Long ago on independence square (Baker: building, phone service, location)

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

It's too cold to go out and take a current photo, so y'all can try to find the location of the shot from the past.

I am guessing the long building is the old Coca Cola distribution center at Truman Road and Wilson Street, looking east.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

It's too cold to go out and take a current photo, so y'all can try to find the location of the shot from the past.

That is the 7-Eleven on Lee's Summit Rd

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I am guessing the long building is the old Coca Cola distribution center at Truman Road and Wilson Street, looking east.

Where does Wilson intersect Truman Rd? I see it @ US 24 but it ends there

[WCHS'59]

[quote=MRG Dallas;32890122]Where does Wilson intersect Truman Rd? I see it @ US 24 but it ends there[/quote

One-half mile east of Noland Road.

I believe the Wilson that intersects US 24 in the northeast part of the city is east-west.

The Wilson off Truman is north-south.

Another of the seemingly endless examples of duplicate street names within the Independence city limits, chuckle.

[SilverDoc]

[quote=WCHS'59;32890643]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Where does Wilson intersect Truman Rd? I see it @ US 24 but it ends there[/quote

One-half mile east of Noland Road.

I believe the Wilson that intersects US 24 in the northeast part of the city is east-west.

The Wilson off Truman is north-south.

Another of the seemingly endless examples of duplicate street names within the Independence city limits, chuckle.

Also, Main Road and Main Street, (both north-south), Jones Road (north-south), and Jones Street (east-west).

[SilverDoc]

Back in October 1921, a living, breathing, wild, black panther escaped from the Horne Zoo. The rumors and exciting stories abounded from every part of the city for months of various sightings of the beast, but actually the big cat was nowhere to be found and was never recaptured.

A couple of years before that bold escape on Feb. 17, 1919, a train rolled into the Chicago and Alton train depot in Independence to deliver a 25-car circus to the Horne Zoological Arena Company – the largest shipment of show equipment to ever arrive in the old former covered wagon town. Local businessman Ellis P. Horne had just purchased the entire contents of the Jess M. Willard Circus of Pablo, Fla.

Among these 25 train cars was Buffalo Bill’s very own historic private rail car from his “Wild West Show,” the elegant private car of circus owner Jess Willard, five sleeping cars, two baggage cars, three horse cars, and 10 flat cars upon which were fancy wagons, harnesses, artillery guns, and a grandstand for seating 10,000 people. When the equipment was unloaded and delivered to the arena, it covered 10 acres of ground.

Many wild animals, such as monkeys, black panthers, lions, tigers, bears, peacocks, buffalo, elk, exotic birds, and show equipment from all over the world were for sale, so they were constantly being shipped into and out of the Horne Zoo, which was located on the north side of Spring Branch Road, along what is now the 900 block of Truman Road, a half a mile east of the Jackson County Courthouse. Ellis Horne was proud of being able to furnish any animal, at any time, anywhere in the world there was a call for it. The company had purchasing agents standing by to purchase captured animals in all of the dark jungles of the world. This unusual company was the only concern of its kind in the United States that could completely outfit a zoo or a circus with animals and show equipment.

The incoming and outgoing shipments of rare birds and wild jungle animals were usually handled by the American Express Company. So, Harley K. Burgess, a 43-year veteran with the express office in Independence experienced the days when all sorts of wild animals arrived at his local office. There was a side track along Dodgion Street between East Kansas and Walnut (just south of today’s Roger T. Sermon Community Center), where they once handled a carload of elephants. They were crated and shipped to Mexico for the filming of a movie. Then, Burgess recalled individual residents who raised white mice and rats for experimental purposes and sold them to Horne, who shipped them to laboratories all over the United States.

Some of the more dangerous wild animals at the zoo, such as lions and tigers, had to be handled very carefully until they were properly trained for the circus acts. That job usually fell on one professional expert, a black man who used only a kitchen chair and a big leather whip. After the animal sprang into the legs of the chair for several days, then it could be easily controlled by the crack of the whip.

The Horne Zoo came to a close though, and slipped into the history books upon the death of Ellis Horn in July of 1924.

Reference: “Independence and 20th Century Pioneers” by Pearl Wilcox.
Pioneers” by Pearl Wilcox.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I am guessing the long building is the old Coca Cola distribution center at Truman Road and Wilson Street, looking east.

Right again! You have a good memory. The Horne Zoo was directly across the street, along the north side of Truman Road.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Right again! You have a good memory. The Horne Zoo was directly across the street, along the north side of Truman Road.

At first, I believed they were erecting a Coca Cola bottling plant at that location. Only after it was finished did I realize it was a distribution facility. I am guessing late fifties. I looked inside one time and it was stacked floor to ceiling and wall to wall with Coke products. A number of Coke trucks were stationed there. Not sure why Coke decided there was no longer a need for a distribution center.

I do not know that I have ever heard of the Horne Zoo. However, I did see where a Horne Zoo was established in 1913. What can you say about it? It must have only had "local" animals such as deer, etc.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I do not know that I have ever heard of the Horne Zoo. However, I did see where a Horne Zoo was established in 1913. What can you say about it? It must have only had "local" animals such as deer, etc.

Chuckle, they had all kinds of exotic animals there. The Horne Zoological Arena Company boasted that it could equip circuses with any animal needed. They provided the animals for the 1931 best picture nominated Trader Horn, which apparently was filmed in Mexico. They used the Lexington Branch switch on Dodgion between Kansas and Walnut to ship.

A black leopard escaped from the zoo in 1921 and was never found alive but someone in Texas shipped a carcass to the zoo and zoo owners identified it as the missing animal. The zoo apparently went out in the late thirties.

The Wyoming Springs State Park in Wyoming received fifteen seed buffalo from Horne Zoo in 1916 in exchange for a number of elk.

Apparently, there is a history of the place.

Sorry Doc I did not see your earlier post.

[WCHS'59]

[quote=SilverDoc;32892138]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Also, Main Road and Main Street, (both north-south), Jones Road (north-south), and Jones Street (east-west).

Not to mention three or four different streets named Lexington.