Argentine, Kansas: The Evolution of a Mexican American Community, 1905-1940

Abstract

This study grew out of a chance visit I made to the Argentine district of Kansas City, Kansas, in 1971. My initial contact with Mexican-Americans there sparked my curiosity about the origins and history of the barrio. Casual inquiry gradually gave way to systematic research efforts. I soon discovered two pitfalls which threatened to spell the end to my inquiry: the apparent lack of written records generated by the Mexican-American people and destruction of other local public and private records by a devastating flood which inundated low-lying portions of Argentine in 1951, Curiosity prevailed and the search for data continued. A lucky break came in the Fall of 1973 when I gained access to Santa Fe payroll records. These records permitted more critical analysis of state census data and enabled me to explore the work life and migration patterns of Argentine's Mexican railroad workers.