Lees Summit, Missouri

Lee's Summit is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri and a suburb of the Kansas City metropolitan area. It resides in Jackson County (predominantly) as well as Cass County.Lee's Summit, Missouri, Municipal Code art. I, § 1.2 (2022). Retrieved March 23, 2023.
/ref> As of the 2020 census, its population was 101,108, making it the 6th most populous city in both Missouri and the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is the most populous city in the state that is not also a county seat.

History

Early history

Humans have occupied the region which includes present-day Lee's Summit for at least 10,000 years. Archeological evidence indicates that humans have occupied settlements within the present-day boundaries of Lee's Summit during all periods as far back as roughly 9,000 years ago. For example, archaeologists have discovered stone arrowheads characteristic of the Dalton tradition in Lee's Summit, indicating that humans occupied the area at least 9,000 years ago. At another site in the city, arrowheads and ceramics characteristic of the Kansas City Hopewell culture were discovered, indicating that humans had temporary campsites in the area roughly 2,000 years ago. Stone tools and organic remains suggest that temporary campsites in what is now Lee's Summit were used to hunt for deer, bison, and other small mammals, roughly 700 years ago.

At the time of first contact between indigenous Missourians and Europeans, in the 1670s, present-day Lee's Summit represented part of the northwestern border of the territory occupied by the Little Osage people. Other nearby groups included the Missourias to the north and the Kanzas to the west. The area was likely used as hunting grounds by the Osage.

In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed for France the Mississippi River basin as the territory of Louisiana, which included present-day Lee's Summit. In 1762, France secretly ceded the territory to Spain by the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

When commissioners were deciding on where to establish the county seat, they described southern Jackson County as "useless" prairie. At that time in 1827, southern Jackson County, including the area of present-day Lee's Summit, was the rural counterpart to the urbanizing north county. Beginning in the 1830s, Americans from eastern slave states came to settle what is now Lee's Summit, attracted by "its rolling prairie, fertile soil, numerous streams, and stands of timber". In 1844, William Bulitt Howard, the eventual founder of Lee's Summit, arrived from Kentucky with his family and slaves. Dr. Pleasant John Graves Lea, the eventual namesake of the city, was a resident of the area according to the 1850 census. By 1853, settlers had purchased from the federal government all of the land which now constitutes Lee's Summit. In 1860, Prairie Township was incorporated in Jackson County, and the community which would later become Lee's Summit was the largest in the new township.

Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, thereby starting the Missouri-Kansas Border War. Many of the residents of Prairie Township held pro-slavery attitudes, and some even fought in pro-slavery bands of guerrillas. The Little Blue River valley was an important place of refuge for these guerrilla forces. Howard, the eventual founder of Lee's Summit, was arrested by a Union officer and then spent one month in jail in 1859. In July of 1862, Irvin Walley, a captain in the Union army, shot and killed Henry Washington Younger, an early settler of Lee's Summit.''The History of Jackson County'', p. 342 Less than two months later, anti-slavery guerrillas from Kansas killed Dr. Lea in his home. After these men's deaths, their sons joined up with William Quantrill's pro-Confederate gang and participated in the Lawrence Massacre. Most notable among them was Cole Younger, a life-long resident of Lee's Summit and outlaw who would become "Jesse James's right hand". In response to the Lawrence Massacre, Union General Thomas Ewing, Jr., in 1863, issued General Order No. 11 which forced all residents living outside of Union-occupied towns in Jackson County to prove allegiance to the Union within fifteen days or else evacuate. This resulted in the desertion of the area of present-day Lee's Summit, with many residents fleeing back to their homes in the east. Union troops then burned and razed many of the abandoned farms.

