Book Description

In settings ranging from Kansas City's West Bottoms to Quality Hill, you'll follow the lives and fortunes of five very different men, the women they love, and the families they create, in G.P. Schultz's historic saga about the settlement and growth of one of America's great cities. You'll follow the adventures of Jack and Kevin, two spunky Irish orphans just off the boat and determined to make their fortunes in America. They arrive in Kansas City when it is a rugged town built along mountainous gullies carved in the mud along the Missouri River--thus earning it the name "Gully Town." For Kevin, early Kansas City affords the opportunity to fulfill his ambitions to be a newspaper reporter and to pursue his avid interest in women--until the captivating Mary, herself and Irish immigrant, steals his heart. Jack settles into the business community and his life takes a completely different turn as he helps create the Boss System of politics that continues to dominate the city for half a century. Red is a young man who witnesses the horror of Quantrill's famous raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in the early days of the Civil War and later participates in the Battle of Westport. Red finds the woman of his dreams in the beautiful Melissa--only to lose her when she learns of his past and flees, taking with her the secret that could save Red from a life of crime. Adam, schoolteacher, historian, state senator and newspaper columnist, chronicles the lives of his friends and the growth of Kansas City in the journal he faithfully keeps through the years. Through him, we learn about the turbulent political system that puts Jack on top--and frequently threatens his life. We experience such history making events as the great Centennial celebration in 1900, and the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. As the next generation comes of age in a more civilized Kansas City it faces its own challenges. Michael, a product of Gully town's Little Italy, grows up in violence and becomes chief of the Kansas City underworld. Michael falls in love with the beautiful Beth, and must face the inevitability of his career in organized crime destroying the life they have built together.