Founded in 1838 as “the Town of Kansas,” the second largest city in Kansas as well as being Kansas City metropolitan Area’s anchor city, Kansas city is a vital part of the state vis-à-vis milling, transportation and meat-packing. It spans 318 sq miles in parts of Clay, Cass, Jackson and Platte counties. The census taken two years ago for Kansas City was later revealed to be significantly underestimated and reevaluated at 475,830. During the Civil War Kansas City was witness to many battles, such as the Battle of Westport. Today, it is viewed as quite the cultural hubbub, making substantial contributions to jazz and blues, as well as cuisine (Kansas City-style barbecue is somewhat popular among meat eaters worldwide.