Long ago on independence square (Liberty, Mexico: lawyer, house, private school)

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Back in the fifties when I would attend a William Chrisman High School football game, the stadium was then on the east end of the school with concrete seats on one side built into a rather steep grade overlooking the playing field below. Those concrete seats were for WCHS student and town rooters.

Wood and steel bleachers with seats maybe six deep and not very long were on the other side for the opponent school rooters, but there did not seem to be many fans on that side in the old days. Additionally, if you were on that side and wanted to buy a coke, you had to walk around the entire playing field to get to enemy territory where there was a wood kiosk that sold sodas and maybe chips and candy bars.

Those concrete seats are gone now and the old stadium grass is a lighted practice field of some type.

One big difference between then and now is that the football goal post was a wooden “H” looking device in which the two legs were buried right on or just next to the goal line.

I don’t recall padding on the two wood legs but surely for safety reasons there were. One can imagine a team being in what is now called the red zone and in attempting to run a touchdown a player runs into or gets bounced off one or is blocked into one of those wood legs.

The NFL had the same type of goal post, but in the seventies, the NFL goal post was moved to the back of the end zone. This new goal post has the familiar single curved post jutting the field goal slot forward slightly toward the end zone. I think originally there were two curved posts holding the goal slot up and these were eventually combined into one bigger post.

I don’t have any recollection as to when WCHS or the other area schools adopted the NFL type posts.

Today, the old type of goal post looks very dangerous, but from what I understand the NFL goal post was not moved back due to safety concerns, but because the kickers were getting too proficient with their kicking.

The Canadians did not seem to catch on, though. The CFL still plays with the goal post just next to the goal line, although it too, now has only one large padded post.

The Examiner says the 9,000 capacity bleacher seats at the old Police rodeo location on M-291 were removed and placed at the new William Chrisman football field at the school in 1966.

I checked Google Earth and seats are placed on both sides of the field and in one of the end zones. The seating capacity might be 9,000, but surely the originals have been replaced over the years.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

From the Examiner fifty years ago:

“Another step in reducing traffic accidents in Independence was taken when police erected a safety light warning signal at Kansas and Main streets.

“The sign will feature a light that will show red when a fatality has occurred in the preceding 24 hours, yellow when an injury occurs, and green when there has been a period with no injuries or fatalities.”



We might have discussed this light setup before on the forum. The setup was a normal red, yellow and green traffic light encased in a large sign. It was on the corner lawn of the old police building. I remember when it went up and liked driving by to see the status. Maybe it got too expensive to maintain.

We did indeed, some time ago. Here is the beginning of the old discussion...

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

It seems I vaguely remember a working off street red/yellow/green traffic light perhaps on the lawn at the police department at Kansas and Main that somehow reflected the current status of the city-wide traffic accident/death situation in Independence.

You can see the light here...

[wino1940s]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

In my trusty 1988 Polk's it shows 209 W Maple as Randal's For Hair, and 211 as Complextions Beauty Salon.

I am talking mid to late 50's and Randall's wasnt the name. Good try tho!

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by wino1940s

Barber shop name on Maple a door or 2 west from Elko....father always called it I think by mans last name.

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

In my trusty 1988 Polk's it shows 209 W Maple as Randal's For Hair, and 211 as Complextions Beauty Salon.

Originally Posted by wino1940s

I am talking mid to late 50's and Randall's wasnt the name. Good try tho!

I'll make a better try! The 1959 directory shows the south side of West Maple twixt Liberty and Osage thusly:

203- McCoy Building with Retail Credit Co., Pioneer Finance, and Attorney Gene Graham
207- Elko Camera Shop
209- Lollas Shoe Shop
211- Hargrove & Bass, Barbers
213- Bunyar Flower Shop
215- Johnson Cleaners
217- Velvet Freeze
221- Van's Buffet Tavern
223- Independence Cab Co.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Speaking of Young School: the principal was the head waiter directing a number of young black waiters at a dinner function in the Metropolitan Hotel. Fred Hammontree’s Orchestra entertained throughout the evening and a vocal quartet sang.


This was 1909 and the event was started that year as an annual occurrence. I have no information as to when it ended; but, today, it would never be allowed for more than one reason.


However, something like this was needed by the city then, and as Mayor Jones of Independence the chairman explained this was why it was so badly needed:

“It is to bring the men of the city, official, business and professional, all together in closer friendship, and to get rid of the restrains that shackle us in the stress of business. We need something of this kind to enable us to know each other better.”


Who would have thought these early century municipal and business people of Independence labored under so much stress and hardship?


As the evening progressed, a number of telegrams were received at the mayor’s table. One of those was to the mayor from the Farmers Protective Association of Blue Bottoms and that organization threatened to get the law involved if the city did not quit doing what they were doing.


The mayor refused to take responsibility and blamed the event on an Independence city councilman.


Fast forward to the 1913 event when Mayor Christian Ott was the chairman for that year's event. Seventy-five cars left Independence for areas other than Blue Bottoms with the intention of harvesting the food supply for the dinner that year. Jackson County even provided a number of trucks to help with the occasion. Later the group gathered on the street in front of a local hardware store and the Lewis Theater to show off their crop.


That year’s dinner event was held at the First Christian Church with ladies in white doing the serving in place of the black waiters. Mayor Ott “admonished those present to leave all grouches on the outside, forget about indigestion and all serious matters, and assured them that even the banks had promised that no interest would be run for that night on the notes held by them.”


What was this annual city event?

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

The answer to this is The Annual City of Independence 'Possum Hunt and Dinner.

From the Examiner of 100 years ago:

Have you noticed that there was no municipal opossum hunt and dinner this year? This institution originated about five or six years ago. City Councilman Logan Jones was the “daddy” of it. It was welcomed with enthusiasm and Independence proudly claimed to be the only city in the world with such an institution under the full sanction and patronage of the city government. But alas, it became too popular and began to attract an undesirable class. The last one was held in November 1915, and there was a great deal of drinking of intoxicants amongst the large mob. Logan said “We did not want to encourage boozing, so we quit having the affair.
We decided it was better to quit entirely than to have it like it was last year.”

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by wino1940s

Barber shop name on Maple a door or 2 west from Elko....father always called it I think by mans last name.

1954: Hargrove & Bass . . . 211 W Maple

[WCHS'59]

Who is this guy?

He was born in Kentucky in the same year a very unfortunate individual was inaugurated as President of the United States. Just before he was ten, he arrived in Independence with his parents.

He eventually became a private school teacher but then decided to relocate within Missouri moving east to a county named for a nationally, and perhaps internationally, famous Missourian. He remained there for a dozen years serving as the president of a local college.

He returned to Independence and headed a college for almost twenty years. Then he changed positions again, and barely missed handing Harry S. Truman and Bess Wallace their high school diplomas. He had to resign a few years later and was replaced by a man from Mexico.

Both he and the first mayor of Independence have been similarly honored.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Both he and the first mayor of Independence have been similarly honored.

If'n my feeble brain is functioning correctly the "article" honoring each of these men was very similar in appearance when new.

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

WCHS

Also, I went to the A Crime to Remember website and guess what's on next week, the 13th? The Sharon Kinne case ("Luck Be A Lady") Wow. For you youngsters here (looking at you MAD) I hope you're able to see this episode especially since you won't remember the local TV coverage from yesteryear but involves your beloved police dept.
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This is on tonight at 9:00 PM CST

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

This is on tonight at 9:00 PM CST

I have it on record.

Still trying to find when they will rerun the Greenlease case.