoon to celebrate the graduation was usually limited to the wealthier part of the population, because a typical sterling silver hand engraved spoon often would represent an entire day’s labor for a skilled employee.

The souvenir spoon craze moved west with the settlers. Young girls often did not attend college so the spoon may have represented their future as wives and mothers. After all, college was fine, but the real work came after they were awarded their “Mrs.” degree.

I also learned, to my surprise, that graduation spoons are still given as gifts today. Who knew? And antique spoons, though rare, are quite pricey on e-bay!
​
Visit the Historical on Wednesday from 10 AM to 3 PM and see the GVHS graduation spoon!
​