Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had an estimated population of 488,943 in 2017, making it the 37th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central city of the Kansas City metropolitan area, which straddles the Kansas–Missouri state line. Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a Missouri River port at its confluence with the Kansas River coming in from the west. On June 1, 1850 the town of Kansas was incorporated; shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory. Confusion between the two ensued and the name Kansas City was assigned to distinguish them soon after.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Kansas City, Missouri)
The Rev. Benedict Roux arrived in Kansas City in 1833. Two years later he built a church out of logs at Eleventh and Broadway that was named St. John Francis Regis. From 1845 to 1880 the parish was served by the Rev. Bernard Donnelly who was a circuit-riding priest. He had a brick church built in 1857 that was named Immaculate Conception.
The Diocese of Kansas City was established by Pope Leo XIII in 1880. Bishop John Joseph Hogan selected Immaculate Conception as the cathedral for the new diocese and laid the cornerstone for the present cathedral in 1882. While the interior of the building was incomplete and temporary windows filled the spaces, the first Mass in the church was celebrated on Trinity Sunday in 1883. The Cathedral was built on the highest ground of the city and at 250 feet (76.2 m) it was the tallest structure in Kansas City at the time. During the early years, the parish sold tickets to allowing residents to climb the steps in the tower to see the view.