Henry Perry
Encyclopedia
Henry Perry was a restaurateur
who is considered the "father of Kansas City barbecue."
Perry was born in Shelby County, Tennessee
near Memphis
and worked on steamboat
restaurants on the Mississippi River
and Missouri River
before moving to Kansas City, Missouri
in 1907. In 1908 he began serving smoked meats to workers in the Garment District in Downtown Kansas City
from an alley stand.
He then moved his stand to 17th and Lydia map
in the famed inner city
neighborhood of 18th Street and Vine.
He later moved a few blocks away within the neighborhood of 19th and Highland, where he operated out of an old trolley
barn throughout the 1920s and 1930s when the neighborhood became famed for its Kansas City Jazz
during the Tom Pendergast
era.
Customers paid 25 cents for hot meat smoked over oak
and hickory
and wrapped in newsprint
. Perry's sauce was described as "harsh, peppery" (rather than sweet). Perry’s menu included such barbecue standards of the day as beef
and wild game such as possum
, woodchuck, and raccoon
.
At his death, Charlie Bryant took over the business; he, in turn, sold it to his brother Arthur
, who made the sauce a little sweeter when he relocated the restaurant, Arthur Bryant's
, to 1727 Brooklyn in the same neighborhood.
Also, Arthur Pinkard, who had worked for Perry, helped George Gates found Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q.
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
who is considered the "father of Kansas City barbecue."
Perry was born in Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
near Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and worked on steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
restaurants on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
before moving to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in 1907. In 1908 he began serving smoked meats to workers in the Garment District in Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City is the central business district of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. It is located between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line east to Troost Avenue as defined by officials of the...
from an alley stand.
He then moved his stand to 17th and Lydia map
in the famed inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
neighborhood of 18th Street and Vine.
He later moved a few blocks away within the neighborhood of 19th and Highland, where he operated out of an old trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
barn throughout the 1920s and 1930s when the neighborhood became famed for its Kansas City Jazz
American Jazz Museum
The American Jazz Museum is a jazz museum in the United States. Located in the historic 18th and Vine district in Kansas City, Missouri, in a building also housing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, it preserves the history of the American music: jazz. The museum features exhibits on Charlie...
during the Tom Pendergast
Tom Pendergast
Thomas Joseph Pendergast controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri as a political boss. "Boss Tom" Pendergast gave workers jobs and helped elect politicians during the Great Depression, becoming wealthy in the process.-Early years:Thomas Joseph Pendergast, also known to close friends as...
era.
Customers paid 25 cents for hot meat smoked over oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
and wrapped in newsprint
Newsprint
Newsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
. Perry's sauce was described as "harsh, peppery" (rather than sweet). Perry’s menu included such barbecue standards of the day as beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and wild game such as possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
, woodchuck, and raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
.
At his death, Charlie Bryant took over the business; he, in turn, sold it to his brother Arthur
Arthur Bryant (restaurateur)
Arthur Bryant was a purveyor of Kansas City barbecue who operated Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Missouri.Bryant was born on a farm in Branchville, Texas in Milam County, Texas. He attended Prairie View A&M College, an all-black school in Texas...
, who made the sauce a little sweeter when he relocated the restaurant, Arthur Bryant's
Arthur Bryant's
Arthur Bryant's is a restaurant located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is considered by many to be the most famous barbecue restaurant in the United States.-History:...
, to 1727 Brooklyn in the same neighborhood.
Also, Arthur Pinkard, who had worked for Perry, helped George Gates found Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q.