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The American Hereford Association bull and Kemper Arena and the Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building in the former stockyards of the West Bottoms as seen from Quality Hill

The West Bottoms is an industrial area immediately to the west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River. The area is one of the oldest and most run-down areas of the city.

The "Town of Kansas" was formed here. The first Union Station (Kansas City) was located here. It was home to the Kansas City Stockyards (now defunct) prompting the huge annual American Royal livestock show at Kemper Arena, site of the 1976 Republican National Convention.

The low lying area has been prone to floods including the Great Flood of 1951 and the Great Flood of 1993.

Jim Pendergast founded the political machine here that was furthered by Tom Pendergast that ultimately resulted in the election of Harry S. Truman as President. Jim started operations at the "Climax" Saloon on St. Louis Avenue named for a winning horse he had bet on.

During World War II Darby Steel Corporation built most of the Landing craft tanks (LCTs) that were used in various amphibious invasions. The plant built one craft a day and floated them more than 1,000 miles down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, Louisiana prompting their "Prairie Ships" nickname. Darby's plant at the mouth of Kansas River could hold 8 135í LCTs and 16 LCMs in various stages of construction.

Currently, the West Bottoms is mostly unused, with many of the warehouses and factories available for lease. Many former factories and other buildings have been converted to "haunted houses" during the fall months, such as the well-known Edge of Hell and the Beast, both ranked as among the best in the country.

The West Bottoms was also where many of the first Mexican immigrants to Kansas City lived.

Map of Jim Pendergast Climax Saloon[1]

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.102755° -94.603441°
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  • Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image from TerraServer-USA