Long ago on independence square (Jackson, Harrisonville: compare, damages, motel)

[WCHS'59]

In 1827, Independence was the westernmost town in the U.S.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

The above public square formed the basis for laying out Independence Square.

Independence was one of the first of 57 county seats in the state of Missouri to be laid out following what came to be known as the Shelbyville plan. This plan was first introduced by the town of Shelbyville, Tennessee, in 1810.

The current day Shelbyville, population 20,000, is shown above.

Wow, at first glance it thought it was a long lost color photo of Our Favored Place

[MRG Dallas]

The civilization of that area especially long Blue Mills has probably jumped five or six fold since my days treking to Fort Osage. I noticed more than a few residences in that area have swimming pools, including a few in ground, chuckle.

I noticed a few nice country homes as I traveled thru there to Ft Osage. Still pretty rural with lots of the old structures in place

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

The civilization of that area especially long Blue Mills has probably jumped five or six fold since my days treking to Fort Osage. I noticed more than a few residences in that area have swimming pools, including a few in ground, chuckle.

I noticed a few nice country homes as I traveled thru there to Ft Osage. Still pretty rural with lots of the old structures in place

Fort Osage has changed quite a bit hasn't it? The biggest changes (to me anyway) being a paid admission after it was free for so many years and the addition of the interpretive center which was quite interesting. After the interpretive center and into the fort, itself, they had roving interpreters, all of whom were interesting.

I recall when the main blockhouse was reconstructed with much fanfare in the late forties. But, that was all there was for several years until what was called the Factory House was built. Then the other portions slowly came into reconstruction.

The only original part of the fort left by the 1940s was the lower stone making up the walls of the sub basement under the Factory House. Somewhere I think I recall reading that after the fort closed, the locals coming to the town of Sibley purloined the timbers and stones to build their log cabins.

I have just read that Major Sibley who was the only Factor (commander) at Fort Osage surveyed the site for the town of Independence.

[WCHS'59]

The following structures have not been reconstructed at Fort Osage:

An 80 foot deep hand dug well that provided water to the 81-man military garrison and various civilian workers.

A number of trader cabins within the fort which a number of traders leased.

The assistant factor’s house.

Hospital and Mess Hall, which were combined in one building.

A row of 35 cabins within the fort that formed the western wall of the fort and housed the families of the Fort’s soldiers.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

In 1827, Independence was the westernmost town in the U.S.

In 1845, the federal government established a port of customs in Independence.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Pearl Wilcox makes a curious statement concerning Jackson County in one of her history books.

She says the first concrete road in Jackson County was from Independence to Wayne City. Presumably, that would be River Boulevard.

She does not give a date for the installation.

It would seem to me that shod (or unshod) animals, particularly under load, would have a hard time walking on a hard surface like concrete for any length of time.

According to what I can find on the internet, Court Avenue in Bellefontaine, Ohio, is supposedly the first concrete street in the U.S.--constructed in 1891.

If the road to Wayne City came after 1891, I don’t think there was a Wayne City in existence. The landing had been lost many years prior, so what would the need be for a concrete road to that place?

She also says the second concrete road in the county was a five mile stretch of the Old Lexington Road. In 1926, that would roughly be Highway 24. Information on the web says that the first concrete highway leg in the US came in 1913.

According to information out of the Truman Library the Independence to Wayne City road was "mcadam rock."

According to wikipedia mcadam rock is "single-sized aggregate layers of small stones, with a coating of binder as a cementing agent, are mixed in an open-structured roadway."

The roadway was built in the early 1850s after the first railroad west of the Mississippi, the Independence and Missouri River RR went belly up.

[WCHS'59]

The last westward ho wagon train outfitted in Independence left town in 1867. The wagons were loaded on the west side of the square and each was pulled by four to six mules.

[Mad Anthonie]

This morning I'll give you what should be a really easy trip down Memory Lane.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

This morning I'll give you what should be a really easy trip down Memory Lane.

If I am on the right track, I had forgotten all about this situation.
I took a look at the photo this morning and decided right off I did not know what or where it was.
But then after some thought it came to me that this might be the Courtney Road closure at M-291. Courtney Road, I think, was closed in the late fifties or early sixties due to the road seriously caving in from underground mining, I think. I cannot recall where the west closure began but think it was a short distance off Kentucky.

The word at the time was that the road would be permanently closed due either to lack of money vs the benefit of repairing the huge damage or the damage was just too extensive to repair. However, a few years ago I was on that stretch and wondered how they were able to reopen the road.

I think Courtney in that area was in Jackson County at the time and may be in Sugar Creek today.

If this is correct, how about some history on the re-opening.