Incorporation

Upon the end of the American Civil War in 1865, William Bullitt Howard returned to his home in Jackson County. He reached a deal with the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company to plat a town of along the path of the tracks south of Kansas City and on the way to St. Louis. Lots in the center of the town would be reserved for a train depot. The town was founded as "Strother", named after Howard's wife's family name, in October 1865.
In 1868, the town was officially renamed "Lee's Summit". A flier from 1865 refers to the town as "Strother, formerly known as Lee's Summit", indicating that the town was colloquially known as Lee's Summit prior to its founding by Howard. It is very likely that Lee's Summit was named in honor of Dr. Pleasant John Graves Lea, who was killed nearby in 1862. Workers for the Missouri Pacific Railroad may have painted "Lees Summit" on the side of a boxcar to serve as a temporary depot in the city.Schwenk, pp. 11-12 That they wrote "Lee" instead of "Lea" is assumed to be a spelling error, while "Summit" comes from the fact that the city contains the highest point along the railroad between Kansas City and St. Louis. Contrary to this account, in 1969 Howard's grandson claimed that the town was named in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and that Howard used the story about Dr. Lea as a cover. Local historians, however, have dismissed this claim.

In 1877, Lee's Summit was incorporated as a fourth-class city, and by then it was the "commercial center for the surrounding agricultural community". The primary occupation in Lee's Summit was farming—in particular, raising hogs, growing corn, and fruit orchards. In 1885, a fire destroyed much of downtown Lee's Summit.

20th century

In the early 20th century, Lee's Summit persisted as a small and rural agricultural community. The city's population growth was stunted by its proximity to Kansas City and Independence. Still, the city boundaries were expanded in 1905, and some residential development occurred in the 1900s and 1910s. Property development slowed and then ceased in Lee's Summit during the 1920s and through the Great Depression and World War II.

In 1912, lumber baron and Kansas City civic leader Robert A. Long began building his estate, Longview Farm, on , much of which was in southwestern Lee's Summit. It took eighteen months to complete with the work of over two thousand laborers. At the time of building, it was considered the largest construction project in the country. At the time of completion, the farm employed over two hundred people who lived on the property. Long's daughter, Loula Long Combs, made a lifelong career of raising champion show horses on the farm. In 2004, part of the farm was developed into the New Longview neighborhood.Shortridge, p. 196

In March 1922, at the Veterans Memorial Hall in downtown Lee's Summit (now the Third Street Social restaurant), Harry S. Truman announced he was running for election as County Court judge of the eastern district of Jackson County—the first political candidacy of his career. Years later, in 1956, Truman said of his first political speech that it "was a flop for me". "I was more scared then than I was at any time later, even when I was on the front in the first world war in France.” During the primary campaign, Truman briefly pursued Ku Klux Klan membership thinking it would help him secure more votes, in part because of prominent cross burnings in Lee's Summit. Two years later, during his reelection campaign, he faced public opposition from Jackson County treasurer and Lee's Summit mayor, Todd George, who may have been affiliated with the Klan. Truman claimed that the Klan threatened to kill him, and in response he disrupted a Klan rally in Lee's Summit, shaming the roughly one thousand attendees for their anti-Catholic and antisemitic views. In 1928, Truman as the presiding judge of the County Court undertook the construction of many roads, connecting Lee's Summit to the rest of the metro area, and of a hospital just outside Lee's Summit (later named Truman Medical Center-East, now University Health Lakewood Medical Center).

Upon the conclusion of World War II in 1945, there was enormous demand for single-family housing across the United States. This demand, combined with the recently built roads, Federal Housing Administration policy, and the G.I. Bill initiated the rapid suburbanization of Lee's Summit. Developers began building entire neighborhoods in the city, but were interrupted from 1950 to 1953 because of the Korean War. After the war, however, the number of people living in and around Lee's Summit grew significantly. According to the 1950 census, about 2,500 people lived in Lee's Summit, but by 1960 over 8,000 people did. This population growth was a consequence of white Kansas City residents relocating to the suburbs as well as large annexations by the city. By the late 1950s, Lee's Summit was no longer an agricultural community, but instead a commuter suburb—nearly sixty percent of residents worked outside the city, and almost no farming took place.

