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6th Street to 11th Street. Washington Street to Wyandotte Street. Kansas City’s Garment District.

Kansas City’s Garment District is a neighborhood boasting of cutting edge offices, cool lofts and quaint coffee shops. This trendy neighborhood in Kansas Cuty today traces its origin back to shops, stores and manufacturers which sprang up in this section of Kansas City during the first half of the 20th Century. Shops, stores and manufacturers which formed as a result of the growth of Kansas City’s garment industry.

Kansas City is a major US railroad hub. If you drew a diagram of the United States on a piece of paper, and if you marked the exact center of your diagram with a pen, you’d haveKansas City.

An ability to ship garments from the center of the country to fashion-hungry consumers located in the east, the west, the south and the north. Trendy garments shipped by rail in an optimistic, fashion-conscious post-War era. Kansas City’s garment industry could do that. And do that it did.

The growth of Kansas City’s garment industry early in the 20th Century wasn’t just due to good access to transportation of goods by rail. Nor was the growth of Kansas City’s garment industry solely based upon Kansas City’s perfect location.

The growth of Kansas City’s garment industry was the result of a “perfect storm.” Kansas City provided a low cost/low regulation region. Coupled to access to a means by which the shipment of garments could easily be made – rail. In an environment where post-War Americans were looking to buy and show off new, fashionable clothes.

This “perfect storm” was further fueled by the relocation of garment manufacturers to the Midwest. Away from the high-cost/high-regulation business environments they operated within on the East Coast. To this lower-cost location, which came with less regulation – Kansas City.

Garment manufacturers migrating to Kansas City. Homegrown garment manufacturers growing their businesses in Kansas City. The foundation for the growth of Kansas City’s garment industry in the first half of the 20th Century.

The Donnelly Garment Company, 1828 Walnut Street.

Between 1916 and 1978 Donnelly Garment Company manufactured over 75 million dresses. Making Donnelly Garment Company the largest dress manufacturer in the country.

Peak employment for Kansas City’s garment industry was attained midway through the 20th Century.

In 1950, nearly 5,000 garment industry workers were employed by the close-to-100 garment manufacturers in Kansas City.

During the ‘50’s Donnelly Garment Company made up the lion’s share of Kansas City’s garment industry. Employing nearly 20% of the city’s workers.

The name – Marlboro Township – can be traced back to what had been a local discovery…a discovery which occurred, nearly three hundred years ago.

This local Marlboro discovery, then too, the utilization of what had been discovered nearly three-hundred years ago alongside what is now Marlboro Township, was a mineral. That mineral – emerging to go on to become quite important to the local agricultural industry – being this region’s marl.

Marl is a mineral which, by the late 18th century in New Jersey, was relied upon first, by local farmers who owned farms in what would go on to become Marlboro Township. Then, later, by farmers farming farmland situated throughout New Jersey. Then, later, by farmers farming farmland well beyond – and outside of – New Jersey.

In Monmouth County New Jersey, marl was discovered in 1768. East of where the township lines for what we now call Marlboro Township can be found. A true farmer’s ally, the functionality of marl as a mineral can be seen in how marl – composed of the remains of prehistoric fish – was able to be spread over topsoil of area farmland during the winter months. Then tilled into the farmland soil in the spring. Farmers, in what we now know to be Marlboro Township, came to rely upon marl as the means through which they could improve their soil’s fertility.

Marl is not exclusive to New Jersey, by any means. The recognized use of marl goes way, way, way back. To the 1st century.

Marl is a de-facto natural fertilizer. A natural fertilizer which had been found to exist in the grounds underneath Marlboro Township in the 18th Century. Long, long, long before the comeuppance of any commercial fertilizer industry in New Jersey would have been able to supply local New Jersey farmers with a finished fertilizer product which could be used for their farms.

Harvested in what would later go on to become Marlboro Township, the region’s marl – once the marl had been harvested – would go on to evolve as an industry. Later, to be transported by rail. On to nearby agricultural markets. New Jersey’s local discovery of marl established an industry early on for Marlboro Township.

By the mid-19th Century, the transportation of New Jersey marl was key to facilitating commerce. For the local harvesters of marl. For the local “exporters” of this marl. And for the farmers and the farms which came to rely upon – and use – marl as fertilizer.

To that effect – relating to marl, as a local industry…and to the transportation of marl as well – in 1853, the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad was founded in Jamesburg, New Jersey. Founded, primarily to facilitate the transportation – by rail – of this newly-identified regional mineral.

The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad operated along a 27-mile rail line. Connecting the locally-harvested marl – in what is now Marlboro Township – to nearby agricultural markets. Among them, Freehold, Jamesburg, Monroe, Manalapan and Englishtown.

For comments about this article, or to offer suggestions and ideas for further pieces written about Marlboro Township, kindly reach out to the author, Ted Ihde.

phone: (816) 699-6804

email: authortedihde@gmail.com