All posts by Jessica Cox

Census Analysis from Truman Rd. to 18th Street along Prospect Avenue

The Census data that I found for this area ,prominently showed growth through the years of 1950 , 2000 and 2010. When I compared the census data from 2010 for this area to that of the entire Kansas City metro in 2010 the rates where lower for the Prospect area . Rates of home owner occupation,housing value ,and income were  much lower in the Prospect area . The racial make up of the census tracts from Truman road to 18th street along Prospect changed throughout the three years . In 1950 ,the number of White and Black residents was almost even. By 2000 the majority of residents ethnicity had shifted to  prominently Black with very few Whites.  In 2010, Black residents were still the majority of the population in the Prospect area. Compared to the over all Kansas City population  in  2010 the tracts for this area in 2010 had a much larger number of Black residents .The census data for Prospect avenue from Truman road to 18th street shows that this area lowered in value and changed in racial demographics compared to that of  the entire Kansas City metro in 2010 .

Along Prospect Avenue from Truman Road to 18th Street

Today the land from Truman road to 18th street along Prospect Avenue is an industrial business area. It is no longer a residential neighborhood as it was in 1909. Back in time this area was full of medium sized residential homes as well as Woolf Brothers Steam Laundry company . Some of the homes in this area had horse stables behind them. There were also alleys behind the buildings enabling access to the stables for the horses and carriages .The Sanborn maps in figure 1 and 2 (1909 pp. 309,322)  show what the area looked like in 1909. There are 13 empty lots with the majority of structures being homes.

( 1909 Sanborn Vol. 3 pp. 309)

( 1909 Sanborn Vol. 3 pp. 322)

Today the area is much different  and is composed mainly of businesses. Currently the businesses in this area are Indicia, a branding firm,Uplift, an organization that helps the homeless,Blue Valley Industries, for the mentally disabled,MCC faculty services and Heartland Department for Behavioral Change. ,The only building that is still standing from 1909 is the former Woolf Brothers Steam Laundry, today it is used by Walker Towel and Uniform Service Inc. (figure 2)

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The blocks along Prospect Avenue from Truman road to 18th street have changed from a budding residential area to an industrial business section of Kansas City . After researching the history of the buildings in this area it has made me wonder what  life would have been like living along Prospect in 1909.