Martin City, Missouri

Martin City
2013 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Martin City outside Jess & Jim's
Nickname(s): Martin City, Missouri
Martin City
Coordinates: 38°52′54″N 94°35′57″W / 38.881703°N 94.599263°W / 38.881703; -94.599263Coordinates: 38°52′54″N 94°35′57″W / 38.881703°N 94.599263°W / 38.881703; -94.599263
Country United States
State Missouri
Counties Jackson
Area
  Total 1.965 sq mi (5.09 km2)
  Land 1.965 sq mi (5.09 km2)
  Water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation 892 ft (272 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 686
  Density 350/sq mi (130/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CST)
ZIP code 64145

Martin City is a neighborhood of Kansas City located along the Missouri and Kansas border in southwest Jackson County. The neighborhood was at one time its own, unincorporated town before it was annexed by the City of Kansas City, Missouri in 1963. The Martin City neighborhood is generally defined as being east of the Kansas state line, south of Blue Ridge Boulevard in areas west and north of the Blue River.[1]

History

Martin City was originally platted as Tilden in 1887 by E.L. Martin and John H. Lipscomb. It was named for Samuel Jones Tilden, a presidential candidate who was defeated by Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876.[2] The name was changed in 1895, because there was another town of Tilden in Dallas County. The name "Martin City" came from Edward Lowe Martin who came to Missouri in 1868 at the age of 26. Martin was famous for organizing the Kansas City Distilling Company, and E. L. Martin & Co. wholesale liquor, as well as serving as the mayor of Kansas City in 1873. During Prohibition, there was drugstore in Martin City where customers could purchase moonshine through a window in the back of the store. The dry goods store had a dance hall upstairs where children and adults could roller-skate. This was the only building of its kind for over 100 miles between Kansas City and Little Rock, Arkansas. This drew travelers from all over Missouri, resulting in a boom in the town's infrastructure. Although business slowed down after prohibition, a prominent stop on the Kansas City Southern Railroad near a local sawmill kept the economy running.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 686 people, 301 households, and 374 families residing in the neighborhood. The population density was 349 people per square mile (887.5/km²). There were 574 housing units. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 52.2% White, 32.2% African American, 20.0% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.10% of the population. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 3.6.

The median income for a household in the neighborhood was $45,551, and the median income for a family was $43,105. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $21,979 for females. The per capita income for the neighborhood was $14,778. About 40.5% of families and 53.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.5% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Martin City neighborhood is located in the Grandview School District and is served by Martin City Elementary and Middle School and Grandview High School in nearby Grandview, MO.

Attractions

The area is known for its various restaurants and area business that have organized into the Martin City Community Improvement District (CID). The Martin City CID has been instrumental in organizing street construction, streetscape improvements and security programs in the area business district. They also sponsor community events such as the annual Martin City St. Patrick's Day Parade.

References

  1. 1. http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Martin-City-Kansas-City-MO.html
  2. "Jackson County Place Names, 1928–1945 (archived)". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
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