LaDene Morton, author of The Waldo Story: The Home of Friendly Merchants, traces the history of the district from the Civil War and the coming of the railroad to Waldo’s role in the Kansas City housing boom. Throughout the years the ever-adaptable Waldo neighborhood always seems to find ways to stay modern and prosperous.

Morton is a former researcher and policy analyst at Midwest Research Institute, and past vice president of the Applied Urban Research Institute. She runs the consulting firm I/O & Company.