Hickman Mills, Kansas City, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hickman Mills
Neighborhood
Hickman Mills, Kansas City, Missouri
Hickman Mills Location in Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Jackson
Elevation	1,027 ft (313 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	64134, 64137
Area code(s)	816

Hickman Mills is a neighborhood located in Kansas City, Missouri. It's part of the larger Kansas City metropolitan area. This area has great access to major highways like I-435, I-470, and US-71/I-49. This includes a busy highway intersection called the Grandview Triangle.

The neighborhood is also home to Longview Lake and Longview Community College. The local schools are managed by the Hickman Mills C-1 School District.

Hickman Mills: A Look at Its Past

Hickman Mills is in the southern part of Kansas City, Missouri. It was once a separate town. The city of Kansas City officially took it over in 1961.

Early Days and the Mill

The area was first mapped out in 1845 by Randall Allen. Its name comes from Edwin Alfred Hickman. In 1854, he bought 40 acres to build a steam-powered mill. This mill was used to grind grain and cut wood. It was built along Hart Grove Creek.

Hickman moved his mill from Independence. He needed more wood for his mill. He also wanted to use the busy Santa Fe Trail nearby. A mistake by a government office in Washington, D.C. led to the name "Hickman Mills." It was supposed to be "Hickman's Mill."

The exact spot of the mill is not known. However, it was likely near Hickman Mills Drive and Hillcrest Road. In 1857, many banks closed, and money became hard to find. Hickman had given credit to many people. This caused his mill to close in 1859.

Hickman later went west to search for gold. His mill was sold, and its wood was used for other buildings. A local farmer, Solomon Young, used some wood for a barn. He was the great-grandfather of President Harry S Truman. Even after the mill closed, the town continued to grow. A post office served Hickman Mills and nearby Grandview. Later, train service connected the town directly to Kansas City.

The Civil War Years in Hickman Mills

The area around Hickman Mills faced many challenges during the American Civil War. Groups like the Jayhawkers took things from homes. Guerrilla fighters, like those led by William Quantrill, also operated here. They fought against the Jayhawkers and Union soldiers.

Movies like The Outlaw Josey Wales and Ride with the Devil show what the Civil War was like in Missouri. Parts of Ride with the Devil were filmed in nearby Clay County.

Charles Jefferys and Community Survival

Hickman Mills survived the Civil War largely thanks to Charles Jefferys. He was a wealthy businessman from Belgium. Jefferys bought a lot of land in the area. He built two large houses. Today, one of the local high schools, Ruskin High School, stands on part of his land.

Jefferys faced dangers during the war. His farm manager, Jacob Palmer, learned that Jayhawkers planned to harm Jefferys. This was partly because Jefferys owned slaves, which was common at the time. Jefferys sent his family away for safety. He stayed to protect his farm from being burned.

Quantrill's men often stayed nearby. One of Quantrill's leaders, George Todd, owned a farm along the Blue River. Farmers in the area armed themselves. They even captured some Jayhawkers who were taking things from a home. Quantrill's men later took these prisoners. It is believed they were killed soon after.

General Order No. 11 and Its Impact

During this time, Quantrill and his men attacked Lawrence, Kansas. This attack led to General Order No. 11. This order forced most people in Jackson County and nearby areas to leave their homes. They had to leave immediately.

Only those who lived near a military post and promised loyalty to the Union could stay. All property left behind was to be burned or taken by the military. One of Jefferys' homes became a military post. Thirty-two local families lived on his farm during the war. Their own farms and property were destroyed.

The order aimed to stop the rebellion in Jackson County. But it made Quantrill's men and local people even more determined to fight. After Confederate General Sterling Price entered Missouri, the area was damaged even more. Battles, like the Battle of Byram's Ford, happened throughout the county. There was also widespread taking of goods by soldiers and other groups.

Hickman Mills: Growing After the War

It took many years for the area to recover after the Civil War. The war in Missouri and Kansas was very personal. Neighbors and families often fought against each other.

Charles Jefferys was owed a lot of money by the military. He never got it back. Jefferys moved to Philadelphia permanently. His son later returned to Hickman Mills to slowly sell off the land. The last part was sold in 1905.

Ruskin High School and the Jefferys Depot

A large part of Jefferys' land became the site of Ruskin High School. Another part was given by the family in 1899 for a train stop. The St. Louis and San Francisco (FRISCO) rail line built a stop there. It was named Jefferys, as the family requested.

This depot was about half a mile west of Hickman Mills. It had an agent and telegraph service until 1914, when it burned down. Train service continued until 1954, but passengers had to wave down the train to stop. Today, the train tracks are gone. The original stop is now near the off-ramp of southbound US-71.

Schools and Community Buildings

After the war, life returned to normal. The first school, Hedges School, was built in 1866. It was located at the corner of Hillcrest Road and Longview Road. Later, Hickman School was built in 1916. This was the first permanent brick school. It is now at the corner of Longview Road and Grandview Road. This building is one of the original schools of the Hickman Mills C-1 School District. It is still standing but has not been used as a school since 1980.

Most homes in Hickman Mills were built in the 1950s and 1960s. However, some older houses from before 1920 still exist. These are found at the original town center. This is at the corner of Hillcrest Road and Red Bridge Road, east of US-71.

Hickman Mills Community Church

At this corner, you can find the beautiful Hickman Mills Community Church. This church was first started in 1845 in Raytown. It later moved to Hickman Mills. It is the third-oldest Christian church in Jackson County.

The church was built on land donated by Hickman. It was north of his mill. The first church was a simple wooden building. By 1896, the church had grown to 75 members. A larger building was then constructed. In 1929, the congregation had doubled again. The ornate stone building that stands today was built then. This building won awards for its design. You can still see one of the millstones from Hickman's Mill at the church.

Historic Town Center Buildings

Northeast of the church is a smaller stone building from 1921. This building used to be the town bank. Across from the old bank is a wooden building. It served as a community center and post office. It even had a gym on the second floor. Next door is the original telephone exchange building. In the 1950s, the telephone exchange for Hickman Mills was "DW" (for DWight). Later, it was "SO" (for SOuthland).

About half a mile east of the town center, along Red Bridge Road, is a monument. It remembers General Order No. 11. This order forced residents to leave their farms during the Civil War.

Recent Changes and the Santa Fe Trail

The local area once included the large Bannister Mall. This mall was once the biggest in the region. However, it was torn down in 2009. Many buildings in the area have been empty in recent years.

The Santa Fe Trail was very important in the early days of Hickman Mills. It entered the area along what is now Old Santa Fe Road. This road forms the boundary of the current Hickman Mills High School. The trail then turned at Palestine Cemetery. It continued to what is now 93rd Street.

From 93rd Street, the trail crossed the land where the mall used to be. It then turned west down Bannister Road. Finally, it turned south at the town of Holmes Park. The trail eventually crossed the Blue River at Minor Park. A smaller path from the trail might have gone towards Hickman's Mill. This path would have run south along Bennington Avenue to Red Bridge Road.

One of the current high schools, Hickman Mills Sr. High, is on land that was once a Santa Fe Trail campsite. Nearby, Schumacher Park remembers the Santa Fe Trail. It has maps of the trail's route through Hickman Mills.

The Ruskin Heights Tornado

In 1957, the Ruskin Heights tornado struck the area. It then hit Ruskin Heights. This powerful storm killed 44 people. It also destroyed hundreds of buildings, including Ruskin High School. The school was rebuilt. A monument to the tornado victims is located near the school. It is at the corner of E. 111th St. and Blue Ridge Blvd.