From "History of Clay County"

Harlem lies in the extreme southwestern part of the township, on the north bank of the Missouri, immediately across the river from Kansas City. It dates its origin from the completion of the railroad through it to Kansas City. Prior to 1880 the location was subject to complete over- flow by every "June rise" in the Missouri, but in that year the United States government built a strong levee to the northwest and large additional appropriations have since been made from time to time to strengthen this work so as to prevent future serious overflow. The great flood of 1881, however, nearly drowned out the village. The following lines of railroad pass through Harlem: The Hannibal and St. Joseph, the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific, the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific over the track of the H. & St. Jo.

In the spring [1881] the Missouri River was higher than it had been since 1844. The bottoms were overflowed and much damage resulted. Harlem was all underwater and many buildings were destroyed. Some old settlers declared that the river was even higher in 1881 than it was in 1844. Certainly the damage was greater for there was more to destroy.

John R