Long ago on independence square (Union, Lexington: law, shop, move to)

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

The HBO movie “Truman” ...

My family home was "featured" in that movie. The real Truman home was not available to the film-makers, so they used the Sawyer-Jennings home at Waldo & Delaware. In one scene early in the movie Harry is shown arriving there while courting Bess. Our home was in the background for a few seconds!

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

It seems to me Westwood was actually more of a driver and a talking companion but he was armed.

One source is saying that Truman insisted to the Secret Service that Westwood be allowed to accompany him as they provided their protection away from the house. There was a little shed or house next to the Truman home where the Service headquartered.

Lt. Mike Westwood did indeed stay on as bodyguard after the SS resumed protection duty. Truman would often take his morning walk from the home to his office at the HST Library, walking right in front of my home. He would exchange greetings, but never broke stride. Westwood walked with him, with two SS agents trailing in a car.

The SS was stationed in the house on the SW corner of Truman and Delaware. They had several cameras watching the house, the most obvious mounted on the Central Stake office of the RLDS, aimed down the alley/driveway on the south side of the home.

When I worked for the IPD in the 70s I was able to visit them in the house. For the agents it was a very boring detail, and they were rotated rather often.

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

MRG,

I am drawing a blank on this early to mid sixties fire, maybe Mad Anthonie can chime in.

I have a photo labeled 1972 that seems to show the north side of the square in tact.

I didn't move to Delaware until 1966, so I'm not sure about a fire in '62. There was a major fire that I watched in about 1973 that destroyed several shops on the north side of Maple where the theater parking lot is now. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me that night.

At the moment My Beloved and I are drawing a blank about what was north of those shops.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Can anyone remember what was on the backside of the Maple street stores on the north side of the square where Crown Drug, Herms, Knoepkers, Woolworth, Kresge, etc. were?

That would be after the alley behind those Maple Street stores and those businesses I cannot recall would be facing Liberty for a half block, Truman Road, and Main Street for a half block (in front of the old fire station number 1).

This area is all parking now, I believe.

I draw a total blank there. I don't even remember a Crown Drug Store, only Katz.

There was a tiny place just off the square at Main and Lexington where we could get a string of tiny pictures taken for a quarter . . . .

Speaking of Katz, that is the place I remember something like this. They had a booth near the front door, you put a quarter in the slot and inside the booth 4 quick pictures are taken.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I draw a total blank there. I don't even remember a Crown Drug Store, only Katz.

Crown Drug Store was on the corner of Maple and Main right across from Katz. It was replaced by a Goldman's Jewelry Store sometime around 1953 or 54. Katz may have driven the Crown Drug Store out of business at this location.

Today that corner across from the old Katz is Clinton's Soda Fountain which has something to do with representing Clinton's Drug Store where Harry Truman made $3 a week at his first job in 1898.

The Katz location is now Ophelia's Restaurant and Inn. The upstairs area is the inn portion. In the old days I think the upstairs was entered off the street and contained lawyer and other offices. The downstairs area of the old Katz is a storage area for the restaurant. The food at Ophelia's, complete with cloth napkins, is good but somewhat pricey.

[MRG Dallas]

I do see Ophelia's where I remember Katz to be. I have a hard time recalling where the other stores were in relation to The Square.

Two I do recall, however, were The Granada and also Diamond Bowl. I was pleasantly surprised to see that DB is still in business, across the street and down a door or two from what I remember.

In 1956 I learned to bowl at Diamond, being the youngest (and smallest) kid in the Sat. a.m. league. The first 6 lanes were assigned to the "junior" teams, we "bantam" teams had lanes 7 and 8, so we always bowled against each other. I still recall my first scores: 20, 24 and 32. Quick improvement lol. I had to be specially fitted to a really small bowling ball, and some of the "spares" that could leave were truly unique

That year DB still employed pinboys. Strike n Spare already had automatic Brunswick pinsetters. I think the next year DB (which were AMF lanes) moved on up to automatics. If you practice bowled, the etiquette was to tip the pinboy for your lane.

Many afternoons after bowling were spent across the street at The Granada. Wasn't the concession in a separately delineated area that bordered the street corner?

[Mad Anthonie]

Browsing in my collection I found an ad from 1963 for the Wyandotte Furniture Store going out of business. They were located at 214-16 North Liberty, which is part of the area in question. That is now a parking lot (SW corner of Truman & Liberty).

More on another day...

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I do see Ophelia's where I remember Katz to be. I have a hard time recalling where the other stores were in relation to The Square.

Two I do recall, however, were The Granada and also Diamond Bowl. I was pleasantly surprised to see that DB is still in business, across the street and down a door or two from what I remember.

