Long ago on independence square (Pacific, Lexington: penalty, consumer, thunderstorm)

[Mad Anthonie]

Keep it up and I'll have to book passage on the next train to anywhere!

It has been a few years since My Beloved and I took our last train trip.

[WCHS'59]

I did not have a car in college until my junior year.

At Warrensburg I would hop an automobile ride on Friday afternoon to Independence and then go to work that evening and work all day Saturday and then Sunday til 1:00 pm. After work, I would go up to MoPac on Grand and catch the Sunday afternoon train that went through Lees Summit, Pleasant Hill and then Warrensburg on its way to St Louis. There would always be around 20 or 30 students waiting. That was always a pleasant trip. From the Warrensburg depot my dorm was only about a block away.

The last time I was on a train was in 1989 going from Durango (elev 6,512) to Silverton (elev 9,318) on a narrow gauge line. The two towns are only 45 miles apart but the round trip took all day because of the mountainous territory and average 10 mph travel. There are four and five star resorts along that line in which the only way in and out is by hiking or by train--unless you could afford to have your helicopter land at the resort landing pad.

[WCHS'59]

This view on Lexington looking east was no doubt taken from atop the First National Bank building. This photo would have to be in the forties.

The large building on Main is the Bundschu department store. This photo shows the immensity of that place, at least for that period in time. I don't recall exactly where everything was but the top floor had admin offices and a sales area that might have been sports equipment or camping stuff. The elevator was people operated. There was a basement sales area also, and I think that was where their "on sale" or bargain stuff was located.The dark building to the right of Bundschu's housed legal offices and the street level was Davis Paints for many years. To the immediate left of Bundschu's was the S.S. Kresge (KMart/Sears, chuckle) dime store and to its left the light colored multi story building held a furniture store at street level. That store burned, Kresge bought what was left and expanded. The furniture store moved over just to the west of Chrisman Sawyer Bank. It might have been Tuckers Furniture by that time.

This photo would really be the cat's meow if the Plaza Theater marquee could be made out.

Maybe I posted this once before, my memory bank may not be working this morning.

[Mad Anthonie]

Those streets will be even more crowded this weekend than they were back then. Santa-Cali-Gon is back, and 250,000 sweaty people are expected to drop by.

I remember the first of the new series of SCG Days, just 41 short years ago. The Explorer Post I belonged to helped with the parking lot shuttles. The first two years they used open-air tractor drawn trams borrowed from Hermann, Missouri. We collected a small fee, but I don't recall the price. I do recall a load of drunks we picked up late Saturday evening. They were rather generous tippers, paying $10 for the tractor driver proving he could go in reverse. After the first year or two we switched to assisting with barricades, traffic control, and lost child seeking.

[MRG Dallas]

And to the upper right, at the SE corner above Milgrams, is the Carl Building, which at the approx time of this photo,housed my mom's beauty salon.

Even tho it looked like that floor is no longer utilized, it was good to see the "Carl Building" inscription still there on my recent trip back

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

This view on Lexington looking east was no doubt taken from atop the First National Bank building. This photo would have to be in the forties.

The large building on Main is the Bundschu department store. This photo shows the immensity of that place, at least for that period in time. I don't recall exactly where everything was but the top floor had admin offices and a sales area that might have been sports equipment or camping stuff. The elevator was people operated. There was a basement sales area also, and I think that was where their "on sale" or bargain stuff was located.The dark building to the right of Bundschu's housed legal offices and the street level was Davis Paints for many years. To the immediate left of Bundschu's was the S.S. Kresge (KMart/Sears, chuckle) dime store and to its left the light colored multi story building held a furniture store at street level. That store burned, Kresge bought what was left and expanded. The furniture store moved over just to the west of Chrisman Sawyer Bank. It might have been Tuckers Furniture by that time.

This photo would really be the cat's meow if the Plaza Theater marquee could be made out.

Maybe I posted this once before, my memory bank may not be working this morning.

[SilverDoc]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

And to the upper right, at the SE corner above Milgrams, is the Carl Building, which at the approx time of this photo,housed my mom's beauty salon.

Even tho it looked like that floor is no longer utilized, it was good to see the "Carl Building" inscription still there on my recent trip back

Wasn't there a beauty shop in that same vicinity called Laverne's?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Those streets will be even more crowded this weekend than they were back then. Santa-Cali-Gon is back, and 250,000 sweaty people are expected to drop by.

I remember the first of the new series of SCG Days, just 41 short years ago. The Explorer Post I belonged to helped with the parking lot shuttles. The first two years they used open-air tractor drawn trams borrowed from Hermann, Missouri. We collected a small fee, but I don't recall the price. I do recall a load of drunks we picked up late Saturday evening. They were rather generous tippers, paying $10 for the tractor driver proving he could go in reverse. After the first year or two we switched to assisting with barricades, traffic control, and lost child seeking.

I attended the 1947 version although I did not know what it was. All I can remember is men having long beards and can recall a small snippet of the parade in which soldiers were marching. We were looking for our next door 16 year old neighbor among those soldiers: it was the WCHS ROTC.

That 1947 version was the second since 1940 and the last until 1973. The S.S. Kresge store in the Universal news reel film, below, would have been the one on Maple.



Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival - YouTube

[WCHS'59]

From The Examiner concerning this weekends festival:

Festival hours are noon to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

• No pets on the festival grounds. McDonald points out that the busy atmosphere with lots of people around isn’t ideal for pets anyway.

• Carnival hours are 6 p.m. to midnight today, noon to midnight Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. There are no carnival coupons this year, but wristbands are $22 per day. Buy them at the carnival.

• Several churches, Scout troops and others charge for parking near the Square. The chamber says that’s typically $10 to $15. There’s also shuttle parking in two places. Park for free in the large lot behind the Community of Christ Auditorium (Walnut Avenue and River Boulevard) or at William Chrisman High School (Noland Road and U.S. 24). The shuttle ride costs $1. The shuttles run about every 15 minutes and are handicap-accessible. There’s no shuttle from Chrisman on Friday.

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[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I attended the 1947 version although I did not know what it was. All I can remember is men having long beards and can recall a small snippet of the parade in which soldiers were marching. We were looking for our next door 16 year old neighbor among those soldiers: it was the WCHS ROTC.

That 1947 version was the second since 1940 and the last until 1973. The S.S. Kresge store in the Universal news reel film, below, would have been the one on Maple.



Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival - YouTube

Great find! I recognized many of the buildings. Too bad they have forgotten the reason they celebrate SCG. In the 70s they at least had a pioneer encampment.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Great find! I recognized many of the buildings. Too bad they have forgotten the reason they celebrate SCG. In the 70s they at least had a pioneer encampment.

A great find indeed. I caught a glimpse of a billboard advertising 1941 vehicle so this is from 1940 or 1941

What were some of theother businesses/buildings? I cam always go to trusty Polks to fill-in the. Stores along the parade route What is the long crowded street shown (dont hv the "seconds" marked). Lexington or Maple? I can't make out the signs at first glance