Since 1896, the area between 31st Street and Armour Boulevard on Troost Avenue has evolved from a neighborhood of scattered homes, to a bustling commercial and entertainment district, to a graveyard for abandoned properties. The 1896 Sanborn maps show many large, undeveloped lots, with homes scattered around the street–the area was entirely residential. By 1951, however, the area between 31st and 33rd streets had developed into a commercial district full of theatres, drugstores, bowling alleys, banks, and rest stops. South of 33rd St. remained primarily residential, and it was a dense neighborhood with many homes. Today, only a few houses remain, and many properties–both commercial and residential–have been destroyed or abandoned, leaving the area an empty shell of its former self.
