18th and Vine: Then and Now

What once was the commercial heart of the Kansas City's black district is now a shell of its former self. This week's cover story, Historian in Chief, details UMKC professor Pellom McDaniels' efforts to reacquaint Kansas City with its lost history, and reintroduce forgotten African American role models to inspire the next generation of historians. This slideshow compares photographs from the 1940 Tax Assessor's survey to present day pictures of the same places.

1940 Tax Assessor's Survey

The 1500 block of E. 18th Street, at the intersection with Paseo, housed an assortment of shops, including shoe shops, a beauty school, a pawnbroker and a post office.