James Pendergast
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James Francis Pendergast (January 27, 1856 – November 10, 1911) was a Democratic politician and the first Big City Boss of Kansas City, Missouri. He was the elder brother of Thomas J. Pendergast and Michael J. Pendergast.
Pendergast was born in Gallipolis, Ohio. His family moved to St. Joseph, Missouri in 1859, and he moved to Kansas City in 1876. After winning a horse race on a long shot, "Climax," he opened a saloon named after the horse in the West Bottoms.
In 1884, he was elected as a delegate to represent the sixth ward in the Democratic City Convention. In 1887, he became the Democratic committeeman from the first ward. He was elected alderman in 1892. Known as "Alderman Jim" and "Big Jim," he achieved political power by doing favors.
His chief political rival was Joe Shannon. Pendergast's faction was called the "goats" because it wanted to climb out of the river bottoms, but Shannon's faction was the "rabbits" because its power base was in the river bottom.
After Pendergast's death at 55, a statue of him was placed in Mulkey Square overlooking the West Bottoms. It is now in Case Park on Quality Hill.
References[]
External links[]
- James Pendergast at Find a Grave
- James Pendergast in the News (Kansas City Journal)
- the Climax saloon, and rise to power
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- 1856 births
- 1911 deaths
- People from Gallipolis, Ohio
- Missouri Democrats
- Missouri city council members
- Pendergast era
- 19th-century American politicians
- 20th-century American politicians
- Missouri politician stubs