In 1961, Western Electric opened a factory in Lee's Summit and within a year employed about three thousand people. The Western Electric plant, which was in operation until 2002, encouraged the further growth of the city by providing a tax base for additional annexations and a well-funded public school district.Shortridge, p. 154 The city's rapid growth continued through the 1970s and 1980s, reaching over 46,000 residents by 1990. John Knox Village, a long-term care facility, was completed in 1970 and has remained a top employer for the city since. In 1985, the Little Blue River was dammed, creating Longview Lake, the site of other amenities such as the Fred Arbanas Golf Course and the MCC-Longview community college. In 2001, the Summit Woods Crossing retail center was developed in Lee's Summit, and in 2007 the Summit Fair retail center was built nearby. Construction of the Downtown Market Plaza, which will include a farmer's market and event space, began in 2023.

According to criteria set forth by sociologists Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton, the Kansas City metro area was "hypersegregated" between white and Black residents as recently as the 1980s. Lee's Summit, as a second-ring white flight suburb, contributed to a dynamic of racial segregation between Kansas City and its outlying region. The government policies which helped suburbanize the city in the post-war period excluded Black people from participating in them, effectively making Lee's Summit available exclusively to white people. The Federal Housing Administration even encouraged suburban developers to include legally unenforceable racially restrictive deed covenants with the sale of their homes. According to sociologist Kevin Fox Gotham, residents of Lee's Summit successfully resisted efforts to locate federally subsidized housing in the suburb, meant to integrate the metro area, in the 1970s and up through the 1990s. In 1988, 134 Black students in the Kansas City public school district sued the Lee's Summit school district for racial discrimination. In 1990 this case was made part of ''Missouri v. Jenkins'', which resulted in the creation of the Kansas City magnet school system and an unprecedented court order doubling the local tax rate, only to be overturned by the Supreme Court in 1995.

Geography

Lee's Summit is located near Missouri's western border with Kansas and is in the northern half of the state. The city borders Kansas City to the west and northwest, Independence to the north, unincorporated Jackson County to the east, Greenwood to the southeast, and Lake Winnebago as well as unincorporated Cass County to the south. It is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Lee's Summit resides partially within and to the south and east of the Little Blue River valley. The north-westernmost boundary of the city follows the course of the Little Blue River. There are six major human-made reservoirs in and around Lee's Summit: Lake Jacomo (1959), Lake Winnebago (1960s), Raintree Lake (1970s), Lakewood Lakes (1976), Longview Lake (1986), and Blue Springs Lake (1989). Bethany Falls, a 20-foot-thick limestone formation, runs underneath Lee's Summit, resulting in bluffs near Longview Lake.

Climate

Lee's Summit experiences a four-season humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dfa'') with cold days and nights during the winter, and hot days and muggy nights during the summer. No physical features obstruct the flow of air, allowing moist currents from the Gulf of Mexico, dry currents from the semiarid southwest, and cold polar continental currents to interact and affect the weather in the area. This causes the weather to be highly variable, sometimes producing tornadoes and storms. Spring is the season when variation is the highest. Spring is also characterized by high precipitation and moderate temperatures. Summer has warm to hot temperatures and is humid. Precipitation is also high during the summer. Fall has mild days and cool nights, with low precipitation. Winters are dry and moderately cold.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 101,108 people, 37,664 households, and 27,316 families in Lee's Summit. The population density was 1,582.3 per square mile (611.0/km). There were 39,495 housing units at an average density of 618.1 per square mile (238.7/km). The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 78.64% (79,516) white, 8.92% (9,019) black or African-American, 0.32% (321) Native American, 2.37% (2,401) Asian, 0.15% (147) Pacific Islander, 1.7% (1,714) from other races, and 7.9% (7,990) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 5.3% (5,398) of the population.

Of the 37,664 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18; 58.6% were married couples living together; 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 22.9% consisted of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.1.

25.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 88.5 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $93,295 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,679) and the median family income was $108,397 (+/- $3,999). Males had a median income of $61,941 (+/- $2,306) versus $41,989 (+/- $1,903) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $50,625 (+/- $1,528). Approximately, 3.5% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.6% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 91,364 people, 34,429 households, and 25,126 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 36,679 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.1% White, 8.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population.

