Week 8 – 2020: Prosperity #52Ancestors

When my husband and I were in law school, I had the chance to visit him in Kansas City at the end of the summer of 1981. We had just finished our summer clerkships and I was driving from L.A. to pick him up in K.C. and then head to Notre Dam for our last year. He was living in his grandmother’s house at the time; she so kindly let him stay rent-free for the summer. I think his uncle was also living there at the time as had an aunt who passed away the previous summer. So, yes, a very large house. When I pulled up that day in my little blue hatchback “fresh” from my 1,600-mile drive, I was very much impressed. 

Today, 320 East 45th Street in Kansas City is owned by the Kansas City Art Institute and is used for offices and classrooms. It would appear that KCAI is planning to tear it down, but as of today it is still standing. The building is three stories tall and has high ceilings, large rooms, several sleeping porches, and (originally) a complete kitchen, living room, three bedrooms, and two full baths on the third floor. I cannot get a bead on its current value, even through Zillow.com, but the private homes of similar size in the area appear to be in the $1 to 2 million range.

Originally built about 1921, my husband’s grandparents (Lee and Kathryn Baty) purchased the property about 1938. You may wonder how, at the height of the depression, they could afford such a house. The story is that the owner of the house, Otho C. Snider, needed to sell the house “cheap” since, as an investment broker, he was suffering during the Great Depression.[1] It is interesting to see that in 1930, the value of the house was shown to be $75,000, but in 1940 it was down to $10,000.[2] In addition, my husband’s grandfather was hired by his wife’s aunt to work for her factory. Of course, if you’ve followed this blog any, you know I am talking about Ellen (“Nell”) Quinlan Donnelly Reed, one of America’s first female millionaires and the co-owner of said factory.[3]

Lee and his wife (the former Kathryn Ann McCormick) were born in Parsons, a small community in south-east Kansas. Lee and Kathryn went to school together and graduated from Parsons High School in 1911. Lee was a star athlete their senior year: captain of the baseball team; captain of the basketball team (7-6 season, state tournament champs); and, star of the football team (3-3 season; SE Kanas champs).[4]  According to a relative, Lee’s nickname in was “The Iron Man.” Not to be out-done, Kate was on the girls’ basketball team (10-7 season), the only sports team available to girls. Both were on the editorial staff of the yearbook where Lee was editor-in-chief and Kate was in charge of “Jokes and Exchanges.” Lee was voted “Best Bluffer,” and Kate “Wittiest.” Quite the big fish in a small pond.

Following graduation, Lee attended the University of Michigan for one year where he intended to study architecture.[5] He made the football team, but I don’t think he made the baseball team.[6] He did not continue at Michigan after that first year and returned home to follow in his father and brothers’ footsteps working for the railroad. He and Kate were married April 24, 1918 and he was inducted into the Army July 15, 1918. While he went through basic training at Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas, Lee never served over-seas. The family story is that he was discharged (on March 1, 1919) because Kate was pregnant and had the flu. The evidence supports some of this in that Kate delivered their first child on February 15, 1919. Since the war had ended the previous November, it makes sense that Lee was no longer needed. While Camp Funston was the likely epicenter of the Spanish Flu epidemic, there is no evidence that either Lee or Kate had contracted it.[7]

 After serving in the Army, Lee continued to play baseball and work as a clerk for the railroad in Parsons.[8] He and Kate had three more children.[9] By all appearances, they were a happy and contented lot in little Parsons. The family story is that in the early 1930’s, Kate’s Aunt Nell convinced (ordered?) Kate to come to Kansas City to live and she would give Lee a job at her company. 

It looks like Lee first came to Kansas City for the job in 1932 without his family and lived with Aunt Nell for that year.[10] His first job at the Donnelly Garment Co. was “manager.”[11] The family joined him the next year and his job title was then “auditor.”[12] By 1938, the family had moved into the big house on 45th Street and Lee was a “vice president.”[13] I’ve heard that Lee was not happy about the move away from Parsons. Even money, a huge house, private high schools for the children, and all that went with living in Kansas City society could not assure happiness. 

