Kansas City Landmarks #1 LbNA #13338
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Add Location| Owner: | Searcher  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Feb 22, 2005 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Kansas City |
| County: | Jackson |
| State: | Missouri |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | daysleeperdot |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Jun 8, 2012 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Feb 22, 2005 |
Kansas City Landmarks #1: Thomas H. Swope Memorial
Thomas H. Swope was born in 1827 and came to Kansas City in 1857 where he made a fortune in the real estate market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The shy bachelor once owned 30 acres now located in the heart of Kansas City's Downtown District. In 1896 he donated more than 1,300 acres south of the city limits to Kansas City for a park. In 1903 he donated land to build "Hospital Hill." These gifts earned him the title of "Kansas City's greatest benefactor."
In later years he moved into the Swope mansion at 406 S. Pleasant in Independence, residence of his widowed sister-in-law. In the winter of 1909, three deaths occurred at the Swope mansion in less than three months, and 82-year-old Thomas Swope was one of the victims. Many believed that the victims were poisoned. Dr. Bennett Clark Hyde, Swope's personal physician and husband of the millionaire's niece, Frances Swope, was charged with the crime and placed on trial. The grand jury described the case as "a plot for money”. At his first trial Dr. Hyde was found guilty, but the verdict was later overturned. A second trial ended in a mistrial. And the third trial produced a hung jury. He was later found not guilty.
The memorial was completed in 1918 and it is here that Thomas Swope is buried under a stone slab in the center of the terrace. It is located on the highest point in the park and can be seen from the park entrance.
Swope park is the second largest city park in the nation, with 1,769 acres it houses the Kansas City Zoo, IMAX, Starlight Theater, Lakeside Nature Center (all considered premier venues in the Midwest) two golf courses, Frisbee golf course, many hiking trails and horseback riding. Before it was a park, it was a battleground for the Civil War. Markers show where historic events took place throughout the area.
To learn more about the park go to:
http://www.kcmo.org/parks/parks/swope_park_brochure.pdf?opendocument
From I-435: take the Gregory St. Exit West into the park (you will pass under the 1928 Kansas City Southern Bridge) continue about 1/2mile to the Swope Memorial Golf Course.
From Kansas City: go to the main entrance of the park on Meyer and Swope Parkway enter through the gates, take the first right past the Swope Interpretative Center (Starlight Ticket Office) and follow the road around (if you look on the distant hill you can see the memorial from here) take a right before the Rhino’s marking the Zoo Entrance on Elmwood continue on this road passing the Disc Golf Course on the left. Take a left at the stop sign which is Gregory (on the right is the Lakeside Nature Center) follow the road east until you reach the “Y” in front of the ranger station, go left. The road curves around the lake go left into Swope Memorial Golf Course.
Once you reach the Swope Memorial Golf Course follow the road past the clubhouse to the circle drive and park in the memorial lot. Follow the path down to the memorial and take a moment to read the plaque. Turn around and enjoy the view of the fountain, Zoo and Starlight Theatre. Look to you left and walk down the old path to a pair of closely spaced oak trees on the right, behind the larger tree near the wall you will see 2 rocks. The box can be found here. Please use discretion when finding the box and make sure it is covered when you leave it. Permission has NOT been given for this placement.
Thomas H. Swope was born in 1827 and came to Kansas City in 1857 where he made a fortune in the real estate market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The shy bachelor once owned 30 acres now located in the heart of Kansas City's Downtown District. In 1896 he donated more than 1,300 acres south of the city limits to Kansas City for a park. In 1903 he donated land to build "Hospital Hill." These gifts earned him the title of "Kansas City's greatest benefactor."
In later years he moved into the Swope mansion at 406 S. Pleasant in Independence, residence of his widowed sister-in-law. In the winter of 1909, three deaths occurred at the Swope mansion in less than three months, and 82-year-old Thomas Swope was one of the victims. Many believed that the victims were poisoned. Dr. Bennett Clark Hyde, Swope's personal physician and husband of the millionaire's niece, Frances Swope, was charged with the crime and placed on trial. The grand jury described the case as "a plot for money”. At his first trial Dr. Hyde was found guilty, but the verdict was later overturned. A second trial ended in a mistrial. And the third trial produced a hung jury. He was later found not guilty.
The memorial was completed in 1918 and it is here that Thomas Swope is buried under a stone slab in the center of the terrace. It is located on the highest point in the park and can be seen from the park entrance.
Swope park is the second largest city park in the nation, with 1,769 acres it houses the Kansas City Zoo, IMAX, Starlight Theater, Lakeside Nature Center (all considered premier venues in the Midwest) two golf courses, Frisbee golf course, many hiking trails and horseback riding. Before it was a park, it was a battleground for the Civil War. Markers show where historic events took place throughout the area.
To learn more about the park go to:
http://www.kcmo.org/parks/parks/swope_park_brochure.pdf?opendocument
From I-435: take the Gregory St. Exit West into the park (you will pass under the 1928 Kansas City Southern Bridge) continue about 1/2mile to the Swope Memorial Golf Course.
From Kansas City: go to the main entrance of the park on Meyer and Swope Parkway enter through the gates, take the first right past the Swope Interpretative Center (Starlight Ticket Office) and follow the road around (if you look on the distant hill you can see the memorial from here) take a right before the Rhino’s marking the Zoo Entrance on Elmwood continue on this road passing the Disc Golf Course on the left. Take a left at the stop sign which is Gregory (on the right is the Lakeside Nature Center) follow the road east until you reach the “Y” in front of the ranger station, go left. The road curves around the lake go left into Swope Memorial Golf Course.
Once you reach the Swope Memorial Golf Course follow the road past the clubhouse to the circle drive and park in the memorial lot. Follow the path down to the memorial and take a moment to read the plaque. Turn around and enjoy the view of the fountain, Zoo and Starlight Theatre. Look to you left and walk down the old path to a pair of closely spaced oak trees on the right, behind the larger tree near the wall you will see 2 rocks. The box can be found here. Please use discretion when finding the box and make sure it is covered when you leave it. Permission has NOT been given for this placement.