Long ago on independence square (St. Louis, Lee's Summit: real estate, activity, to relocate)

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by sally36

I looked for the Natatorium too. I think I found where it was but some things had changed.

The Natatorium opened in 1922. I dont have a closing date or a demolition date. The pool was constructed because Independence kids had to go to Fairmount Park, which was the closest swimming place.

[MRG Dallas]

I think we covered this before but the Natatorium was just east of the RR overpass where Chrysler/Lexington/Winner intersect. There might have been a grocery (A&P?) immediately adjacent or perhaps right on that cross street with Lexington. Or maybe one replaced the Natatorium. Google Satellite shows that tract to be vacant and remnants of partial parking lot, so that's my best guess as to location.

The Natatorium was the scene of my worst sunburn and also being pulled into the water by the ankles by a kid much bigger than me. Maybe I shouldn't have fond memories of the place after all :-)

[WCHS'59]

Both the northwest and southwest corners of Elm and Lexington are vacant and show signs of something being there before.

I know there was a Safeway on the west side in that area and I believe that when driving down Lexington from the square it came before the Natatorium.

I am going to stick my neck out and say the first vacant corner on Elm Street (northwest corner) coming from the direction of the square where that parking lot might have been was the site of the former Safeway store. The vacant corner on the other side of Elm (southwest) would be the former site of the Natatorium, I think.

The blue house on Lexington just before where I am placing the old Safeway was the location of Mrs. Cooper's hobby shop. She had her living and dining room configured as a hobby sales place.

Going farther back in time, there was once a place called the Bridge Cafe that was right across from the old Safeway. There were a couple other businesses on that side of Lexington also. I was never in there but the cafe seemed to be a large place. I believe the RLDS Church bought those businesses out years ago.

The old number 2 fire station was on the southeast corner of Elm and Lexington. The building is still standing there all by itself. The city used it for storage for a number of years but I don't believe they now own it.

[WCHS'59]

I remember this sign but cannot place its location.

I am guessing it was on the north side of US Highway 24 as one was heading west just at US Highway 71 Bypass (Noland Road) intersection.

Or, it could have been on US Highway 40 heading east at the US Highway 71 Bypass (Noland) intersection.

It might have been on US Highway 24 at Main, also.

Sally, where was it?

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Here is a photo from a web site that states the photo can be used for personal non commercial use.

This scene is the reverse from MRG's 1948 photo of west Lexington Street. This photo appears to be from around the same timeframe and looks west on Lexington, probably taken from the top of the First National Bank building at Liberty and Lexington.

The Memorial Building can be seen at the top. Below it is the marvelous old post office.

In the forefront is the Chrisman-Sawyer Bank before its exterior was modernized. Tucker Furniture is next to it.

Further down the street can be seen the rear of Bostian Cheverolet.

So that is Bostian with the semi-circle architecture fronting Lex even though the dealership faced Maple?

Immediately right to the USPO appears to be another dealership (far right of photo) Is that Galen Boyer before it moved to Lex towards River Rd (as I remember the location).

Mystery solved about the big white vertical sign in the photo I posted: Tuckers

I can't make out any of the other businesses. It does look like the Methodist Church during pre-steeple times?

[WCHS'59]

The church reflected in the glass is the Trinity Episcopal in the 400 block of north Liberty.

However, this particular building the ladies are looking out of is of importance to me.

This is where I took my written and driving exam for my first driver's license at age 16 in 1957.

The trooper giving me the driving test said he was not impressed.

That building apparently no longer exists.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

The church reflected in the glass is the Trinity Episcopal in the 400 block of north Liberty.

However, this particular building the ladies are looking out of is of importance to me.

This is where I took my written and driving exam for my first driver's license at age 16 in 1957.

The trooper giving me the driving test said he was not impressed.

That building apparently no longer exists.

Mine wasn't impressed either, especially after I ran the stop sign while concentrating magnificently on the proper left turn. Not only was I the last guy in my class to turn 16, now I've got to wait another month to re-take the driving test. Embarrassing.

I agree with you on the sequence re the grocery store and Natatorium. As I recall, if you looked at the grocery from Lex, the store was positioned to the right of the tract, and the parking lot to the left side, which would also front Elm. Across Elm was the Natatorium. We were probably too busy having fun in the sun to notice the sounds of trains passing so nearby.

Are you certain the blue house was the Hobby shop? I thought it was further back towards The Square, more around where Walnut intersects. There is also a bed and breakfast in the area I noticed while taking a Streetview walk just now.

Doing a Streetview 360 of the Y intersection of the 3 streets sure looks nothing like that good old days. That was a rather busy commercial area as I recall.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

So that is Bostian with the semi-circle architecture fronting Lex even though the dealership faced Maple?

Immediately right to the USPO appears to be another dealership (far right of photo) Is that Galen Boyer before it moved to Lex towards River Rd (as I remember the location).

Mystery solved about the big white vertical sign in the photo I posted: Tuckers

I can't make out any of the other businesses. It does look like the Methodist Church during pre-steeple times?

As Mad would say I may be getting confused. I was thinking the building just above the old post office was Bostian Chevrolet but from cruising Google Maps, it appears to be Galen Boyer Pontiac/Cadillac. Bostian was on the next block down away from the square.

The Galen Boyer property fronted on Maple next to the Granada Theater. It looks like his building extended back to Lexington also to provide an entrance for service, although I don't seem to remember it that way. However, the Lexington side, today has what looks to be a filled in garage door. The old Bostian building still has a garage door on the Lexington side.

Across the street from the post office on the Maple side was a Western Auto store.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Mine wasn't impressed either, especially after I ran the stop sign while concentrating magnificently on the proper left turn. Not only was I the last guy in my class to turn 16, now I've got to wait another month to re-take the driving test. Embarrassing.

I agree with you on the sequence re the grocery store and Natatorium. As I recall, if you looked at the grocery from Lex, the store was positioned to the right of the tract, and the parking lot to the left side, which would also front Elm. Across Elm was the Natatorium. We were probably too busy having fun in the sun to notice the sounds of trains passing so nearby.

Are you certain the blue house was the Hobby shop? I thought it was further back towards The Square, more around where Walnut intersects. There is also a bed and breakfast in the area I noticed while taking a Streetview walk just now.

Doing a Streetview 360 of the Y intersection of the 3 streets sure looks nothing like that good old days. That was a rather busy commercial area as I recall.

The trooper read me the riot act but gave me a passing grade. I did not think I did that bad. From talking with other guys, I got the opinion they were trying to be hard on male teenagers to make a point with them. But then, we may have been bad drivers.

Mrs Cooper had that vestibule entry on her house. I never understood what it was for and thought it was odd at the time and later learned that entries of that type were for cold weather purposes. She went out of business at some point. I did not understand at the time that she was probably trying to eke out a living with that little business. Back then I thought all business owners were rich.

I believe my high school buddy lived in that bed and breakfast when it was an apartment and he was a newly wed.

H. Tupper Smith was on that block also. He had a photo studio in his house.

[MRG Dallas]

Wasn't there like a small red or orange neon "Hobbies" light that she displayed above the entrance?