On the advice of friends in 1841, Dr. David Waldo purchased a 1000-acre tract of land in Jackson County, Missouri, that ran from Gregory Blvd. on the north to 91st Street on the south and from the state line to Holmes Road. Eventually, Dr. Waldo expanded on that tract of land to include 2,400 acres and, over time, his farm became it’s own eponymous neighborhood.
Located on the edge of Kansas City, Waldo was a town unto itself, with many buildings and successful businesses. A rail line between Westport and Dodson was developed in 1860, with a main stop at Waldo.
Elmer Family Grocery stood in Waldo for 40 years. Milen Department (or Dry Goods) Store, Croner’s Store and, of course, the Waldo Theater were all prominent Waldo institutions.
Waldo was annexed by Kansas City in 1909 and the city limits moved from 49th to 77th Street. Houses on Wornall Road south to 75th Street were brought down to make space for business expansion in the 1930’s. The Romanelli area of Waldo developed its own identity and Romanelli’s Restaurant sprung up on Wornall Road near Gregory and continued for many years as a popular venue for fried catfish. As transportation requirements changed, the rail line gave way to streetcars in 1907, and the Country Club car line was the major source of transportation for people in Waldo. History is now repeating itself in Kansas City with the new KC Streetcar’s recent opening in downtown Kansas City and many would like to see it back to its former terminus in Waldo.
Today, Waldo sports over 600 businesses (most of which are locally owned!!) contributing to its family-oriented, neighborhood feel. There’s the Harry Wiggins Trolley Track Trail, two separate Pub Crawls, a Fall Festival and many other events knitting together this vibrant community.
If you want to learn more about Waldo’s history, we recommend “The Waldo Story: The Home of Friendly Merchants” by Ladine Morton. For a flavor of the area, walk into any number of local stores, eat at Waldo Pizza or the Neighborhood Cafe, take in Betty Rae’s ice cream and end your evening at any number of local watering holes to soak in the neighborhood.
