Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Mouse Tale
Believe it or not, everyone’s favorite mouse may have been conceived right here in Kansas City. Mickey Mouse’s creator, Walt Disney, spent much of his youth in our city after moving here from his childhood home in Marceline, Missouri. But his career path to the Magic Kingdom was hardly a smooth one.
At age 17, he was rejected for an artist’s position at The Kansas City Star. Later, he was laid off from his job at a local commercial art studio. Finally, after landing a job at the Kansas City Film Ad Company, Walt Disney discovered his great love for animation.
He borrowed a company camera and, with his family garage serving as his studio, Disney began creating animated shorts and then selling them to a local movie house, the Newman Theatre. He called the shorts, “Newman Laugh-O-grams.” Soon, local investors helped back Disney in his own business which he named Laugh-O-gram Films.
The story goes that a friendly mouse often begged for food at the studio, and later in Disney’s career, the memory of that mouse came back to him. The little beggar was reborn as Mickey Mouse, first seen in the cartoon “Steamboat Willie.” In mid-1923, Disney closed Laugh-O-gram Films, due to distribution problems. Then, with dreams in hand, Walt Disney packed a cardboard suitcase and headed for what he hoped would be greener pastures in Hollywood, California. But, then, that’s a whole other mouse tale.
Erected by Kansas City International Airport. (Marker Number B7.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Entertainment.
Location. 39° 18.822′ N, 94° 42.326′ W. Marker is in Kansas City, Missouri, in Platte County. Marker is at Passenger Kiosk B7, in Economy Parking Lot B, at Kansas City International Airport, 601 Brasilia Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kansas City MO 64153, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Country Club Plaza (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Home of BBQ (about 400 feet away); The American Royal (about 500 feet away); Hale: The Firepole (about 500 feet away); Football Fever (about 600 feet away); Happy Trails (about 700 feet away); KC: On Flight (approx. 0.2 miles away); Art and Soul (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kansas City.
More about this marker. The Economy Parking Lots' passenger kiosks each have unique historical markers and flashy artwork to help passengers remember where they parked.
Also see . . . Mickey Mouse. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on June 14, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 14, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 621 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 6, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on June 14, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 6, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.