Long ago on independence square (Diamond: new construction, membership, churches)

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I have reviewed the 1957 aerials (4T-150) and 1963 2DD-062. It sure looks like the Granada ran all the way to Lexington, which is how I remember it.

In that same 1957 frame, you can see both WCHS (the HS, not the infamous poster) and the Truman Library both under construction

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Interesting. I looked in 1946 and DB was listed first at 209 N Spring

At 214 across the street was the Kepley Funeral Home (ugh) Dixon L Kepley, owner. There are another 4 names listed, presumably there were apts on top (double ugh) and these are not cadavers

Still DB and KFH in 1954 but at least the "tenants" were gone lol......add SWB Tel office at 215 . . by 1960 the funeral home had passed away but was replaced by First Methodist Church...yikes, I went to VBS that summer there. WCHS, do you recall a funeral home that the church replaced?

I remember the Kepley Funeral Home but not any details. And I could not have told you where it was at.

I also recall the phone company (Southwestern Bell) there on the corner of Spring and Truman. My folks bought a new home in the sixties and I was home on visit. They were both working so I volunteered to go up there and order phone service for their new home. This was when all phones were hard wired into each house requiring a work order and a phone man to come out and install the phone. When you left you had to have a phone man come out and disconnect the phone and take it away.

I went up there and told the teller (you could pay your bill there also) what I wanted and she pointed me to a phone booth--a standard square aluminum outdoor type phone booth with the glass folding privacy doors and a seat that was just standing there inside the phone company. I went into the booth and lifted up the receiver and dialed the number the teller gave me and got a lady upstairs taking phone orders.

I only wanted one black wall phone but I had to sit through a barrage of questions as to why I would not want an extension or two, a different color, a newer model wall phone, or maybe a Princess phone, etc--all of which were monthly extra cost items back then. She did not want to take a "no" and I was in there for awhile. When I left I was thinking that no wonder people did not like the monopolistic phone company.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

There was one Downtown, immediately adjacent (south) of Macy's

Those are the only two I know of

Actually I'm wrong on a couple of counts


The pic I saw Gateway DT looked to be where Petticoat Ln zig zags at Main and then heads west as 11th.

However, the pic was labeled (I thought mis-labeled) as Tenth and Baltimore. At least today, that intersection looks to be a perfect 90 degrees. If you remember where Rothschild's was, this Gateway was across the street but on the same side of either Tenth of Baltimore (I'm confused and confusing as I write this)

However, in 1957 there were several Gateways in KC alone:

It was owned by the Cumonow family:

With HQs at 1321 Main

There was a store nearby at 1330 Main

Another on The Plaza at 439 Nichols Rd

One at 3115 Troost

and another DT at 2 W. Tenth

So there looks to be at least 5 stores including the Independence one that year

[WCHS'59]

Ah yes, the WCHS (old) girls sure knew how to dress back in the fifties.

The "A" skirts those two on the left and at least one in the back are wearing had up to half a dozen petticoats underneath. The petticoat closest to the skin was a straight "H" type petticoat but the others were expanded and hooped somehow to make the dress flare out as shown.

The major problem with this flare out might have been when a girl sat down as she would be showing several layers of the petticoats as she was sitting. No one seemed to mind though.

A couple years earlier the see through blouse was a rage. A girl would have a petticoat on and a see through blouse showing the petticoat, the petticoat straps, and the bra straps. As I recall everything was white. No one seemed to mind and I don't recall any of the boys making any untoward remarks.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Ah yes, the WCHS (old) girls sure knew how to dress back in the fifties.

The "A" skirts those two on the left and at least one in the back are wearing had up to half a dozen petticoats underneath. The petticoat closest to the skin was a straight "H" type petticoat but the others were expanded and hooped somehow to make the dress flare out as shown.

The major problem with this flare out might have been when a girl sat down as she would be showing several layers of the petticoats as she was sitting. No one seemed to mind though.

A couple years earlier the see through blouse was a rage. A girl would have a petticoat on and a see through blouse showing the petticoat, the petticoat straps, and the bra straps. As I recall everything was white. No one seemed to mind and I don't recall any of the boys making any untoward remarks.

Which one is you?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Which one is you?

I am the one lurking behind the open door.

[WCHS'59]

Pioneer Restaurant at 106 S Liberty was right next to the Chrisman-Sawyer Bank. Next door south was the A&P Supermarket parking lot. The restaurant is apparently now home to the General Society of the Sons of the Revolution--whatever that might be. As a kid, I always wanted to eat in this restaurant but I never went in the place, even as an adult.


Powell-Cook Grocery at 212 west Maple could not have been a very big grocery store. I don't recall that I was ever in the place but recall seeing a single checkout counter--similar to a general store in the movies--in the window when walking by. It is now apparently home to Lauren Scott hair design.


Regina Electric at 202 N. Liberty was mostly office machines if I can remember correctly. While in high school and college, I always wanted an electric typewriter and an electric adding machine. The place appears to be Designers Upholstery, now.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Pioneer Restaurant at 106 S Liberty was right next to the Chrisman-Sawyer Bank. Next door south was the A&P Supermarket parking lot. The restaurant is apparently now home to the General Society of the Sons of the Revolution--whatever that might be. As a kid, I always wanted to eat in this restaurant but I never went in the place, even as an adult.

Apparently there are two organizations called Sons of the Revolution, which seem to be similar to the DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution. Not sure which the Liberty Street organization would be.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Pioneer Restaurant at 106 S Liberty was right next to the Chrisman-Sawyer Bank. Next door south was the A&P Supermarket parking lot. The restaurant is apparently now home to the General Society of the Sons of the Revolution--whatever that might be. As a kid, I always wanted to eat in this restaurant but I never went in the place, even as an adult.


Powell-Cook Grocery at 212 west Maple could not have been a very big grocery store. I don't recall that I was ever in the place but recall seeing a single checkout counter--similar to a general store in the movies--in the window when walking by. It is now apparently home to Lauren Scott hair design.


Regina Electric at 202 N. Liberty was mostly office machines if I can remember correctly. While in high school and college, I always wanted an electric typewriter and an electric adding machine. The place appears to be Designers Upholstery, now.

Can't say I remember any of those places, but with three phone numbers (highly unusual) the grocery might have been bigger than you think !

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Can't say I remember any of those places, but with three phone numbers (highly unusual) the grocery might have been bigger than you think !

I show this place as Powell-Cook Grocery but the advertisement shows Powell Cook. When I was younger I thought it was two people who owned this place and still did until just now when I did an internet search. Only one person owned the store and his full name was Powell Cook. He started in the grocery business on the square in 1919.

He could not have lasted long after 1957, the date of this ad. He had his age against him plus the big super stores were coming in. It is a wonder how that store might have survived this long anyway with A&P, Safeway, and Milgram's just a block or two away.

The Powell Cook store square footage could not have been that big. I suspect they delivered quite a bit of groceries and did not want to tie up any one phone line. I am guessing they might not have had a rotary service back then (if line is busy, the phone company automatically diverts the call to the next line or next open line) and they listed those three numbers for convenience.