What's Your KCQ? previously examined the history of Electric Park, a popular turn-of-the-20th-century amusement park founded by the Heim brothers – Joseph, Ferdinand, and Michael – to draw thirsty visitors to their brewery in the East Bottoms.

As the city expanded south, the Heims followed suit and relocated Electric Park to 46th Street and The Paseo, just north of Brush Creek. A reported crowd of 53,000 attended the grand opening on May 19, 1907. The new park featured a giant swing, water chute, scenic railway, and other amusements.

But it was an entirely different type of thrill – alligators and crocodiles – that caught the eye of a reader examining a 1907 map of Electric Park. They asked the KCQ team to investigate the backstory of the toothy attraction and how long it remained at the park.

In researching the question, we discovered a gator-wrestling Floridian called Alligator Joe, his public wedding at Electric Park, and crocodiles on the loose in Brush Creek.

Read the rest of the story at KCHistory.org.