In 1956 I learned to bowl at Diamond, being the youngest (and smallest) kid in the Sat. a.m. league. The first 6 lanes were assigned to the "junior" teams, we "bantam" teams had lanes 7 and 8, so we always bowled against each other. I still recall my first scores: 20, 24 and 32. Quick improvement lol. I had to be specially fitted to a really small bowling ball, and some of the "spares" that could leave were truly unique

That year DB still employed pinboys. Strike n Spare already had automatic Brunswick pinsetters. I think the next year DB (which were AMF lanes) moved on up to automatics. If you practice bowled, the etiquette was to tip the pinboy for your lane.

Many afternoons after bowling were spent across the street at The Granada. Wasn't the concession in a separately delineated area that bordered the street corner?

Sometime in the late forties my dad and I visited the alleys in the Eagle building, which was right across the street from City Hall and the Police Station.

I saw the pin boys working and wanted to be one.

I was thinking that might have been the only bowling alley then but maybe Diamond Bowl was also in town at that time.

The Granada Sweetshop had its own entrance and was on the corner. Whereas, at the Plaza Sweetshop I think one could enter off the street and it had a separate entrance into the theater lobby, I think.

The Granada was torn down and made into a cab dispatch and parking lot. Nowadays a new building is on that corner but I cannot recall what it is. When I first saw that parking lot, I had been away for awhile and I was horrified. We went to the Granada virtually every Friday night after the Plaza was closed.

I was thinking there was a car dealership directly across from the Granada Theater on Maple. I remember that Diamond Bowl moved but I cannot recall where they were at before.

It would be interesting to know if Independence has a taxi service nowadays.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Browsing in my collection I found an ad from 1963 for the Wyandotte Furniture Store going out of business. They were located at 214-16 North Liberty, which is part of the area in question. That is now a parking lot (SW corner of Truman & Liberty).

More on another day...

I am trying to place a Wyandotte Furniture Store, chuckle.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by sally36

Any oldtimers out there want to remenisce about Independence Square--how it used to be--traditional architecture--a place to purchase anything one could need or want?

Please join me in looking back to when we were a really small town and everybody knew everybody!

SallyB, this sure is a lot fun! Wish you were here.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by sally36

Of course there was the cigarstore Indian on Lexington, down from Penney's . . .

I have it on good authority the Indian's name was Kawliga. Hank Williams said so. Chuckle.
KAWLIGA, was a wooden Indian standing by the door
He fell in love with an Indian maid over in the antique store
KAW-LIGA - A, just stood there and never let it show
So she could never answer "YES" or "NO".
He always wore his Sunday feathers and held a tomahawk
The maiden wore her beads and braids and hoped someday he'd talk
KAW-LIGA - A, too stubborn to ever show a sign
Because his heart was made of knotty pine.
Poor ol' KAW-LIGA, he never got a kiss
Poor ol' KAW-LIGA, he don't know what he missed
Is it any wonder that his face is red
KAW-LIGA, that poor ol' wooden head. ...
KAW-LIGA, was a lonely Indian never went nowhere
His heart was set on the Indian maiden with the coal black hair
KAW-LIGA - A, just stood there and never let it show
So she could never answer "YES" or "NO".
Then one day a wealthy customer bought the Indian maid
And took her, oh, so far away, but ol' KAW-LIGA stayed
KAW-LIGA - A, just stands there as lonely as can be
And wishes he was still an old pine tree.

Actually, I found out he had been on Lexington since at least 1895 in front of Bodge Tobacco Shop and Elsea's Cigar Store. He was supposedly made of pewter.

It looks like he was bolted down so I guess pranksters could not try to take him.

[WCHS'59]

Here are some snippets taken from various sites on the web:

Story of the Cigar Store Indian, "one of only about 74 remaining in the United States," originally at Independence Square and later at Kansas City Chiefs owner, Lamar Hunt's, office.
The Kansas City Star, October 8, 2008, City - "Indian Now on Private Sentry Duty in KC" by David W. Jackson in column "Portals to the Past." (Mentions Reardon Tobacco Company wooden Indian as well as "Indian Hunter" once found at Independence Square.)"

.. in 1974, Smith had also acquired the “Indian Hunter” (aka “Minnehaha”) cigar store Indian statue that had for years graced Independence Square. At that time, Smith said, “I have 6 Indians: 5 wooden and 1 pewter. A model imprint cast in pewter uses the same sand mold as a wood carving. Brittle pewter is subject to age-cracks. Five or more paint layers covered ‘Indian Hunter.’” The exact whereabouts of “Indian Hunter” today remains a mystery. By 1974, it was on loan to Lamar Hunt, and it stood in his offices at Arrowhead Stadium.

Because a cigar store indian had stood at the same spot for 35 years, Mayor Roger T. Sermon [mayor from 1924 to 1950] ruled he not be removed in a campaign against obstructions on sidewalks. [This was in 1933.]