Troost Avenue

History

Troost Avenue was continuously developed from 1834 into the 1990s. From the 1880s to 1920s, many prominent white Kansas Citians (including ophthalmologist Flavel Tiffany, Governor Thomas Crittenden, banker William T. Kemper, and MEC, S pastor James Porter) resided in mansions along what had been a farm-to-market road. The section from 26th to 32nd was nicknamed "Millionaire Row". Zoning ordinances and redline policies introduced by Kansas City in the 1920s, and the implementation of a Troost Avenue streetcar, replaced affluent homes with commercial districts and smaller, minority-owned homes. In the second half of the 20th century, this busy commercial hub became the "Troost Wall" due to a lack of city funding and further decline into blight.

Troost Avenue has historically served as a dividing line of racist segregation and disinvestment in Kansas City, with more white residents living west of Troost and more black residents living to the east. For decades, this line was legally drawn and enforced under Jim Crow laws templated after the neighborhood system of house deed covenants blocking homeownership or occupancy by Black people and Jewish people written by Kansas City real estate developer J.C. Nichols.

Beginning in the 1930s, the portion of Troost Avenue from Meyer Boulevard (65th Street) to 77th Street was concurrent with U.S. Route 71. In 1944, state supplementary Route Y was introduced concurrent with Troost Avenue south of 77th Street to rendezvous with Route W at Bannister Road. As part of Route 71's 50-year transition to the South Midtown Freeway, Route Y was abolished in 1967 and Route 71 was moved from Troost Avenue to Prospect Avenue in 1968.

In the 21st century, the Troost Corridor has been revitalized by zoning overlays, modern streetscape guidelines, and real estate development, often championed by grassroots organizations. A September 2020, resolution by the City Council charged the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners with removing city-owned ties to racism and slavery. Local leaders identified Benoist Troost as a key slave-owning historical figure and, in 2022, proposed the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee rename Troost Avenue to Truth Avenue. A non-binding 2023 poll indicated that the initiative had garnered 55% public support.

Dividing line

Though bordering some of the most historic neighborhoods (including Beacon Hill, Longfellow, Hyde Park, Squier Park, Rockhill, and others), Troost Avenue is one of the most stark physical and symbolic geographical dividers in America. The book A City Divided says the 1920s had a widespread concern among some white property owners and property values. African Americans were to stay on the east side of Troost to prevent "tainting" the neighborhoods and shopping centers that J.C. Nichols developed. This dividing line remained ingrained in Kansas City's structure for decades, as a 2018 article in The Kansas City Star reported that neighborhoods west of Troost are white and neighborhoods east of Troost are black. That year, Kansas City mayor Sly James likened Troost Avenue to "the demarcation line in a war zone". The book Some of My Best Friends are Black argues that Nichols orchestrated white flight from the east side into his west side developments by inducing panic selling and blockbusting.

Points of interest

• Manual Career & Technical Center is located near Truman Road and Troost.
• Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (RideKC) is located near 18th and Troost.
• Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education is located at 2901 Troost.
• Kansas City Police Department - Central Patrol is located near Linwood Boulevard.
• Brush Creek is located at Volker Boulevard and Troost.
• Stowers Institute for Medical Research is located at 50th and Troost.
• University of Missouri–Kansas City is located between 50th and 55th Streets along Troost.
• Rockhurst University is located between 52nd and 55th Streets along Troost.
• The Landing Mall is located at 63rd and Troost.
• Route 25 - Troost is a city transportation bus route.
• Troost Avenue MAX Line is a bus rapid transit route.

References

References

1. Shortridge, James R.. (2012). "Kansas City and How It Grew, 1822-2011". University Press of Kansas.
2. . (May 18, 2015). ["How Troost changed from millionaire's row to shopper's paradise"](https://midtownkcpost.com/how-troost-changed-from-millionaires-row-to-shoppers-paradise/).
3. Felts, Tommy. (October 18, 2017). "You don't have to pick a side, neighbor-led Troost Coalition says".
4. O'Higgins, Briana. (March 27, 2014). "How Troost Became A Major Divide In Kansas City". [[KCUR]].
5. Humfeld, Jeff. "50 Years of Divestment And Racial Divide Along Troost Avenue, Change Is In The Wind - Director Kevin Bryce Talks About His Film "We Are Superman"".
6. "Cities moving beyond segregation".
7. (June 16, 2017). "J.C. Nichols and the Country Club District: Suburban Aesthetics and Property Values".
8. Missouri State Highway Commission. (1934). "Map of Missouri showing State Road System".
9. Missouri State Highway Commission. (1944). "1944 Highway Map".
10. Hogan, Suzanne. (June 3, 2014). "Highway 71 And The Road To Compromise". KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR.
11. Missouri State Highway Commission. (1967). "Missouri 1967 Official Highway Map".
12. Missouri State Highway Commission. (1968). "Missouri 1968 Official Highway Map".
13. Stark, Cortlynn. (September 17, 2020). "Street names, memorials may be removed if they honor racists". [[The Kansas City Star]].
14. Stark, Cortlynn. (28 May 2021). "Yes, Kansas City's Troost Avenue was named for a slaveholder. And that's not all we found". The Kansas City Star.
15. Hartle, Sam. (May 22, 2023). "Effort to rename Kansas City's Troost Avenue goes before council committee". KSHB41.
16. Ketz, Jonathan. (August 10, 2023). "Hundreds weigh in on renaming Troost Avenue in Kansas City". Fox4KC.
17. (September 16, 2021). "2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer".
18. Schirmer, Sherry Lamb. (2016). "A city divided : the racial landscape of Kansas City, 1900-1960". [[University of Missouri Press]].
19. "J.C. Nichols' whites-only neighborhoods, boosted by Star's founder, leave indelible mark".
20. Salzman, Eric. (October 11, 2018). "For decades a dividing line, Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., sees new hope".
21. Colby, Tanner. (2012). "Some of my best friends are Black : the strange story of integration in America". Viking.