Dont Miss Historic Country Club Plaza Before the turn of the 20th century, the Brush Creek Valley in Kansas City, Missouri was little more than a watering hole for those on their way to somewhere else. Fur trappers, American Indians, soldiers and early settlers all walked its banks, but their journeys took them else- where. Only one man had the vision to see the little valley as something more. With steadfast determination and hard work, Jesse Clyde (J.C.) Nichols changed the face of the land forever, transforming a swampy, unappealing tract of land into the country’s first shopping center…the Country Club Plaza. Built in 1922, the Plaza became the first major shopping area in the country to cater to customers arriving by automobile. Today, The Plaza has over 180 upscale retail and service establish- ments and over 35 restaurants. It has something for everyone as it is not only centrally located near several wonderful museums, but also only a few minutes away from downtown and casinos. Perhaps it is best known for the wonder- land of color and excitement it becomes as the charming old-world buildings are outlined with lights during the Christmas season. J.C. Nichols had an uncanny ability of turning dreams into reality, even when others thought his ideas were foolish. At the start of the 20th century, he envisioned a business opportunity that would prove to be his life’s work — real estate development. Nichols con- vinced two of his fraternity brothers to join him in buying land that was going up for bankruptcy sale. That proved to be the start of a journey of successes that Nichols traveled the next 50 years. Shortly after this purchase, thousands of Kansas Citians were forced out of the river bottom area to higher ground dur- ing the 1903 flood. Nichols’ tract of land was on high ground. A neighborhood was built almost overnight. Using the profits earned from this first real estate venture, Nichols turned his attention to the southern edge of the city, a place in many people’s minds that was too far removed from the city’s core, and bought land at 51st and Grand—land bordering today’s Country Club Plaza. Many were skepti- cal of Nichols’ plan. There were no rail or trolley lines; stores and neighbors were few; it was thought of as a place where no one would want to live. But, Nichols believed he could develop whole residential neighborhoods that would attract people who desired a bet- ter way of life and a nicer place to live. Nichols was also a visionary. He saw the importance of the car in middle- class lives at a time when many thought the automobile would only be a fad of the rich. He put together a plan to build entire neighborhoods and shopping cen- ters designed with the automobile in mind. Planning his dream was the easy part, getting people to buy into it took real salesmanship. The rail line ended at 47th and Troost, so to get people to venture out to his new area Nichols met prospective buyers at the end of the line and drove them in a buggy the mile to his new development. He promised what others hadn’t—plumbing, water, trash pickup, miles of tree-lined avenues, neighbor- hood parks, sidewalks, and even front lawns. His persistence and a distinctive master plan paid off, his residential neighborhoods took shape, and people moved south of the city. With the residential plan in place, Nichols moved on to his next dream. He envisioned building a major shop- ping center where residents of his neighborhoods could go and work or shop. But the land he planned to use to carve his dream was nothing more than a dumping ground with a hog farm on one end and a brickyard on the other. Rundown shacks covered the area; stagnated water filled the swampy land. As early as 1907 he began buying up the swampland that had been sold off in 25-foot lots in an early-day mail order sale. Piece by piece, the land was pur- chased until 55 acres were accumulated at a price of over $1 million. Formal plans for the Country Club Plaza were drawn up in 1922. When the construction of The Plaza was announced, many of the city’s lead- ers called it “Nichols’ Folly.” What they didn’t see was a master plan that was years in the making and reflected a study of shopping areas around the world. Nichols had his architects and landscape designers plan the whole project in advance so future buildings would be part of the total environment. Remembering his travel experiences in Europe and the Southwest, Nichols chose a Spanish theme for The Plaza that included beautiful courtyards and stucco buildings with red tile roofs and omate towers. He handpicked the works of art to adorn The Plaza’s streets and sidewalks; antique sculptures, columns, tile-laced murals, wrought iron and fountains were all meticulously placed by Nichols himself. And he designed The Plaza with the car in mind. There were eight filling sta- tions in the early days. Garages and parking lots were ample. The Plaza became the first major shopping area in the country to