By the end of 1856, over 200 people would be gunned down in cold blood. The sun was shining brightly over kansas city, missouri, on the morning of june 17, 1933. Check out the following books, articles, and films about the union station massacre held by the kansas city public library. On june 17, 1933, thirty seconds of gunfire covered the parking lot of kansas citys union station with blood and bodies. Rabbi doug alpert, president of kansas citys rabbinical association and the evenings emcee, led a ceremony in which 11 candles were lit as the names of the 11 shooting victims were recited. Law enforcement agencies across the united states chased him without pause, however it is highly possible that floyd had absolutely nothing to do with the incident, which killed three policemen and one fbi agent. Selections of engelhardts evocative drawings from the state historical society of missouris art collection are accompanied by narratives from art. It is known as the union station massacre or the kansas city massacre. I wondered when i opened this book how well i would enjoy a true story about an. In the video game in the later stages of the five families war, the cuneo family ran a smuggling racket from the railyards beneath their compound to kansas city, a racket that remained a major source of their income until its closure by aldo trapani, acting at the behest of al neri.
The kansas city massacre shocked the american public into a new consciousness of the serious crime problems in the nation. Before that bloody day in kansas city history, the federal bureau of investigation struggled to assert their authority. Nash had been captured and was in transit by law enforcement to leavenworth penitentiary. Nash had escaped from leavenworth in 1930 and, for more than three years, had robbed banks throughout the midwest with harvey bailey, george machine gun. See more ideas about kansas city, kansas and missouri. Verne miller and the kansas city massacre brad smith. The kansas city massacre involved the attempt by charles arthur pretty boy floyd, vernon miller and adam richetti to free their friend, frank nash, a federal prisoner. Care, handling and storage of books, library of congress. To a nation reeling from depression and a decade of prohibitionfueled gang violence, the kansas city massacre was one outrage too many.
The union station massacre book the kansas city public library. The sack of lawrence and the massacre at pottawatomie set off a brutal guerrilla war in kansas. Publishing history this is a chart to show the publishing history of editions of works about this subject. The fbi identified charles pretty boy floyd and adam richetti as the other gunmen. Four law enforcement officers were killed, along with the prisoner they were transporting.
Interesting facts about kansas city applied language. The project produced thousands of images of residences, businesses, schools, churches, and. The guides are terrific and the videos are a nice change of pace. The kansas city metropolitan area, straddling the border between missouri and kansas at the confluence of the kansas and missouri rivers, was a strategic point for commerce and security. Preservation cleaning of books and works on paper, british library. Central standard took the opportunity to seek out some of the best books about kansas city history. He currently works at the national archives kansas city. The kansas city massacre june 17, 1933 controversy still surrounds the kansas city massacre that left five men dead. Within a year of the tragedy, congress responded by giving us new tools to fight crimeincluding statutory authority to carry guns and make arrests, both of which have. The inclusion of primary source materials helps students learn to source. Works on paper photographs and audiovisual materials preserving digital materials online guides to document preservation preservation supplies. Momentous events from the civil rights movement and the president kennedy assassination to 911 are distilled into elemental images in the work of tom engelhardt, longtime political cartoonist with the st. Fbi agent melvin purvis puts together a special squad to track down and capture the men responsible. Kansas city gangster tour 2020 all you need to know.
Hundreds gather at synagogue to mourn pittsburgh massacre. Hidden history of kansas by adrian zink, soldiers in the army of freedom. The region was part of the viceroyalty of new spain from 15351679, new france from 16791803, and part of the united states of america 1803present two wars have directly affected the region, the american. Since the 1930s, that much of the story generally has been agreed upon by the bureau. Gangsters free one of their colleagues being escorted to prison and kill several fbi agents and local police officers in the attempt. Kansas city city, missouri, united states britannica. With dale robertson, bo hopkins, scott brady, matt clark. The kansas city massacre is a 1975 american television film about melvin purvis.
The counties carter, christian, howell, oregon, ozark, ripley, shannon, and stone in the ozarks region are documented in the collection, but not in individual county histories. The prelude to the war for the union spring, leverett wilson 1906 the peoples reveille, souvenir book hill city, graham co. Petition a complete and detailed exhibit on the union. Outside union station, the usual flurry of activity was taking place as people came and went on the arriving and departing trains and. His trial, predicated on the indictment charging him with the murder of frank e. Federal troops were sent in to put down the fighting, but they were too few to have much effect. The kansas city massacre shocked the american public into a new. The location was in front of union station in kansas city, missouri. Historians recommend the best 20 books about kansas city. The killings that took the lives of four peace officers and their prisoner are now known as the kansas city massacre. Hermanson, one of the police officers killed in the kansas city massacre, began in kansas city on june 10, 1935. The kansas city massacre on june 17, 1933 in kansas city, missouri would lead to charles arthur floyds death.
