Looking Back: Celebration of Roads

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
If you think the train slows traffic in Grain Valley, just imagine 40,000 people descending on Grain Valley on a single day.  Now, imaging 40,000 people in our town in 1932. Well that is exactly what occurred. 
 
For a single day, on October 12, 1932, thousands of people came to Grain Valley for the Jackson County Celebration of Roads. But rather than write about the event, let me share a couple of excerpts from the Kansas City Star and Times.
 
The Kansas City Times, Tuesday, September 27. 1932
 
 Road Fete at Sni-A-Bar
County will celebrate its highway system October 12
Accessibility by Paved Roads, Accommodations for Parking Cars Decide Location
            Sni-A-Bar Farms, near Grain Valley will be the scene of Jackson County’s highway celebration October 12. The natural amphitheater at the farms  surrounded by beautiful landscapes and wooded hills, has been the scene of many large picnics on occasions of farm demonstrations and cattle sales.
The choice was announced late yesterday by Arthur W. McKim, Independence, after a tour of the various places that had been promoted for the celebration. It’s accessibility by paved roads from every direction and the accommodations for parking cars and handling the large crowd decided the location.
            Sni-A-Bar Farms attained fame through the plan conceived by William Rockhill Nelson for breeding up shorthorn grade cattle there. The results were so gratifying that stock raisers gathered from all over the cattle section to study the methods used. Accommodations for large crowds then became necessary,
            Plans for the celebration will be carried forward rapidly now by other subcommittees. Jackson County hopes to have a celebration of the completion of its highway system worthy of the system, which has been said to rank second only to one other county in the United States.
 
And after the celebration - - -
 
The Kansas City Star, October 12, 1932
 
40,000 at Fete
Citizens Gather at Sni-A-Bar Farms to Rejoice with Jackson County Over Highways
Other States Have Wide Representation in the Event Being Held Today
Between 40,000 and 45,000 men, women and children moved in on Sni-A-Bar Farms today from every part of Jackson County to celebrate a monumental achievement of progress—the completion of a 10-milion-dollar highway system that is equaled only by the great system of Westchester County, New York.
            All the highways leading towards the Farms carried a slow-moving parade, so heavy were the streams of motor cars from every direction. From the hillsides overlooking the Valley which shelters the farms, a mass of humanity could be seen in the light, crisp October day milling around the points of interest and showing an additional dash of color by the many bright hues of the women’s dresses.
 
The second article in The Kansas City Star was continued for at least 2 columns on the next page. And the following Sunday the entire Rotogravure in The Star was a pictorial account of the day’s activities. 

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Visit the Grain Valley Historical to read the entire article and see the photographs.  The Historical Society also has copies of the “coffee table” book that was published in 1932, Results of County Planning. You can learn more about WHY more than 40,000 people all came to Grain Valley on the very same day! Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
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