Mission Hills is a city in
Johnson County,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
, United States, and part of the
Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the
2020 census, the population of the city was 3,594.
The east city limits is the Kansas-Missouri state line at
State Line Road
State Line Road is a major north–south street in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area that runs along the Kansas–Missouri state line. It runs 12.5 miles (20 km) from Chester Avenue in the north, crossing Shawnee Mission Parkway a couple ...
. Mission Hills was originally developed by noted Kansas City developer
J. C. Nichols beginning in the 1920s as part of his
Country Club District plan.
History
![Kc-country-club](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Kc-country-club.jpg)
An Indian mission was established at the town's site in the 1830s, hence the name of the later settlement.
The city started as a planned upscale community for the elite by
J.C. Nichols
Jesse Clyde "J. C." Nichols (August 23, 1880 - February 16, 1950) was an American developer of commercial and residential real estate in Kansas City, Missouri. Born in Olathe, Kansas, and a student at the University of Kansas and Harvard Univer ...
to be built around the
Mission Hills Country Club (Kansas)
The Mission Hills Country Club (MHCC) is a country club and golf course in the Kansas City-area suburb of Mission Hills, Kansas.
The club, on the banks and hills of Brush Creek, was founded June 30, 1914, largely through the efforts of J. C. N ...
on the hills above
Brush Creek
A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped durin ...
just south of the
Shawnee Methodist Mission
Shawnee Methodist Mission, also known as the Shawnee Mission, which later became the Shawnee Indian Manual Labor Boarding School, is located in Fairway, Kansas, United States. Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1968, the Shawnee Metho ...
. Most of the country club's property is in Kansas but its original clubhouse was in
Kansas City, Missouri, allowing it to serve liquor, which was prohibited on the Kansas side. Nichols laid out plans in 1914. He had developed the country club to enhance the value of his Kansas properties after discovering that upscale buyers were reluctant to live on the Kansas side of the state line.
Adjoining the club Nichols established the Community Golf Club. After it dramatically grew, it moved to what today is the
Kansas City Country Club. Nichols lured the Kansas City Country Club to take over the land, and the Community Golf Club went on to establish the
Indian Hills Country Club. Together, the three clubs became the most prestigious in the Kansas City metropolitan area; many rank them in order of prestige: Kansas City first, Mission Hills second, and Indian Hills third.
Nichols opposed incorporation of the community fearing that a city would not adequately meet the needs of its residents or properly enforce housing covenants. Consequently, the Mission Hills Home Company was founded on August 18, 1914. One of the most publicized early enforcements involved forbidding the family of a sick woman to enclose her porch with glass.
Faced with prospects of annexation by neighboring relatively lower income communities seeking its wealthy tax base, Mission Hills incorporated as a city in 1949.
Many of the early houses were designed by Clarence E. Shepherd, Edward Tanner, and
Edward Buehler Delk
Edward Buehler Delk (1885–1956) was a prominent architect who designed many landmark buildings in the Midwest and Southwest regions of the United States.
Delk was born on September 22, 1885, in Schoharie, New York. He graduated from University ...
.
The city's most distinctive landmark, which is used on the official city seal, is the Verona columns and reflecting pool at the intersection of Ensley Lane,
Mission Drive and Overhill Road. They were conceived by landscape architect S. Herbert Hare in 1924.
In 1928
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...
and his wife, Pauline, stayed at the house of W. Malcolm and Ruth Lowry at 6435 Indian Lane. During this time, Hemingway wrote ''
A Farewell to Arms''. He later gave an autographed copy of the book to Don Carlos Guffey, the Kansas City doctor who delivered his son Patrick. The inscription, which is now in the
University of Missouri-Kansas City
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
library, said "...with much admiration and grateful remembrance of a Caesarean that was beautifully done and turned out splendidly."''
Geography
Mission Hills is located at (39.013705, -94.615083).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
However, Brush Creek runs through the northern section of the city.
The northern half of Mission Hills, north of 63rd Street, is informally called "old Mission Hills" and is dominated by opulent houses on large lots. There are two private
country club
A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offe ...
s in this section: the Mission Hills Country Club and the
Kansas City Country Club. The southern half, consisting of developments Belinder Hills, Indian Hills and Sagamore Hills, contains affluent
upper middle class
In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...
residences and the private Indian Hills Country Club.
Demographics
According to Forbes Magazine, Mission Hills ranks as the 3rd wealthiest municipality in the country. Mission Hills has the highest median household income of any city in Kansas with a population over 1,000, as well as one of the highest median incomes for any city in the United States.
2010 census
At the
2010 census there were 3,498 people in 1,253 households, including 1,066 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 1,326 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8%.
Of the 1,253 households 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.7% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 14.9% were non-families. 12.9% of households were one person and 8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.07.
The median age was 47.1 years. 28.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.3% were from 25 to 44; 35% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.
