History of the Kansas City metropolitan area
The history of the Kansas City metropolitan area started in the 19th century as Frenchmen from St. Louis, Missouri moved up the Missouri River to trap for furs and trade with the Native Americans. The Kansas City metropolitan area, straddling the border between Missouri and Kansas at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, was a strategic point for commerce and security. Kansas City, Missouri was founded in 1838 and defeated its rival Westport to become the predominant city west of St. Louis. The area played a major role in the westward expansion of the United States. The Santa Fe, and Oregon trails ran through the area. In 1854, when Kansas was opened to Euro-American settlement, the Missouri-Kansas border became the first battlefield in the conflict in the American Civil War.
Kansas City Missouri Temple
The Kansas City Missouri Temple is the 137th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is the first to be built in the Greater Kansas City area. Previous attempts at building an LDS temple in the area failed in Independence in 1833 and Far West in 1838, after church founder Joseph Smith had selected and dedicated locations for their construction. A temple was completed in Independence in 1994 by the Community of Christ, which is not affiliated with the LDS Church.