Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Union: dentists, employee, team)

[MRG Dallas]

The only chain gas stations were: Standard Oil with 4 locations and Sinclair with 2.

There were 5 "Depots":

Air Line RR @ 224 W Maple
Chicago & Alton @ W. South & Woodland
KCSRwy also @ 224 WM
"Liberty Street" @ S. Liberty & Short
MoPac @ Grand & Pacific

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Sanborn Maps for Missouri: 1 to 20 of 45 hits

If you can't find your house, maybe it is on one of these. Let us know if you do.

It's great to see all those houses on the south side of W Maple, between River & Union, as well as on the flip side on Lexington

RIP

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

The only chain gas stations were: Standard Oil with 4 locations and Sinclair with 2.

There were 5 "Depots":

Air Line RR @ 224 W Maple
Chicago & Alton @ W. South & Woodland
KCSRwy also @ 224 WM
"Liberty Street" @ S. Liberty & Short
MoPac @ Grand & Pacific

Wow. Five depots.

Usually when there were a number of railroads entering a town, the competing companies got together to save their passengers problems when having to transfer to another railroad.

They built a joint station, i.e. all called Union Station. Every rrs passenger rails would go to the Union Station. In the good old days of traveling on trains I even saw towns that had only two rrs coming into town but they had a Union Station.

Construction was a joint effort and operations were jointly managed. They also operated a joint transfer rr that would transfer cars as needed, when needed. The Kansas City Terminal Co. served that purpose for the Kansas City Union Station. That company is still in existence and serves the freight yards of the rails converging into KC.

Guess the concept of a Union Station must not have been considered for Independence except for Air Line and KCS, maybe.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

and curiously, a "Postal Savings Bank" with the "PO" as the address

I recall my mother saying something about saving with postal savings but never knew anything about it.

The post office paid 2% interest with deposits limited to $2,500 total.

The program was discontinued in 1966 according to a Wikipedia article.

People apparently preferred the post office for savings because their deposit was 100% guaranteed by the federal government, whereas insurance at a regular bank was hit or miss and probably mostly miss until FDIC came along.

That 2% looks huge now.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Wow. Five depots.

Usually when there were a number of railroads entering a town, the competing companies got together to save their passengers problems when having to transfer to another railroad.

They built a joint station, i.e. all called Union Station. Every rrs passenger rails would go to the Union Station. In the good old days of traveling on trains I even saw towns that had only two rrs coming into town but they had a Union Station.

Construction was a joint effort and operations were jointly managed. They also operated a joint transfer rr that would transfer cars as needed, when needed. The Kansas City Terminal Co. served that purpose for the Kansas City Union Station. That company is still in existence and serves the freight yards of the rails converging into KC.

Guess the concept of a Union Station must not have been considered for Independence except for Air Line and KCS, maybe.

I guess Independence felt it didn't have the activity or infrastructure in the right places to have a combo depot. Is there a place where the major RR lines converged that would have been a good place? I looked at these locations, and while they were close in distance, nevertheless didn't see offhand a place where they converged.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I recall my mother saying something about saving with postal savings but never knew anything about it.

The post office paid 2% interest with deposits limited to $2,500 total.

The program was discontinued in 1966 according to a Wikipedia article.

People apparently preferred the post office for savings because their deposit was 100% guaranteed by the federal government, whereas insurance at a regular bank was hit or miss and probably mostly miss until FDIC came along.

That 2% looks huge now.

Indeed it does.

I wonder what motivated the USPO to start such a non-mail type of service in the first place, especially competing against banks and S&Ls.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Here is how it looked in 1916. At upper right of map is the church at Maple and Spring, then a house north on Spring just before the alley, then another house further north before Van Horn Road (Truman Road).

I looked at the 1957 aerials and the location of the FH seems to be the same as the house n. of the alley. @ 214 N. Spring, it looks directly across from the SWBT building, ie, a bit NE of Diamond Bowl

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I drove past the church yesterday, on the Truman Road side. It appears the north wing may have been added during the 1960s remodeling. If so, the FH may have sat mid-block. BTW, while doing that work in the 60s a tunnel was discovered about 9 feet below the basement. It ran west for about 20 feet before it was collapsed in. No one knew any history for it. I wonder if it could have been part of the Underground Railroad.

I think you're right, per my prior post a comparison of the map and the aerial photo is probably the same building (house) on the Truman side of the alley. Then the church bought it and knocked it down to build the Wesley Center, also addressed at 214 N. Spring.

The building that would have been on the SW corner of the intersection in 1957 appears to face Truman So the church might have acquired that property also

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I think you're right, per my prior post a comparison of the map and the aerial photo is probably the same building (house) on the Truman side of the alley. Then the church bought it and knocked it down to build the Wesley Center, also addressed at 214 N. Spring.

The building that would have been on the SW corner of the intersection in 1957 appears to face Truman So the church might have acquired that property also

My fuzzy memory just recalled some sort of medical office on that corner. It was blonde or yellow brick, and sat right against the sidewalks. The entrance was cut diagonally on the corner. In my 1988 Polk's it is shown as the Whetstone Building, 401 W Truman, and occupied by the Community Services League. I don't recall what year it was removed, but my 2002 Cole's directory shows it as Dee's Custom Sewing.

[WCHS'59]

I am thinking the city and the church have a joint parking lot agreement of some type for the Truman Memorial Building and the Methodist Church for that northern half of the block between Spring and Pleasant along Truman Road. The two times I was at the Memorial Building last year I seem to recall signs indicating something to that effect.