Johnson County Science Cafe’ presents "The Rock Ledge That Gave Birth to Kansas City, Missouri" 

Location: Coaches Bar and Grill, 9089 W. 135th Street, one block west of 135th and Antioch, south side of 135th St.

Speaker: Richard J. Gentile, Professor Emeritus, Department of Geosciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City

A rock ledge along he south bank of the Missouri River served for over 75 years as an all-weather, natural wharf for thousands of steamboats.  The 4000-inhabitant Town of Kansas was built on the rock levee.  This levee and small town facilitated the development of Westport and eventually current-day Kansas City.  Nothing remains of the Town of Kansas,being under several feet of fill and it now exists only as a footnote in history books.

Dr. Gentile’s publications include over 50 books and five geologic maps.  He has done extensive fossil collecting and is an expert on the geology of the Greater Kansas City area.  His research specialty is the cyclical stratigraphy and paleontology of the Pennsylvanian-age rocks of western and northwestern Missouri, especially the Greater Kansas City area.  He provided geological advice during the construction of 114 Minuteman Missile sites as well as numerous other construction projects.  He is currently the Curator of the Richard L. Sutton Geosciences Museum at UMKC.  He has been active in the field of geology since 1958 with numerous honors received. Of particular note is his collection of 10,000 slides of geological processes and features from all over the world.  Bring your questions about local geology and fossils.


For more information: [email protected]