Fountains 1900 | Fountains1960 | Fountain History

Kansas City Fountain History 1800 - 1900
By Reed

Water has always been very important to Kansas City because the city began as a river landing in the early 1800’s. 

In the 1800s the first fountains were created, but they weren’t intended to be beautiful, they were structures used to water horses.  Kansas City had 60 – 70,000 horses during the late 1800s

In 1909, the older fountains had to be turned off to prevent the spread of a contagious horse disease called glanders.  This move inspired a group of women members of the Humane Society to raise the money ($400) to erect a more hygienic fountain which was also approved by the artistic community.  This fountain, dedicated to honor Frank Faxon, a former president of the Humane Society, was a pedestal design with a top basin used for watering horses and a bottom basin used for watering dogs.

Also at the turn of the century, public parks began developing in Kansas City.  They were often created by street car companies as a way to increase passenger traffic on their lines.  Fountains were used occasionally in the plans for these early parks.

In 1892 a Board of Park and Boulevard Commissioners was appointed.  As Kansas City grew its parks and boulevards, fountains began to be used more frequently.

The Faxon Fountain