Established by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) on a 240-acre farm in Liberty, Missouri, the complex was designed to care for members of the fraternity, as well as their widows and orphans.

The 1953 kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Bobby Greenlease shocked Kansas City and the nation. Posed as his aunt, Bonnie Heady abducted Bobby with partner Carl Hall in a scheme that led to a $600,000 ransom—the largest in U.S. history at the time. Despite payment, the boy was killed, the kidnappers were swiftly executed, and much of the ransom money remains missing to this day.

In early January 2013, the Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid found each other at pivotal moments. The Chiefs were a broken franchise after a 2–14 season, shaken not only by losses but by tragedy within the organization. Reid had just been dismissed after 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles and was grappling with both a losing season and the death of his son.