[1][2] Situated at the confluence of two creek valleys, the area that is now Hyde Park served as a natural watering hole for pioneers heading west on the Santa Fe Trail.

[3][4] Designed and built as an exclusive subdivision by and for the elite of the time, the first homeowners were architects, lumber barons, railroad magnates, congressmen, and ministers of Kansas City high society.

[10] In the wake of World War II, a housing shortage coupled with many original occupants moving or downsizing led most homes to be divided into multifamily dwellings or apartments.

Speculative young professionals, attracted by low prices, began to repurchase and refurbish the homes as single-family dwellings.

In addition to renewing the neighborhood's identity, it also helps maintain the area by participating in special projects and landscaping.