I don’t mean to end the blog on a negative. Lee and Kate used their largess to help those less fortunate through the depression, the war, and beyond. While one of their sons-in-law was in his medical residency, that family lived in the third-floor apartment where five of their seven children were born. My in-laws also lived there when they were first married and had the first of their three children there. And it wasn’t just family that they helped: during World War II, they housed many passing through who needed temporary lodging.[14] One of Kate’s brothers lived there in the 1950’s and was known to give the needy who knocked on their door food and money.[15]

When I first saw “320,” it had clearly seen better days.[16] But even the passage of time and much wear and tear could not hide the beauty of the place.

[1] Janelle Ketcher, “Baty House: Studies for an increased awareness of the 320 East 45th Street property and its history,” Issuu.com (https://issuu.com/janelleketcher/docs/baty_house_bnim : accessed 20 February 2020.

[2] 1930 U.S. census, Jackson Co., Missouri, population schedule, Kansas City, ward 7, p. 9A, dwelling 88, family no. 161, Otho C. Snider; NARA microfilm publication not noted; FHL microfilm 2,340,932. 1940 U.S. census, Jackson Co., Missouri, population schedule, Kansas City, ward 7, p. 8B, dwelling 232, Lee Baty; NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 02171.

[3] See a little bit on her in my Week 11 post from 2019 (https://www.makingsenseofitall.rocks/?offset=1558390701077).

[4] 1911 Parsonian (Parsons, Kansas: The Foley Railway Printing Co., 1911); digital copy held by author.

[5] “Lee Baty,” The Parsons (Kansas) Daily Eclipse, 28 September 1911, p. 6, col. 4.

[6] “Word has been received,” The Parsons (Kansas) Daily Eclipse, 23 October 1911, p. 6, col. 4. “Lee Baty,” Parsons (Kansas) Palladium, 1 May 1912, p. 1, col. 5.

[7] Wikipedia.org, “Spanish Flu,” rev. 15:55, 24 February 2020.

[8] 1930 U.S. Census, Labette County, Kansas, population schedule, Parsons, sheet 11A (penned), enumeration district 50-22, dwelling 254, family 254, Lee Baty; NARA microfilm publication T626, [roll not noted on Ancestry].

[9] Ibid.

[10] Polk’s Kansas City (Missouri) City Directory, 1933 (Kansas City, MO: Gate City Directory Co., 1933), 106; digital image, Ancestry, “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 February 2020), image 45 of 1201. Lee’s address in this directory was 5235 Oak St., the same address as Aunt Nell.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Polk’s Kansas City (Missouri) City Directory, 1934 (Kansas City, MO: Gate City Directory Co., 1934), 112; digital image, Ancestry, “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 February 2020), image 43 of 1244. Kate is listed in this directory and the family residence was 4943 Forest Ave.

[13] Polk’s Kansas City (Missouri) City Directory, 1939 (Kansas City, MO: Gate City Directory Co., 1939), 81; digital image, Ancestry, “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 February 2020), image 33 of 801. Between 1934 and 1938, the family lived at 5349 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City.  Polk’s Kansas City (Missouri) City Directory, 1935 (Kansas City, MO: Gate City Directory Co., 1935), 113; digital image, Ancestry, “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 February 2020), image 54 of 1271. Polk’s Kansas City (Missouri) City Directory, 1937 (Kansas City, MO: Gate City Directory Co., 1937), 118; digital image, Ancestry, “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 February 2020), image 47 of 664. Directory for 1936 is incomplete on Ancestry.

[14] Ketcher, “The Baty House.”

[15] Ibid.

[16] Lee and Kate’s many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren lovingly refer to the house simply by its number. 

320 E. 45th St., Kansas City, MO - back in the day.

Parsons High School Football Team, 1911.

Parsons High School Girls Basketball Team, 1911.

The Baty family on the front steps of 320 East 45th St.