Garden City In The Past

by June Cramer, June Allen & Peggy McKeehan

Back in the days following the Civil War, this section of Cass County was a wide open prairie. The opportunities offered the emigrant could not have been better anywhere in the state. There was hay in abundance and pasture land that had never been touch by a plow share. Some of the early settlers were M. Wildeboor, who came here from Illinois in 1866 and located two miles west of Garden City. Others arriving from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky.

The location of Garden City was not decided upon definitely until the Frisco Railroad began to build their railroad through Cass County and Henry County from Harrisonville to Clinton. The official name of the railroads was the Kansas City, Clinton and Springfield K.C. C. &S. but better known as "The Leaky Roof".

Most of Garden City stands on what was to be a part of the J.S. Anderson farm. Mr. & Mrs. Anderson were married in Michigan and came on a visit to her brothers, John and Will Boals and others and purchased 320 acres of land owned by J.S. Anderson. In the fall of 1884, Mr. Anderson sold to George S. Nettleton, representing the K.C.-C. & S. branch of the Frisco Railroad, an undivided one half interest in 120 acres of land. The land was surveyed and plotted. In the spring of 1885 lots were sold. Because the railroad company furnished the plot for the town explains why the town was plotted out on a bias in the way the road ran.

From August 3, 1885 to the spring of 1898, the town site contained only 120 acres. An election was held in April 1898, which decided to extend the limits so as to take in 80 acres, called the Gross addition, on the west side. On January 15, 1898, a special election was held at which the old village of Garden City became the "City of Garden City" and was by the proclamation of the Mayor and the laws of the state, declared to be a city of the Fourth Class.

As long as the railroad was in operation, Garden City prospered. It had many businesses including three banks, three large grocery and dry goods stores, three barbershops and others. Progress brought new highways and the motor car and truck transportation which was the vital blow to the railroad. The railroad was abandoned which affected the little towns that it served.

Today, Garden City is a very progressive town with extensive residential growth in the community around the city.

GOOD PEOPLE ALWAYS WELCOME—COME MAKE YOUR HOME WITH US.

ROADS LEAD TO GARDEN CITY.

JUST THE PLACE TO RAISE AND EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY.

GARDEN CITY

CITY HALL

PO BOX 20

GARDEN CITY, MO 64747

(816) 862-8208

HOURS  8-5

Mon - Fri

Population - 1500

Area - 1393 Acres

Incorporated in 1898

Mayor--4 yr term--Richard Williams—2010

Clerk--Randy Jones

Alderman West -2 yr term--Danny Merrifield--2009

Alderman East 2 yr term--Kevin King--2009

Alderman  East - 2yr term--Mark V. Lopez--2008

Alderman West - 2yr term--Gretchen Richison—2008

Tax Collector--June Allen--2008

Modified: 3/23/07