Cockefair Course: The Rise and Fall of Kansas City’s Pendergast Machine

About

The Rise and Fall of Kansas City’s Pendergast Machine

When most of the country was decimated by the Great Depression, Kansas City thrived under the Pendergast Machine. The history and culture of that time is showcased across the city from museums in the 18th and Vine District to contemporary restaurants and bars. But a romanticized view of the era ignores the real history of the Pendergast Machine, which stopped at nothing to gain political control and ruled with an iron fist, as crime and vice were tolerated and organized crime and the police were often one and the same. We will explore the early 20th century political machine controlled by James and Tom Pendergast, two of Kansas City history’s most influential figures. From a neighborhood saloon, the Pendergasts grew their influence in the city’s politics into an organization controlling almost every aspect of city and county government and even extending its reach to Jefferson City and Washington. We will trace the rise of the machine, the consolidation of its power, and the events that brought down Tom Pendergast and his organization in 1939.