Part 6

When Nathan and I first arrived in Kansas City we couldn't wait for the spring thaw so we could wander through the River Market that we'd heard so much about. The area encompasses the location in which Kansas City was first founded. The market name comes from its large open air farmer's market, the southern section was a public square in the mid 19th century.

The Market was originally known as Westport Landing and River Quay. It was known as Westport Landing because it was the dock on the Missouri River  for the exchange of goods going to the community of Westport three miles south on higher ground that was operated by John Calvin McCoy. McCoy was to lead a group of settlers to create the "Town of Kansas" in the neighborhood in 1850 which in turn became the "City of Kansas" in 1853.

The name River Quay was given in the 1970's to capitalize on the neighborhood's early french connections as a fur trading post operated by Francois Chouteau starting in 1821.
The large riverfront warehouses have become increasingly developed into residential lofts, restaurants, bars, shops, cafes, and ethnic markets.

Since its inception in 1857, the City Market continues to be one of the largest and most enduring public farmers' markets in the Midwest, linking growers and small businesses to the Kansas City community. In addition, there are more than 40 full-time tenants that are open year round.

On July 7, 1978, the River Market was officially designated a "Historical District" by the United States Department of the Interior.