Junius G. Groves, 'Potato King,' to be enshrined in Kansas Business Hall of Fame
Kansas Business Hall of Fame honoree Junius G. Groves with his wife, Matilda. Photo courtesy the Kansas Historical Society.
Junius G. Groves, a figure well known to the annual Kansas City Black History Project for his rise from slavery to wealthy landowner and businessman, will be enshrined in the Kansas Business Hall of Fame.
Groves became known as “The Potato King of the World” and one of the wealthiest African-Americans of the early 20th Century.
It was an auspicious achievement, having been born into slavery in Kentucky in 1859 and then working as a farmhand as one of the freedmen who made the “Great Exodus” to Kansas in 1879, according to the record in his entry to the Kansas City Black History Project in 2016.
Groves will be inducted as the historical honoree to the Kansas Business Hall of Fame at a special ceremony Thursday, July 29, 6 p.m., at the Black Archives of Mid-America, 1722 E. 17th Terrace, Kansas City, Mo.
The Hall will also be honoring its contemporary inductee, Cerner Co-Founder Cliff Illig.
The Black History Project — a joint effort by the Kansas City Public Library, the Black Archives of Mid-America and LINC — began in 2010, honoring Black men and women from the Kansas City area who changed the world in arts, business, education and culture.
The project collected profiles in booklets, calendars and posters that have been shared throughout the country and even internationally. For 2021, the project created a commemorative book, compiling the more than 70 profiles.
The free book and other materials are available at kclinc.org/blackhistory.
Groves, according to his profile, quickly impressed his employers in Kansas with with his strong work ethic and production. He was offered nine acres of land on shares and by 1884, he and his wife Matilda had saved enough to purchase 80 acres of land near Edwardsville, Kansas.
Within four years they had acquired 2,000 acres and replaced their one-room shanty with a 22-room mansion. Groves made a name for himself as a potato grower, producing as many as 721,500 bushels in one year — far and away more than any other farmer — earning the title of “Potato King of the World.”
He also operated a general store, maintained several orchards, and had investments in various mining and banking interests. Groves worked the farm until his death in 1925. He attributed his success to the endless hard work and devotion of his wife and 12 children.