curiousKC

What do you wonder about Kansas City, the region or its people that you would like us to investigate?

The aftermath of the West Bottoms stockyard fire of 1917.

Bringing Out the Dead: The Great Stockyard Fire of 1917

One of the biggest agricultural disasters in Kansas City history occurred in 1917, when a fire scorched the stockyard in the West Bottoms, leaving thousands of dead cattle and hogs charred in its wake.

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Photo of miniature art set.

Tiny Toys, Big Museum

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City has more tiny items than visitors might imagine.

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Walt Disney in Laugh-O-Gram studios in KC

Backers Continue Push for a Walt Disney Museum in Kansas City

Speeding up or down 31st Street at Forest Avenue, it’s easy to miss the wall-sized mural, “Thank You, Walt Disney.”  That location was once the Laugh-O-Gram Studio, Disney’s first professional film studio and apartment, which lasted for only one year in 1923. However, in the past 20 years or so, an organization called “Thank You,…

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Sambos Pancake shop

The Story Behind Naming a Restaurant “Sambo’s”

The curiousKC team explores the history behind the naming of the Sambo’s restaurant chain, which once had more than 1,100 locations across the country.

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Climate change’s serious effects on Kansas Citians disproportionately affect the poor

Climate Change’s Serious Effects On Kansas Citians Disproportionately Affect The Poor

The discussion about climate change often centers on what increasingly extreme weather will mean for agriculture and the environment. But what about its effect on poverty?

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American flag held by man

Push is Underway in Kansas City to Make the 2020 Census Count

Local organizations, such as the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) in the Kansas City area, and national philanthropic groups, such as the Funders Census Initiative 2020, or FCI, are mobilizing to promote a complete count during the upcoming census.

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Photo of Tom Pendergast

Pondering Tom Pendergast’s Complicated Legacy

Boss Tom Pendergast long ago earned a place on any list of the most influential people in Kansas City history. His legacy, though, is rather mixed.

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Picture of three children and a laptop computer.

“American Graduate: Getting To Work” With CoderDojo KC Junior Mentors

CoderDojo KC not only teaches local kids how to code, but also how to mentor and encourage one another to share their stories. Kansas City PBS is contributing to American Graduate: Getting to Work, a two-year public media initiative made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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Kansas City Square Dance Clubs Still Kicking Up Heels

Kansas City Square Dance Clubs Still Kicking Up Heels

The Schemmers and their 23 companions meet the third Friday in September through May. The Harmony Dancers and the 15 other square dance clubs in the Kansas City metro carry on a long tradition that continues today.

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KC skyline and elipses with bubble box

September’s curiousKC Voting Round Focuses On KC’s Urban Planning

Announcing curiousKC’s September voting round, which is on urban planning in the Kansas City metro.

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