GREENWOOD, Mo. – Located inside ZIP code 64304 is a community of about 6,000, located 28 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City.
Most of Greenwood lies in the southern part of Jackson County, while the other part sits in northern Cass County.
The roots of Greenwood go back over 140 years. It was first filed for court record in June of 1867.
Three years later, it became home to Lincoln College, opened by a Reverend Randall Ross of Ohio. It cost $5,000 to build.
“Room and board for students coming in could be had for about 2.50,” longtime resident Bill Poe said.
But the college closed about 15 years later, and the site was later hit by a fire.
While Greenwood was first established in the 1860’s, the town wasn’t officially incorporated into a village for decades.
“And I believe they had to reincorporate again in 1957,” Poe said.
The town also had its own public school system until the 1950’s, after its last high school graduating class left in 1957. The school began feeding into the Lee’s Summit School District, and students now go on to attend Lee’s Summit West High School.
Greenwood’s population has grown just over the past 40 years, rising from about 1,000 during the 1980 census to over 6,000 residents at present.
Poe says the safe feeling and friendliness of the town hasn’t changed, making it a great place to visit.
“I’ve found that it’s just a friendly place, you know, anywhere you go you can feel pretty safe on the streets,” he said.
