The birthplace of Ginger Rogers at 100 W Moore Street in Independence, Missouri is being renovated and will open as a small museum open to the public this summer.

Rogers was born in a tiny room in the 1906 Craftsman Bungalow on July 16, 1911. Her mother, Lela, worked as a secretary nearby, and later was a Hollywood script writer and Rogers’ manager.

The Ginger House will be open to the public during a July 15-16, 2017 grand opening. The weekend will include a “Ginger Festival” with a dinner, silent auction, presentations, and tours of the home.

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The Jackson County Historical Society will recognizes three distinguished history-related efforts with awards during its Jan. 19th annual meeting and dinner.

The award winners are Wide Awake Films, FamilySearch and a book about Kansas City collectibles.

Two JCHS volunteers - John Campbell (Archives and Research Library) and April Milam (1859 Jail Museum) - will also be recognized for this efforts.

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Sue Gentry, a long-time Independence journalist and Jackson County Historical Society leader, kept a handwritten index of events, dates and individuals which she found of interest.

The paper index helped her write extensively about local history and answers questions about the community's early development.

JCHS has digitized the personal index and made it available online as a historic resource.

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The Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recently approved nominations of three Kansas City properties to the National Register of Historic Places. Nominated were:

• Plaza Towers, (Working-Class and Middle-Income Apartment Buildings in Kansas City, Missouri MPDF), 209 Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard, Kansas City, Jackson County  
• Peters, Charles and Josephine, House, 1228 West 55th Street, Kansas City, Jackson County
• Ferd. Heim Brewing Company Bottling Plant, 507 North Montgall, Kansas City, Jackson County

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The role of shoe shine boys at Union Station is being recognized with a new permanent exhibit which recently was unveiled.

The shoe shine stand was a prominent fixture in the bustling train station and staffed by enterprising mostly African-American young boys.

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A new highly-regarded documentary on the life of Walt Disney is garnering new interest in the life of the well-known animator whose early career started in Kansas City. 

The two-part series on the PBS show American Experience shares how Walt Disney rose to cultural prominence through animation and his creation of Disneyland. Watch chapter one.

We recounted Disney's early career in a recent JCHS Journal article by Ron Green titled "The Roots of Animation in Kansas City."  

We also shared additional content including Disney-related locations in Kansas City and information about some of his Kansas City collaborators who helped build the Disney.

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Two downtown Kansas City businesses are being considered for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The nominations are Commerce Trust Company Historic District, bounded by East 9th St., Walnut St., East 10th St. and Main St. and also the Ten Main Center, 910-920 Main St. which is just across the street.

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Frank Adams, a fourth generation Jackson County farmer, died Aug. 7th at age 91. He died at his home, on land that had been in his family since 1844.  

Adams was active in many historical organizations including the Jackson County Historical Society. He was also on many civic board including the Fort Osage School Board and chair of the Jackson County Planning Commission.

Adams was proud to be a  fourth generation descendant of Lynchburg Adams, first (in 1819) permanent settler to come to Jackson County, and who was sixteen years old at that time.  Lynchburg lost his first farm in Flood of 1844, then relocated to higher ground one mile south, which was later home to Frank and his wife Janann, who preceded him.

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