A. Richter Residence, Walnut and Fillmore Streets

A. Richter Residence, Walnut and Fillmore Streets

A. Richter residence, Walnut and Fillmore Streets. High resolution dititized images of original artwork at the Alexander Majors House Museum. These paintings and drawings are based on structures depicted on the 1855 Charles Spalding map of Westport (the original of which is on display as of 2013 in the Missouri Valley Room of the Central Library in downtown Kansas City). Miss Louisa Johnston, great granddaughter of Alexander Majors, commissioned them in 1950. They were only displayed for eight days in July 1950 at an open house at the Major's residence in conjunction with Kansas City's centennial observance. It was one of the few times Miss Johhnston ever opened the house to the public. The artworks were created by margaret Whittemore, artist and author from Topeka; C. M. Ismert, of Kansas City; and, Frank Miller, Jr., of the Kansas City Star's art staff. None of the buildings are still standing today (2013). They were already gone when the artworks were first displayed at the 1950 open house. At that time, the Star wrote, "The pictures therefore, are lasting proof of the degree of beautiful and gracious living that was to be found in these early western settlements, disproving the belief of many in the East that only teepees and log cabins were to be found here in those early days...." (Kansas City (Mo.) Star, 1 July 1950; a copy of this article is in the Jackson County (Mo.) Historical Society Archives newspaper subject files under "Jackson County Defunct Towns: Westport."