Edgar hoovers gmen, his role in history may have rivaled those. Dig into the dirty past with a few books and films about the mob collected to complement the missouri valley speakers series on january 18, 2009 where bill ouseley presented the real story of combating and prosecuting organized crime in kansas city. History of the kansas city metropolitan area wikipedia. Historians disagree on the identity of verne millers accomplices. He has previously worked at the kansas historical society, uwmilwaukee archives, the national press club library and archives in washington, d. The kansas city massacre was the shootout and murder of four law enforcement officers and a. Kansas city in wwi, lessons of great war reverberate today. Gangsters free one of their colleagues being escorted to prison and kill several fbi agents and.
Adrian and his wife, toni, have two children and live in overland park, kansas. And millers enduring legacy with the kansas city massacre is also recognized as the driving force that sparked the formation of todays fbi. On june 17, 1933, one of the most significant shootouts in american law enforcement history took place. It is the second spinoff of the 1973 film dillinger, following melvin purvis. Joe urschels the year of fear 2015, robert ungers union station. Index interviews audio file history time line photo gallery sdpb. Guerillas massacre residents of lawrence, kansas history. Each lesson is designed to use informative text to develop critical thinking skills. Gman in 1974, also directed by dan curtis and starring dale robertson as purvis. This is an incomplete list of military and other armed confrontations that have occurred within the boundaries of the modern us state of kansas since european contact. The story of the union station massacre, as it became known, centered on. Race, real estate, and uneven development, by kevin fox gotham. Without any laws regulating their jurisdiction or allowing them weapons, the fbi was merely a shadow of the police. On june 16, 1933, local police and fbi agents arrested frank jelly nash no relation to this writer in hot springs, arkansas.
The union station massacre was a major event of the public enemy era. Verne miller and the kansas city massacre, by brad smith. A graphic novel based on the kansas city massacre titled union station was originally written by ande parks and drawn by eduardo barreto in 2003 and rereleased in 2009 by oni press. On june 17th, the jury returned a verdict of guilty with the recommendation that richetti be given the death penalty and he was sentenced to be hanged. When i heard aaron mahnke had written a book about the world of lore, i hoped he would use the freedom of this different format to dive more deeply into each story, and into the subject as a whole, than he does in his podcast. A shootout at kansas citys union station june 17, 1933, occurred when a gang led. Located on the missouri river at the confluence with the kansas river, the city is contiguous with kansas city, kansas, forming part of a large urban complex that also. The fbi in its modern form was established in response to this notorious event in kansas city.
I wanted him to tackle the big questions in more substantive way. The massacre sent shock waves across america, and changed the way high profile crimes were handled. Pretty boy floyd, the kansas city massacre, and his murder. The country club plaza shopping district only a few blocks from umkc was modeled after seville, spain.
Preserving paper and digital records kansas historical. Many kansas citians have heard of the union station massacre or the river quay explosion two of the more infamous episodes in kcs mobster history. Louis, missouri moved up the missouri river to trap for furs and trade with the native americans. Its cold outside, so now is the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Kansas city, city, clay, jackson, and platte counties, western missouri, u. These lessons help students build reading skills as they learn about their state. Kansas city has not only been the setting for books ranging from history to mystery to the cheesiest of romances, but it also ranks among the top most literate cities in the u. The kansas city massacre was a successful ambush carried out by outlaw vernon miller and an accomplice in order to accomplish one of two goals, and those were to either free outlaw frank jelly nash, or to kill him to keep him silent. Some of the volumes cover several neighboring counties within one text. Some of my best friends are black by tanner colby i only list this because it has a chapter about kc, discussing actual bootsontheground blockbusting, drilling down into. If the podcast is tapas, i wanted the book to be meat and potatoes. The kansas city massacre was a dark chapter for law enforcement and for the fbi in particularat that time, one of the deadliest attacks on the law the nation had ever seen. Local crime boss johnny lazia had extensive ties to political boss tom pendergast and city manager henry mcelroy, and a series of bribes insured that the rackets ran freely. The history of the kansas city metropolitan area started in the 19th century as frenchmen from st.
See more ideas about history books, kansas and history. World war i was a game changer for the history books april 02, 2017 7. The crowds at those dedications would not be eclipsed in kansas city history until the. Union station massacre merle clayton not in library. As conditions improved, kansas returned largely to its allegiance to the republican party and gained a reputation as a conservative stronghold with a bent for moral reform, indicated in the states strong support of prohibition. On august 14, the building in kansas city, missouri, where the women were being held collapsed, killing five. The 1933 kansas city massacre proved a vital turning point in the fbis rise to power in the united states. The generally accepted version of the events of june 17, 1933, aka the union city massacre or the kansas city massacre, has notorious outlaws verne miller. The missouri county history project covers all of the states counties. List of books and articles about kansas history online. The union station massacre tells the story of how a bloody shootout in kansas. A shootout taking place at the union station railroad depot in kansas city, missouri on june 17, 1933, this gun battle occurred when a gang led by vernon miller attempted to free frank jelly nash, a federal prisoner. A friend recommended the kansas city gangster tour to my husband and i, so we decided to try it out.
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