There were 34,429 households, of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.0% were non-families. Of all households, 22.8% were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.

The median age in the city was 37.2 years. 28% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 11.5% were 65 years of age or older. The sex makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 70,700 people, 26,417 households, and 19,495 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 27,311 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.17% White, 3.47% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.97% of the population.

There were 26,417 households, out of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. Of all households, 22.0% were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, 29.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.6% was from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $60,905, and the median income for a family was $70,702. Males had a median income of $49,385 versus $32,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,891. About 2.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to the town's Economic Development Council, the top employers in the city are:

City government

Lee's Summit is a charter and council-manager form of government, represented by a mayor and a city council. The city council appoints a city manager. Each of the four districts are represented by two councilmembers whose terms are staggered and expire every four years. No councilmember may serve more than two consecutive terms.

Mayor

* William A. Baird

Education

Portions of Lee's Summit in Jackson County are served by parts of four public school districts: Lee's Summit R-VII School District, Blue Springs R-IV School District, Grandview C-4 School District, Hickman Mills C-1 School District.
Text list
/ref> Almost all of the portion in Cass County is in the Raymore-Peculiar R-II School District. The remainder in Cass County is in the Lee's Summit district.

Lee's Summit has four religious private schools as well: Summit Christian Academy (formerly Lee's Summit Community Christian School), Our Lady of Presentation Catholic School, Lee's Summit Academy (formerly Libby Lane Academy), and St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School.

Metropolitan Community College has the Blue Springs, Grandview Hickman Mills, and Lee's Summit school districts in its in-district taxation area. The Raymore-Peculiar district is in the college's service area, but not its in-district taxation area. Longview Community College is located on the western edge of Lee's Summit and is part of the MCC system. It also is home to the Summit Technology Center which is a branch campus of the University of Central Missouri.

Lee's Summit has three public libraries, branches of the Mid-Continent Public Library, on Oldham Parkway, Colbern Road, and Blue Parkway.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Historic Jefferson Highway (known as the "Palm to Pine" highway) runs through Lee's Summit.

Major roads

* I-470 is an Interstate 70 spur through Lee's Summit into southern Kansas City.
* US 40: Forms half of Lee's Summit's northern border with Independence.
* US 50: Follows I-435 from the west to I-470 then spurs off in Lee's Summit and becomes just US 50.
* Route 150: A highway linking southern Lee's Summit, and Grandview to the Kansas suburbs at State Line Road.
* Route 291: Formerly an eastern bypass route of US 71, the minor freeway connects Harrisonville and Lee's Summit to Independence, Sugar Creek, Liberty, KCI Airport and northern Kansas City. It fuses with I-470 through parts of Lee's Summit.
* Route 350: Connector highway that brings together I-435 with I-470 and US 50.

Other

* Lee's Summit (Amtrak station)
* Lee's Summit Municipal Airport

Healthcare

Two general medical and surgical hospitals which provide emergency services—Lee's Summit Medical Center and Saint Luke's East Hospital—are both located in Lee's Summit.

Media

* ''Lee's Summit Journal''
* ''The Kansas City Star''
* ''The Lee's Summit Tribune''

See Also

List of people from Lee's Summit, Missouri

Notes

References

Works Cited

*
*
*
* Schmits, Larry J.; Mandel, Rolfe D.; Brooks, Ralph E.; Kost, Ed; Neas, John; Bailey, Bruce C. (1989)
"Prehistory of the Little Blue River Valley, Western Missouri: Archaeological Investigations at Blue Springs Lake"
(PDF) (Report submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District). Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Environmental Systems Analysis, Inc. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
* Schwenk, Sally F. (June 30, 2005)
"Historic Resources of Lee's Summit, Missouri"
(PDF) (This Multiple Property Documentation Form was prepared for the National Register of Historic Places). Kansas City, Missouri: Historic Preservation Services LLC. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
*
*

External links

*

Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control

Cities in Cass County, Missouri
Cities in Jackson County, Missouri
Cities in Kansas City metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1865
Cities in Missouri
Satellite cities
1865 establishments in Missouri