He accompanied his parents Isaac and Christiana (Polk) McCoy to Kansas City to perform Baptist missionary work in 1830.

[1][2] After Isaac's death in 1846, John and Christiana moved back to Jackson County where he continued his business ventures.

[5] In 1833, John McCoy built a two-story cabin at what became 444 Westport Road on the northeast corner of Pennsylvania Avenue.

He established a dock at a rocky point in the river between Main and Grand Street, which came to be called Westport Landing.

Due to his sympathies with the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, he was required to leave Kansas City by General Order No.

), Spencer Cone (July 25, 1844—January 8, 1863, in Springfield, Missouri as a Confederate soldier), William Chick (February 21, 1846—May 12, 1848), Virginia (August 22, 1848—?).

[1] Pioneer Park is at Westport and Broadway, with a sculpture by Thomas L. Beard of Alexander Majors, John McCoy, and Jim Bridger.