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The Kansas City Public Library and eight regional partners have undertaken a far-reaching new initiative vital to the communities of northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. Funded by a grant from the Missouri State Library, The Missouri-Kansas Conflict: Civil War on the Western Border, 1854-1865 will develop a single website that unifies collections related to the hostilities that shook this region before and during the American Civil War.

With the cooperation of a wide variety of institutions and individuals on both sides of the border, this online resource will offer virtual access to materials scattered across the region in libraries, museums, and historical societies. Thousands of original photographs, letters, diaries, maps, and military records from over 25 contributing institutions have already been uncovered. Electronic copies of these materials will become easily available to both local and national audiences, providing information for over 45 counties. Historical narrative essays will build on these primary sources to shed light on the pivotal people, communities, and events of this era. A sophisticated website using state-of-the-art software will engage users of all ages.

The project is currently in the planning stages and will launch in late 2011.

We are always looking for potential additions to our future online collection, so if you would like to participate and are part of an organization that owns any original materials from this period, please contact us at civilwar@kclibrary.org.