In 1932, the Native Sons Society, later renamed The Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City, became the first historical association in our region created to preserve Kansas City’s past through the preservation of structures, artifacts and historic sites.  To commemorate the outstanding contributions of our 81 years of community service of preserving the heritage of the greater Kansas City metropolitan community, both in Kansas and Missouri, the NSDKC Board of Directors has approved the concept of erecting a monument at a location currently considered for Penn Valley Park in Kansas City, Missouri.  The planning process remains ongoing, with the final site location and monument design subject to various approvals.

The Monument Committee (Chuck Eddy, Carl DiCapo, John Dillingham, Tom Sims, and Gary Hicks) has formally presented the concept for the design and placement of the monument to the City of Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation officials and the Penn Valley Park Preservation Association. The committee seeks to have the monument placed in Penn Valley Park near Liberty Memorial.

Model of the proposed NSDKC Pinnacle monument being developed by the Monument Committee.

It is proposed that the monument be in the form of a five-pointed star column (8 to 16 feet high), with a decahedron shaped base -- the five-pointed star being a symbol of ideologies. It is proposed to be constructed of cast-in-place concrete.  In consideration of a desired location within Penn Valley Park, the monument may be referred to as a ‘Pinnacle’. 

The five points of the Pinnacle star symbolically represent the five primary aspects of the NSDKC mission in the Greater Kansas City area: Historic Preservation, Education, Advocacy, Charity and General Welfare.

The ten open-face areas symbolically represent the ten-county metropolitan region which NSDKC serves:
●    Kansas  (Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Miami)
●    Missouri  (Platte, Clay, Cass, Ray, Jackson, Lafayette)

The Pinnacle’s design provides for commemorative cast aluminum plaques to be placed on each of its ten open-face sides to reflect the following: Monument description, Mission Statement of NSDKC, The  Native Sons Society, The Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City, Ten-county region served by NSDKC, Outstanding Kansas Citian, Significant preservation efforts by NSDKC, NSDKC Archives, Historic markers program by NSDKC and the foundation of Greater Kansas City area’s heritage  (Exploration, Western Expansion, Livestock and Agricultural Industries, Commerce and Banking, Railroad/Garment/Airline/ Communications Industries, Arts, Sciences, Sports, Research and Education)

It is proposed the monument design shall be complemented with an area paved with inscribed sponsored bricks and concrete, segregated in five sections as follows:
●    Past-Presidents
●    Outstanding Kansas Citian Award recipients
●    NSDKC members, area preservation groups or supporters of NSDKC  efforts  (i.e., Elmwood Cemetery, Wornall-Majors House Museums, Inc.,  KCAHTA, OCTA, SFTA, Lewis & Clark, UCHS, Mahaffie Stage Coach Stop, Liberty Memorial, etc.)
●    Historic markers sponsored by NSDKC
●    NSDKC preservation projects

It is planned that the design will include a park–like setting around the monument with benches, lighting and plantings.

Planned funding for the proposed project would be through grants, donations, and purchases of sponsored bricks at the base of the monument.  The City of Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation has provided tentative approval to donate the grounds where the monument is to be located.

Gary Hicks, Monument Committee