2000 census
At the
2000 census there were 3,593 people in 1,284 households, including 1,104 families, in the city. The population density was 1,782.5 people per square mile (686.8/km²). There were 1,318 housing units at an average density of 653.9 per square mile (251.9/km²). The
racial makup of the city was 98.22% White, 0.08% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.09%.
25.2% were of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, 21.4%
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 13.4%
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and 7.1%
American ancestry
American ancestry refers to people in the United States who self-identify their ancestral origin or descent as "American," rather than the more common officially recognized racial and ethnic groups that make up the bulk of the American peo ...
according to
Census 2000
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
.
Of the 1,284 households 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.2% were married couples living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.0% were non-families. 12.5% of households were one person and 7.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.06.
The age distribution was 29.6% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 18.1% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% 65 or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median household income was $188,821 and the median family income was $200,000. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $62,440 for females. The per capita income for the city was $95,405. About 1.4% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Mission Hills is in the
Shawnee Mission public school district. Some families send their children to one of the many secular private schools in the city like
the Pembroke Hill School
The Pembroke Hill School (usually referred to as Pembroke Hill) is a progressive, inclusive, secular, coeducational, independent preparatory school for about 1,200 students in early years (age 2 years) through high school, separated into four sec ...
and
The Barstow School or to religiously affiliated schools such as
Bishop Miege High School or
Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School is a private, Roman Catholic, Jesuit, all-boys, preparatory school founded in 1910 along with Rockhurst College, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It moved away from the College in 1962 to a campus on State Line Road ...
.
Libraries
The
Johnson County Library serves the residents of Mission Hills.
In the media
Mission Hills is a setting for the
ABC Family television drama ''
Switched at Birth''. The show is set in
Kansas City, Missouri, but the main characters live in Mission Hills.
Mission Hills was ranked number 3 on the Forbes list of America's most affluent neighborhoods.
Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Mission Hills include:
*
Barbara Bollier
Barbara Goolsbee Bollier (born January 13, 1958) is an American physician and politician. From 2017 to 2021, she was a member of the Kansas Senate representing the 7th district, which includes Mission Hills, Kansas in Johnson County. Bollier i ...
(1958- ), Kansas state legislator
*
Henry W. Bloch (1922-2019), Co-founder
H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc., or H&R Block, is an American tax preparation company operating in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The company was founded in 1955 by brothers Henry W. Bloch and Richard Bloch.
As of 2018, H&R Block operates approxim ...
*
George Brett
George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals.
Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mo ...
(1953- ),
Baseball Hall of Fame third baseman
*
Marcelo Claure
Raul Marcelo Claure Bedoya is a Bolivian technology entrepreneur, businessman, and investor. Until early 2022 he was the chief executive officer (CEO) of SoftBank Group International and chief operating officer (COO) of SoftBank Group Corporati ...
(1970- ), telecommunications executive
*
David Dreier
David Timothy Dreier OAE (/ draɪər/; born July 5, 1952) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California from 1981 to 2013. He was one ...
(1952- ), member of
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
, chairman of the
House Rules Committee
The Committee on Rules, or more commonly, the Rules Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for the rules under which bills will be presented to the House of Representatives, unlike other commit ...
, chairman of
Tribune Publishing
*
James Ellroy
Lee Earle "James" Ellroy (born March 4, 1948) is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a telegrammatic prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, ...
(1948- ), novelist
*
Thomas Frank
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the ...
(1965- ), historian, journalist
*
Matt Gogel
}
Matthew John Gogel (born February 9, 1971) is an American professional golfer and golf commentator who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He previously played on the PGA Tour and the Nike Tour.
Gogel was born in Denver, Colorado and gre ...
(1971- ), pro golfer, sportscaster
*
Donald J. Hall, Sr. (1929- ), greeting cards executive
*
Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan (born June 21, 1960) is an American television and radio sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS and the NBA for TNT.
2022 will be his 38th ...
(1960- ), sportscaster
*
Ewing Kauffman
Ewing Marion Kauffman (September 21, 1916 August 1, 1993) was an American pharmaceutical entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Major League Baseball owner.
Early life and education
Ewing Kauffman was born on September 21, 1916, on a farm near Gar ...
(1916-1993), pharmaceutical entrepreneur
*
Tom Watson (1949- ), pro golfer
*
Carrie Westcott
__NOTOC__
The following is a list of Playboy Playmates of 1993. ''Playboy'' magazine names its Playmate of the Month each month throughout the year.
January
Echo Leta Johnson (born January 11, 1974, in Austin, Texas) is an American Model (person ...
(1969- ), model, actress
*
Cheryl Womack (1950- ), trucking entrepreneur, executive
*
David Wysong (1949- ), Kansas state legislator
References
Further reading
External links
City of Mission HillsMission Hills - Directory of Public OfficialsMission Hills KS Neighborhood Website
{{Authority control
Cities in Kansas
Cities in Johnson County, Kansas
Cities in Kansas City metropolitan area
1949 establishments in Kansas