The KC Streetcar’s Main Street extension opens October 24, and Kansas Citians are once again thinking about transit. 

The route now runs from the River Market to UMKC — and connects you to three Library locations: Plaza Branch, Westport Branch, and Central Library.

When a new midtown resident asked about the name “Gillham” on the park and road near her apartment, a neighbor explained that he had something to do with the city’s early streetcar system. They asked KCQ to dig deeper into the story. 

Indeed, Robert Gillham played a key role in developing Kansas City’s early street railways — though he wasn’t the first. That credit goes to Nehemiah Holmes, namesake of Holmes Street, who founded the Kansas City and Westport Horse Rail Road Company in 1869. And Gillham thought he could do better.

Read the rest of the story at KCHistory.org or on The Kansas City Star website. Plus, access The Kansas City Star articles, both past and present, on the Library website with a Library card.