Years before the first houses eppeared, the area that would become known as Hyde Park was a watering hole for travelers heading west. A stream and a cave with a natural spring made the area an ideal overnight spot for travelers. In modern years the cave was blocked and the spring diverted to the sewers under Harrison Boulevard, but its location is obvious from the curved walls surrounding the prone man sculpture in the park. Gleed Terrace from Campbell to Charlotte is the only remaining section of the Independence-Westport Road, which later was called the Sante Fe Trail.

The Hyde Park neighborhood's history begins in the 1880s. Predating the Country Club Plaza, it was the largest single-family housing development in Kansas City at the time. In the early years the area included the Hyde Park Country Club, which hosted tennis, croquet, archery and the area's first 9-hole golf course.

After a slow start due to a real estate crash around 1890, a large number of houses were built in the early 1900s when the market recovered. Strong growth continued throughout the start of the century.

Around 1910, an area known as Janssen Place became the home to a group of Kansas City's rich and powerful. It was nicknamed "Lumberman's Row" after several who had made their fortunes in lumber built their large and elaborate homes there. It remained a private street until it was revitalized and passed over to the city in 2001.

Elsewhere in Hyde Park you can find everything from modest single family homes to small apartment buildings to "apartment hotels" that were very fashionable in 1910-1920s. Architecturally, the area has a wide variety of styles including Victorian, Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Prairie, Tudor and even a few Modern homes.

Throughout the Depression the area managed to maintain its character. But by the end of World War II, most of the original owners had died or moved away and the demand for large single-family houses had almost disappeared. Most of the homes were broken into apartments or became bording houses. This began a decline in resident-ownership, which continued through the 1970s.

But things began to change in the years 1975-1977. Nearly one-third of the areas houses were acquired by new owners during those few years, and revitalization began. The Hyde Park Neighborhood Association was formed in 1980 to foster restoration and unify the neighbors in their efforts. With extensive public and private investment, and countless hours of effort by owners and craftspeople, nearly all the homes have been restored to single-family residences that shine with their former glory.

Learn much more about the homes and the people who lived in the area at the Kansas City's Historic Hyde Park website.