Brian Burnes

Freelance Writer

Stories by Brian Burnes

In 1945 Harry Truman, then vice president, attended the Kansas City funeral of machine boss Tom Pendergast, and visited with Pendergast’s nephew James (far right).

New Film Documents Legendary KC Ballot Theft Case

By Brian Burnes | November 19, 2021

A new film premiering this weekend tells the story behind the 1947 blowing of a Jackson County Courthouse safe, making possible the theft of dodgy ballots and contributing to the collapse of a planned vote fraud investigation.

Bringing Back Missing Veterans: ‘Always Loved – Never Forgotten’

By Brian Burnes | November 11, 2021

Over the past 13 months, at least four families in the Kansas City region have received the remains or relics of family members who served in the military that have been missing for as long as 80 years.

Workers at the North American Aviation plant in the Fairfax Industrial District produced 6,680 B-25s during World War II.

Fairfax: An Enduring Legacy of Kansas City’s Industrial Might

By Brian Burnes | October 7, 2021

The Fairfax Industrial District, a cornerstone of the Kansas City economy, is preparing to mark its centennial in 2022.

Muhammad Ali interviewed by reporters in London, England,

Muhammad Ali’s Brief Encounter With KC’s Rich Boxing Legacy

By Brian Burnes | September 16, 2021

Muhammad Ali transfixed millions with his boxing, his braggadocio and, ultimately, his bravery in speaking out on the social issues of his time.

Shelton Ponder (left) and Harold Phillips, co-chairs of the Liberty African American Legacy Memorial project, stand in a formerly segregated portion of Fairview and New Hope Cemetery, where ground will be broken for the memorial on Saturday.

Once-Segregated Cemetery Gets Memorial for Hundreds of People in Unmarked Graves

By Brian Burnes | August 20, 2021

The Liberty African American Legacy Memorial seeks to memorialize 758 people interred – most of them in unmarked graves – in the once-segregated section of what is now Fairview and New Hope Cemetery in Liberty.

Martial Law, or Order No. 11, oil on linen, by George Caleb Bingham, 1868. The painting recalls the aftermath of the raid on Lawrence, Kansas, by Quantrill’s Confederate guerillas, when Union General Thomas Ewing authorized General Order No. 11, which forced thousands of civilians in three-and-a-half Missouri counties along the Kansas border to leave their homes.

Grappling With Dark Agonies Amid Natural Beauty During Missouri’s Bicentennial

By Brian Burnes | August 10, 2021

As Missouri observes its bicentennial, organizers are grappling with a history defined both by natural beauty and the fight over slavery.

Guests can enter the interior of the "Fractured Globe" to view videos describing the many challenges facing President Harry Truman following the end of World War II.

Take a Peek Inside the Re-imagined Harry S. Truman Library & Museum

By Brian Burnes | June 28, 2021

On Friday, July 2, Harry S. Truman Library & Museum officials will reopen the Independence institution after a nearly two-year shutdown for a $29 million makeover.

Israeli President Chaim Weizmann with President Truman with the torah at the White House

Harry Truman and the Holocaust

By Brian Burnes | June 17, 2021

As the 33rd president, Harry Truman drew upon a lifetime of relationships with Jewish friends as he weighed his actions in response to the Holocaust.

The ruins of "Black Wall Street" after the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.

Tracing Kansas City’s Ties to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

By Brian Burnes | May 27, 2021

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre sent ripples that could be felt in Kansas City. Flatland explores the sometimes surprising local links to arguably the most serious, yet little known, race crime in U.S. history.