Yes, it's tour #2. The weather is just so great right now I want to get outside.
This tour is of Penn Valley Park.
Stop 1 - Liberty Memorial North Fountain
Twin fountains on each side of the stairs on the north side.
Completed in 1935. Designed to overlook the north lawn.
Stop 2 National World War I Museum and Memorial
Recognized by the United States as the nation's official World War I Museum.
Also - Veteran's Day - Vets or active duty get in free, everyone else 1/2 price.
Stop 3 - Liberty Memorial South Fountian
It's really turned down but it's still running.
Stop 4 - Paul "Waxie" Hernandez Fields
"Waxie" started his baseball career with the Guadalupe Center youth team in 1936, and played or coached baseball for the next 60 years on both sides of the state line. "Paulie" became one of the outstanding fast pitch softball pitchers known throughout the Kansas City region. He died in 1992.
Stop 5 - Site of Steve Harvey Murder
On November 5, 1980, jazz musician Steve Harvey was murdered in a public restroom
where the baseball fields are now. The killer was Raymond Bledsoe, a 19 year old
white man. An all white Missouri jury acquitted him. The case was brought to the
Justice Department. Bledsoe was sentenced to life in prison with the Civil Rights
Act of 1968 for interfering with
Harvey's right to use a public facility .
Stop 6 - Pioneer Mother statue
1927 statue. Celebrated at the dedication but soon forgotten.
Westport tried to claim the statue in the 1980s.
Today it is still ignored by Kansas City residents.
The city still refuses to give the statue to Westport.
Stop 7 - The Hiker
Dedicated in 1947.
The Hiker commemorates those who served in several early twentieth-century wars and conflicts.
Stop 8 - Spirits of Commerce and Industry
Spirits of Commerce and Industry are depictions of the reliefs
that were in the original Federal Reserve Bank in 1921.
Stop 9 - Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
The new building was constructed in 2008.
Stop 10 - The Scout
This statue was awarded a gold medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition.
This lead to a cross-country tour of temporary installations including Kansas City in 1916.
The statue was very popular so the local newspaper wanted the city to purchase it for $15,000.
The city came together and raised the money to buy it.
That's it! I stayed on task today! I'm so excited about that. The weather is in the 50s and wonderful walking weather. I had a blast during this walking tour. We have been to Penn Valley Park before but it was nice to get the history of the attractions.
Until tomorrow.
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