From trapping and trading along the Missouri River to commerce at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, Civil War conflicts and dominance at the stockyards, Kansas City continues to be a major player in our country's history. The Shawnee Indian Missionis one of Kansas City's many historical treasures etched with story and a captivating history of its own.
Local historian and author Joe Vaughan will share the Mission's rich history, describe the life of its controversial founder, Thomas Johnson, and illustrate how he and the Mission influenced the region.
Sunday, October 11
2 - 3 p.m.
Jewish Community Center (White Theater Entrance 7, NW side)
Reservations requested by October 9. Contact Dawn Stanton at 913-327-8239 or dawn@jfskc.org.
We asked Mr. Vaughan a few questions and he has been kind enough to share.
When did you become interested in local history?
I have been interested in our area's rich history my entire life. This interest was generated by coming from a family (both sides) that has been engaged in business, civic and cultural affairs for several generations. My father and grandfathers were involved with the chamber of commerce. I have been elected to serve three, 4-year terms on the Johnson County Water District No. 1 Board of Directors.
Do you have a favorite story about Kansas City?
The "story" I like to talk about is Kansas City's varied and wonderful assets and why it is a metropolitan area with well-rounded living, educational and working opportunities. Geographically, the centrality of our location to anywhere in the USA is unsurpassed.
In your research have you discovered anything that has really surprised you?
Overall, I have been surprised at the number of people who seem to be unaware of the significance our region played in the events leading up to the Civil War and the expansion of the West in the 19th Century.
What drew you to Thomas Johnson and the Shawnee Indian Mission as a subject for a book?
Beginning about 1997, my business (Joe Vaughan Associates) was heavily involved in the research, authoring and publishing of history books for Westwood, Mission and Merriam. I then authored a very successful pictorial history book about Kansas City, Kansas for Arcadia Publishing Co., Inc. I began to realize that there had been a lot of material produced about the Shawnee Indian Mission (SIM), but there was no book dedicated to Johnson County's namesake, Reverend Thomas Johnson and the City of Fairway, where the SIM historic site is located.
There are unanswered questions surrounding Thomas Johnson’s murder. How did you use the book to approach the mystery of his death?
I used the book to include some new information several long-time area historic researchers contacted me about when they heard I was beginning a book. One the historians is in her late 80s, in a nursing home, and realized her work would be lost with her death if she had not been connected to me. Oddly, another of the elderly researchers suffered a debilitating stroke about two weeks after the book was published in December 2014.
What do you think happened?
Johnson had been a controversial figure in this region for over three decades and he had a lot of enemies. His murder occurred three years after he had closed down the SIM and four years after the State of Kansas had been admitted to the Union as a "free state". He was retired to a ranch in what is now Midtown Kansas City, Mo. Therefore, I agree with those who contend Johnson was killed by robbers who heard he kept "large sums of money" at his ranch. He survived several years beyond most of the political controversies he was entangled in for decades. I believe if he was killed by his "political enemies of the past three decades", they would not have waited to kill him until several years had gone by after most of the controversies had generally ended.
Do you have another local history project in the works?
Yes, I do. The Centennial of World War I is being observed between now and December 2018. The world headquarters of the WW-I Memorial is in Kansas City, Mo. I am planning a book related to the war. Stay tuned!
What are you reading?
I have just recently read Appetite for America by Steven Fried.
Why do you love libraries?
Across the USA, our education system and our public libraries are the backbone of our nation's freedom and enlightenment. I realize we are living in a digital era now, but we must support education and libraries.