Kansas City Scout Statue

In a city known for its statues, fountains and excellent barbecue, The Scout (also known as the Kansas City Scout) is the most famous of the statues that keeps watch over Kansas City, Missouri. From the vantage point up high at Penn Valley Park, there are excellent views of nearby I-35 and the Kansas City skyline. The statue is placed in a historic area of Kansas City once known as the Penn Street Ravine, where pioneers once traversed as part of the Santa Fe Trail. So it was appropriate to place The Scout in an area that has historical significance.

The Scout is a 10 foot tall statue cast in bronze of a Sioux Indian on horseback, surveying the landscape. The statue was originally cast by renowned sculptor Cyrus Dallin in 1915 for the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Dallin had a deep respect for America's indigenous peoples and some of his best known works were made in tribute to Native Americans. The statue won the gold medal and as the statue traveled toward the East Coast of the United States, it was temporarily installed in Kansas City. While the statue was never meant to become a permanent fixture in Kansas City, local citizens were so delighted with The Scout that they raised $15,000 to purchase the statue. The fundraising happened mostly through small subscription campaigns, with people paying in nickels and dimes to help raise funds. Once enough funds were raised, The Kansas City Scout was dedicated as a permanent memorial in 1922.

Since that time, The Scout has become a symbol and a mascot of Kansas City, Missouri. Several area institutions were named after the iconic statue, including Kansas City’s electronic traffic alert system, aptly named The Kansas City Scout. When the National Hockey League had a franchise in Kansas City during the mid-1970s, the team was named the Kansas City Scouts, finding inspiration from The Scout statue after the original nickname of Mohawks was shot down by the Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately for Kansas City area hockey fans, the team was not as popular as the statue, having moved out of Kansas City after two lackluster seasons. That team is now the New Jersey Devils, named for another legend in its own right. In 1992, Kansas City gifted a replica of The Scout to its sister city of Seville, Spain, sharing a symbol of this wonderful city on the border of Kansas and Missouri with the world.

Visiting The Scout statue is easily accessible from I-35 and Penn Valley Drive, the latter of which goes through Penn Valley Park. For me, it was a short walk from the tennis courts to be able to see this enduring symbol of Kansas City. It is a superb place to view the Kansas City skyline, the Power and Light District and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It is a great little stopover if you are passing through the Kansas City area.

The Scout peers into the distance.

I-35 is downhill from The Scout.

Penn Valley Drive and the Kansas City skyline.

Another skyline view.

A couple of parting shots of The Scout.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
KC Parks - The Scout
Flatland - curiousKC | The Story Behind the Sioux Scout
Libbie Bond - Kansas City Scout
The Kansas City Public Library - The Scout
The Pendergast Years - Scout Statue

When did people begin to refer to the "Ridge Route" as "The Grapevine?" (former US Route 99 and Interstate 5)

The segment of US Route 99 from Los Angeles north to Bakersfield was traditionally known in State Highway documents as the "Ridge Route." Even as the Ridge Route was transitioning from curvy mountain grade to the facility now occupied by Interstate 5nthe name largely persisted in California Highways & Public Works documents. During modern times the name "Ridge Route" has be usurped in popular lexicon in favor to the nickname known as "The Grapevine." This blog will attempt to decipher the origins of "The Grapevine" and how it came into popular use today. Featured as the blog cover photo is a view of Interstate 5 in Grapevine Canyon and former US Route 99 at Deadman's Curve of the Ridge Route. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Note:

US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway

The communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway can all be found along US Route 101 within southern Humboldt County. The former surface alignment of US Route 101 in Garberville and Redway once crossed the Garberville Bluffs along what is now Redwood Drive via a corridor constructed as part of the Redwood Highway during the 1910s. US Route 101 through Benbow, Garberville and Redway was modernized by 1935. US Route 101 would eventually be upgraded to freeway standards in Benbow, Garberville and Redway by extension of the Redwood Freeway during 1966-68. As the cover photo the original grade of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway can be seen at the Garberville Bluffs during 1934. US Route 101 can be seen in the communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County . The history of US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway Benbow, Garberville and Redway lie on the banks of the South Fork Eel River of southern Humboldt County. D

Ghost Town Tuesday; The Ghost Towns of Lake Okeechobee

The 1928 Lake Okeechobee Hurricane was the second most deadly in U.S. history behind the 1900 Galviston Hurricane. The Category 5 Hurricane first hit Puerto Rico before moving to Florida with winds sustained at 160 MPH. The path of the hurricane took it directly over Lake Okeechobee which is the largest lake in Florida and headwaters of the Everglades. The Lake Okeechobee Hurricane raised the water level by at least 20 feet and wiped out many of the surrounding communities. In total it is estimated that there was at least 2,500 fatalities related to the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane in Florida. A general list of the communities destroyed by the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane include; Port Mayaca, Sand Cut, Canal Point, Pahokee, Belle Glade, South Bay, Okeelanta, Bean City, Ritta Island, Lake Harbor, Chosen, and Kreamer Island. Some communities like Belle Glade eventually were rebuilt but others became ghost towns largely wiped clean. In response to the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane the H

Gribblenation

Search This Blog