This section is from the book "Chambers's Concise Gazetteer Of The World", by David Patrick. Also available from Amazon: Chambers's Concise Gazetteer Of The World.
Kansas City, the second city of Missouri, and one of the great towns of the west, is situated on the south bank of the Missouri (here crossed by a fine railway bridge), where the river makes a sharp bend to the east, 283 miles by rail W. by N. of St Louis. Great part of the city is built upon a series of steep hills. The state frontier-line bounds the city on the west, and consequently a large suburb on this side, also called Kansas City, is in the adjoining state of Kansas. This suburb, connected with Kansas City by a remarkable elevated railway, has a pop. of 51,316, and contains great stock-yards and pork-packing establishments. The larger Missouri town possesses numerous fine streets, and handsome residences on the hills. Its public edifices include a fine United States court-house and the imposing building of the Board of Trade; there are two medical colleges here. The city is the terminus of a number of important railways, and is a principal distributing centre for the rich agricultural region to the south and west. There are great grain-elevators and stock-yards, and pork-packing is a principal industry; while the manufactories turn out railroad iron and car-wheels, shot, flour, beer, butterine, soap, furniture, etc. Pop. (1860) 4418; (1870) 32,260; (1880) 55,785 ; (1900) 163,752.
 
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