John Calvin McCoy (September 28, 1811—September 2, 1889) is considered the "father of Kansas City".
Early life
McCoy was born in Vincennes, Indiana. He studied as a land surveyor at Transylvania College in Lexington, Kentucky, during 1826-1827. He accompanied his parents Isaac and Christiana (Polk) McCoy to Kansas City to perform Baptist missionary work in 1830.[1][2]
After Isaac’s death in 1846, John and Christiana moved back to Jackson County where he continued his business ventures. Christiana passed away in 1850.[3] A stream in Elkhart County, Indiana[4] and a lake in Cass County, Michigan are named after her.[5]
Career
In 1833, John McCoy built a two-story cabin at what became 444 Westport Road on the northeast corner of Pennsylvania Avenue. He opened a store for travelers on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails.[6] He named the area West Port because it was the last settlement before travelers ventured into the Territory of Kansas.
McCoy's store was four miles from the Missouri River in the hills away from the floodplain. He established a dock at a rocky point in the river between Main and Grand Street, which came to be called Westport Landing.[7] He followed a trail that was to become Broadway to reach it.
The natural wharf became quite popular but the land surrounding it belonged to Gabriel Prudhomme, a farmer. After Prudhomme was murdered in 1831, his property was auctioned in 1838 to settle the estate. Fourteen people, including McCoy, bought the property by forming the Town of Kansas Company[8] after the French description of the area around the town, chez les Canses ("home of the Kansa" Indians). He platted it into 318 lots for sale. In 1853, when the town was officially charted by the state of Missouri, the English pronunciation of the French name was applied to the new City of Kansas, later renamed Kansas City.
He is seen as the founder of both Kansas City and Westport.[3]
Civil War
Due to his sympathies with the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, he was required to leave Kansas City by General Order No. 11 of 1863.[1] His son Spencer enlisted in the Confederate Army and was killed in June 1863.[3]
Personal life
John married Virginia Christiana Chick (December 20, 1820—April 28, 1849) on January 23, 1838. She was the daughter of William Miles Chick (August 31, 1794 in Virginia—April 7, 1847 in Kansas City, MO) and Ann Eliza Smith (1796 in Virginia—1876 in Kansas City, MO). The McCoys had several children: Josephus (December 6, 1838—September 2, 1843), Eleanor (December 2, 1840—?), Juliette (February 16, 1842—?), Spencer Cone (July 25, 1844—January 8, 1863 in Springfield, Missouri as a Confederate soldier), William Chick (February 21, 1846—May 12, 1848), Virginia (August 22, 1848—?).
After Virginia's death McCoy married Elizabeth Mead Woodson and they had several children.
Death
He was buried in Union Cemetery.
Legacy
A Kansas City Public Library historian said McCoy "single-handedly had the greatest effect on the development of early Kansas City". He is widely regarded as "the father of Kansas City".[1] Pioneer Park is at Westport and Broadway, with a sculpture by Thomas L. Beard of Alexander Majors, John McCoy, and Jim Bridger.
Calvin was one of the founders of the Old Settlers’ Historical Society, founded in 1871. His daughter, Eleanor (Nelly) McCoy Harris was known as one of Kansas City’s first historians and writers.[9][10][11]
References
- ^ a b c Ford, Susan Jezak (2003). "John Calvin McCoy". Missouri Valley Special Collections. Kansas City Public Library. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ Martin City Telegraph website, Rev Isaac McCoy and His Mission Helping Native Americans, article dated January 15, 2023
- ^ a b c Martin City Telegraph, The Father of Kansas City: John Calvin McCoy, article dated June 18, 2023, by Dian Euston
- ^ US Geological Survey website, Christiana Creek at Elkhart, IN - 04100000
- ^ PJC Lakes website, History
- ^ Google Books website, Missouri: A Guide to the Show Me State, page 245
- ^ Alliance for Networking Visual Culture website, Paris of the Plains
- ^ National Parks Service website, Westport Landing
- ^ Martin City Telegraph website, How the Pioneers Celebrated the Christmas Season with Food, article dated January 4, 2019
- ^ Kansas Memory website, Reminiscences of Pioneer Days, published by Mrs. Nelly McCoy Harris
- ^ Kansas Historical Society website, John Calvin McCoy and Woodson McCoy papers section, Reminiscences of Pioneer Days
External links
- "John Calvin McCoy", University of Missouri, Kansas City resources
- Experience Kansas City history
- John Calvin McCoy at Find a Grave
- Core website, Isaac McCoy: His Plan of, and work for, Indian Colonization by Emory J. Lyons (online copy)
- African American Heritage Trial of Kansas City website, Steptoe Neighbourhood
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