Long ago on independence square (Lee's Summit, Raytown: bathroom, season, instructor)

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

Good question. I am thinking that West Maple was one way going back to the 1950s. I don't recall the street in front of the old high school as being two way traffic. On the other side of the high school was Lexington and I recall it being two way then and now.

I cannot recall pulling up in front of Bundshu's from the south and parking in front. I believe the square was totally one way in the 1950s. When it became one-way, I have no idea.

Don't forget, I suffer from foggybrainitus, so if was the late 60s, I guess I just cannot recall. LOL!

Maple has been one way east for as long as I can remember. When I was at my GPs house, we heard many a drag race starting from the light at River.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Maple has been one way east for as long as I can remember. When I was at my GPs house, we heard many a drag race starting from the light at River.

I never was in a drag race.

When 39th Street was one in the same with Pink Hill Road; somewhere beyond where 39th turned into Pink Hill was a straight stretch of roadway that was marked off for a quarter mile and painted by dragsters. This area was in the county and in the boonies for what seemed miles around. Whoever did the painting did a very good professional job. There was a start line and a finish line.

Apparently the county made no attempt to interfere with the paint job.

I would be the only car out there and would stop on the start line and rev up and take off and see how fast I was going at the finish.

[MRG Dallas]

I looked thru my picture collection and one of the earlier photos (the one looking north along Liberty at Maple, the Blatz Beer one) showed two way traffic along Maple

Then the photo of Katz which graces a book on Independence seems to show a car parked alongside Katz facing east, which would appear to make Maple one way. I believe that photo was 1950 or 1951

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

Thanks WCHS'59. The picture of the ad is so cool. My brother played for Latimer Motors in Kiwanis baseball. When they quit sponsoring a team, Gateway Sporting Goods took their place.

Moody Motors also had a baseball team although I am not sure what league. As you are probably aware, one of the salesmen at Moody became involved with Sharon Kinne and got more than he bargained for.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Moody Motors also had a baseball team although I am not sure what league. As you are probably aware, one of the salesmen at Moody became involved with Sharon Kinne and got more than he bargained for.

O&E Motors had a team, as did IS&L, Petey Childers, Sugar Creek A's, the aforementioned Gateway Sporting Goods, Hale's Trailer Sales (40 Hiway) . . . Shoco sponsored midget league football

[Mad Anthonie]

I'm going back a few pages to return to 23rd & Kiger/Lee's Summit. I discovered that on Google Earth you can turn on historic layers, and view the same location over time. Here are a few changes at our favorite intersection.


1990




1996



2003



2010


Enjoy!

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I'm going back a few pages to return to 23rd & Kiger/Lee's Summit. I discovered that on Google Earth you can turn on historic layers, and view the same location over time. Here are a few changes at our favorite intersection.


1990

1996



2003



2010


Enjoy!

It's a shame that it cannot go back to the days when the traffic was two-ways around the square and watch the changes from that time to today.

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Moody Motors also had a baseball team although I am not sure what league. As you are probably aware, one of the salesmen at Moody became involved with Sharon Kinne and got more than he bargained for.

I remember the following sponsors of Kiwanis League baseball for the 1950s:

Latimer Motors
Independence S&L
Cash Bargain Lumber
Petey Childers
Bogart & Brown
Quality Produce
Polly's Pop
Bell Pest Control
George C. Carson
IBEW Local 124
Animal Hospital
First National Bank
Gateway Sporting Goods
Inter-City Kiwanis
Alderson Construction
Steelworkers Local 13
Gene Cable

Not all of these existed at one time and others probably existed, but I don't recall. For example, Latimer ended its sponsorship and Gateway took it over.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Sometime in 1954, my Dad took the family over to Southtown Motors, a Ford dealer, in Kansas City with the intent of buying a new car. I cannot recall where it was but I recall coming home on 50 highway to Noland Road. After the purchase, it seemed like we were there forever waiting on the car to be driven to the door. When the dealer finally brought it up, the four door sky haze green Crestline had black wall tires. I can still remember my dad complaining. I dont know if he thought he was negotiating for a car with white walls or thought they came standard but we left there with white walls. I would say these whitewalls were the intermediate size. Not narrow and not really wide.

As options that car had AM radio, heater, the whitewalls, and Fordomatic drive. New cars back then were not supposed to be driven more than 45 or 50 miles per hour for the first 1,000 miles (as a break in) and then brought to the dealer for a checkup and oil change.

I mentioned a '53 Ford as being my first car and it was also a lemon of extraordinary degree. It was less than five years old when I made the purchase. It took 18 agonizing months to pay for it--all in high school at $1 per hour at C&J. When it was paid off, my dad took that unreliable red Ford and traded it in for a new '59. He gave me the '54 mentioned above.

After one year in college I took a hiatus. During this time, I took the '54 to a paint shop and had the top painted white and body repainted the same sky haze green.

I then took it to a place on west Truman Road and had a white leather headliner put in it; put white leather and green cloth on the seats and door trim, replaced the back windshield tray with green leather, and covered the floor with green carpet.

I then put Oldsmobile like spinner hubcaps on all four wheels. This had to be the spiffiest four door sedan in town. The total cost for everything ran $400. I drove it through the rest of college and beyond. It is one of the most, if not the most, reliable cars I have owned.

A few years later when I went off to the Army, I gave the car back to my dad and he sold it to a couple girls. It was probably in the family for twelve years and never had any major repairs or problems.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

Pete and Jerry O'Dell are in the picture, as are Carl Williamson, who lived in the old Kiger Plantation or Ellison Farm House, depending on who you talk to. That was next door to me on Trail Ridge. Anthonie knows which house I mean.

CaseyMO

I let this get by me. I cannot remember a Kiger Plantation or Ellison Farm House. Can you describe where it was at?