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This represents a copy of the manuscript as it was presented, including terminology used at the time of the writing.  All attempts have been made to reproduce the spelling, capitalization and layout of the original book as much as possible.  In some cases, "annotations" or "Internet links" have been provided to the original works by the transcriber of the manuscript.

"SILVER CITY," A History of the Argentine Community of Kansas City, Kansas
by Edwin Dale Shutt, II

Copyright 1976 by Edwin Dale Shutt II
Printed in the USA by JOELitho, Kansas City, Kansas
A Thesis presented to the Division of Social Sciences
Emporia Kansas State College

Copyright to this information belongs to Edwin Dale Shutt II, and text from this publication should not be reprinted for monetary or personal gain without his written permission.  This publication is subject to the copyright laws of the United States of America.

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In the first bottomlands of the Kaw River, about three miles from its mouth, lies the Argentine community of Kansas City, Kansas. The Argentine community has a colorful past. Founded in 1880, this town was the headquarters of the Kansas City Consolidated Smelting and Refining Company. This smelter had the reputation of being the largest in the world, both in terms of capacity and in the value of ore refined. A settlement grew up around the smelter and the railroad, which had come in the late 1870's. This settlement became known as Argentine, which is derived from the Latin word for "silver".

As a result of several factors, the Argentine smelter shut down permanently in October of 1901. The town of Argentine immediately went into a depression. Hundreds of people left the community to seek work elsewhere. This was the main reason why the little city sought for and gained annexation in the city of Kansas City, Kansas. Thus, on January 1, 1910, Argentine officially became the seventh ward of Kansas City, Kansas.

Argentine fortunes have grown with the city, and in 1974 it is a prosperous suburb. In 1907 a group of men organized the Kansas City Structural Steel Company in Argentine. From small beginnings this plant grew to such an extent that for many years, in terms of steel fabricated, it was considered the largest steel plant west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In later years, the company was still credited as the largest plant west of the Mississippi River.

The Argentine community has many other claims to fame. For many years, the Argentine High School was considered one of the most prestigious schools in the state. In the 1930's a vocational technical program was started at the high school and it quickly became a pioneer in the field of vocational training.

During the pioneer days of Kansas, the community could boast of another distinction. White Feather Creek in Argentine is the grave site of the famous Shawnee Indian known as the "Prophet." This Indian, reputed to be the twin brother of the great Chief Tecumseh, spent his final years living around what is now the Argentine community. A section of the first chapter is devoted to him.

In the summer of 1951, the Argentine and the lowlands of the greater Kansas City area were subject to one of the greatest natural disasters of our nation's history.  The great Kaw River flood of 1951 caused losses of over $870,000,000 along the Kaw, Missouri, Marais des Cygnes and Osage River basins.  A large chapter has been devoted to this and other great floods that have struck the Argentine community.

The purpose of this chapter is to trace the growth of the Argentine community from its beginnings to the present.  The major emphasis of the paper has been placed on the silver smelter, the Kansas City Structural Steel Company, the great floods, and the old town itself.

Outside of old newspaper accounts, little has been written about much of the community's history.  What works do exist, the author utilized to the utmost.  Also, the author had the aid of numerous libraries and collections to achieve materials for the fuller accounts in this study.  The author is thus deeply indebted to the staff of the Kansas State Historical Society.  Much of the old newspaper clippings that they had on the smelter and the early days of the town could not have been found elsewhere.  A special thanks goes out to the staff of the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library.  The staff gave me access to their Kansas Room Collection, and spent many hours setting up dozens of rolls of microfilm for the author.  The Argentine Branch Library and the Wyandotte County Historical Society also deserve mention.  The author also received valuable information from the Argentine files of the Kansas City Star, the Kansas City Kansan, and the Silver City Record.

A special thanks goes out to Hewitt and George McCamish, Tom Yearsley, Joseph L. Larson, Clarence Baker, Loyd Crawford and the author's father, Edwin Dale Shutt, Sr.  Without their aid, much of the information on the Kansas City Structural Steel Company could not have been gathered.

The author also received valuable assistance from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the archives of the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools System.  The author gives special thanks to the many wonderful people whom he interviewed.

Last, but not least the author gives special recognition to his mother, father, sister, and brother.  Without their assistance over the many weeks, the typing and editing of this paper would have been impossible to complete.

Picture Gallery

USD 500 is grateful to Mr. Edwin Dale Shutt, II, who has graciously granted us permission to use his thesis online at our web site for the benefit of the public viewing this site.

Mr. Shutt is a past president of the Wyandotte County Historical Society and assisted in the narrative, "A Brief History of Wyandotte County", please online by the Kansas City Planning Commission.

Mr. Shutt's book is located at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library (Main Branch at 625 Minnesota Ave, 913-551-3280; and Argentine Branch at 2800 Metropolitan, 913-722-7400).

Copyright Notice: In keeping with the policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities for research/information. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Printing for personal research use is encouraged, as long as this "copyright notice" is kept with the copy. Other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of Mr. Edwin Dale Shutt, II of Kansas City, Kansas, author of the works.  This publication is subject to the copyright law of the United States of America.

Transcription for online preparation: Patricia Adams, USD 500

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History Site created on December 02, 2002
Page last updated: 02-Jan-2012