Saturday, September 12
Nuestro Legado/Our Legacy Series: The Impact of the 1951 Flood
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Tickets Required: Pay What You Like*
Click here to purchase
Join us as we mark the 75th anniversary of the devastating 1951 flood and explore the powerful history of flooding along the Kansas and Missouri rivers – the valley where these rivers meet shaped the region’s growth, challenges, and resilience. The 1951 flood in Kansas City’s West Bottoms remains one of the city’s most catastrophic natural disasters and a turning point in the history of the Kansas City Stockyards and the Central Industrial District.
This program will bring that dramatic story to life, showing how the 1951 flood stunned the city, region, and nation while fueling urgent debates over flood control. Engineers called for stronger levees, wider riverbanks, dredging, and standardized bridge designs, but railroads and other industries resisted large-scale, long-term protections, arguing they were too costly and unnecessary. The resulting conflict led to litigation between the Kaw Valley Drainage District and powerful corporate interests.
Don’t miss this compelling presentation by Dr. Gene T. Chávez, Historian in Residence at the Museum of Kansas City. Dr. Chávez will share video interviews he collected from 1951 flood survivors and explain how city authorities on both sides of the Kansas-Missouri state line responded to the disaster and worked to prevent future flooding.
*Pay What You Like means that a fee is required to attend this program, but the amount you pay is at your discretion.
