Kaw River Front

The jutting point on the Kaw River that now overlooks the Kansas City, Mo. skyline has a long history as a vantage point perfect for imagining a city beyond the water. In 1804, following the Louisiana Purchase, the legendary explorers Lewis & Clark left St. Louis to explore the new territory to the west. Their expedition camped on the land now referred to as Kaw Point—the convergence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers. According to William Clark’s records of this stop, colorful parakeets and buffalos found in the area impressed the explorers. The river’s role in defining the Missouri state boundary in 1821 and Lewis & Clark’s positive assessment of the area assisted in luring the early settlement that would become Kansas City, Mo.