Long ago on independence square (Jennings, Lexington: licenses, realty, suburbs)

[sally36]

SilverDoc, I have thought SO many times about all the info I could have gleaned from my Grandpa while he was alive if only I had used my noggin! Hr did tell me once that he remembered standing on the porch of his family's plantation northeast of Indep. when he was real little and watching a scrimmage between some Civil War soldiers ! But I never asked about Indep. history. He lived there from around 1929 till he passed in 1981' Before that he lived in Wichita many yrs. He may have lived in Indep much earlier, don't know.

[sally36]

WCHS -- I got my D L in 1953 and didn' have to take any kind of test !! They just handed them out in those days. A bunch of us girls ran uptown to this tiny storefront on Maple no bigger than a walk in closet, and paid our $2.00 and got our licenses about a week boefore they changed the law and gave tests. Yea !!! I knew zip about how to drive ! It felt so daring.

[sally36]

You guys, PLEASE tell me where Adair Park is. Guess I forgot to ask. Wand to go see it next time I'm there.

I beg to differ about the one-way streets ! I was living in Indep in '49 and do not recall any one way streets. More importantly, I was living there from l950 to l954 and don't recall any. When I was married and raising kids in the '60s in Calif. I recall my Grandma writing and tellin me how they put in one way streets around the square. I was so disgusted about it. Are you positively SURE ??

[sally36]

Sorry just found your address for Adair !!!!

[sally36]

I forget who mentioned Jenkins Music Co. but it was aactually in Kansas City. Don't know the street but in old downtown area. Went there every so often with my mom or boyfriend . Very impressive. Yes, Cochran's was on the north side of Indep. Went there after school in early 50s to play records ! Great memories . . . .

[sally36]

WCHS -- just went to pg. 12 and I can't believe the Electric Theater was almost as big as the Granada. When I went there it was miniscule--like someone's living room ! would've sworn the Granada was waaaaaaay bigger.

[MRG Dallas]

Well I sorta struck gold by accident today. Found online the Polk's directories that MAD talks about and uses. I've got so many pages of notes I'd bore you all more than usual if I went to town with this stuff.

Suffice it to say, I'm using 1960 as the focus year. That's a few years too early for MAD and a few too late for Sally, but for me and WCHS it's a good reference year.

Amazingly while browsing then specifically look for names etc. I stumbled over other names long-forgotten, like the next door neighbor to my grandparents and my bowling coach. Never would've remembered that on my own.

Here's some Square businesses and addresses, many of which we previously covered:

Note some may have moved (e.g. Denton Drugs).

W. Maple:
FW Woolworth 114-116-118.
Knoepker's Dept Store 106-108
Denton Drugs 128
Western Auto Supply Co. 300
Lively Optical Services 220
Wiley Painting Co. 222

Main:
Latimer Motors 301 So.
SS Kresge 111 N.
Emery Bird Bundschu 103-109 N.
Milgram's 101-103

N. Osage
The Pictorial Shopper 310
John A. Sea Title Co. Inc. 233
McDaniel Title Co. 311

S. Spring
Cannon's Auto Toggery 108

W. Lexington
Jackson Co. Title Co. 312
EC Harrington & Sons (Insurance) 323
Bain Jewelry Co. 210
CSB 201
Farmer's Insurance Group 222

N. Liberty
Western Union: Lobby of Earle Hotel, 205
Modern Optical 204

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by sally36

You guys, PLEASE tell me where Adair Park is. Guess I forgot to ask. Wand to go see it next time I'm there.

I beg to differ about the one-way streets ! I was living in Indep in '49 and do not recall any one way streets. More importantly, I was living there from l950 to l954 and don't recall any. When I was married and raising kids in the '60s in Calif. I recall my Grandma writing and tellin me how they put in one way streets around the square. I was so disgusted about it. Are you positively SURE ??

I recall W. Maple being one way. When I would spend the night at my grandparents and we would have the windows up (pre-A/C) you could hear the drag racers. They'd start at the light at River then at the green light BOOM! There they'd go. I never remember anyone getting busted. Would've been a nice spot for a speed trap right up there by the old WCHS.

There was also a Jenkins at the BR Mall. I thought for the longest time the music store(s) I went into was a Jenkins but it was either Cochran's or Turner's. Looked them both up, Cochran's at 225 N. Osage, Turner's at 405 W. Lexington.

[MRG Dallas]

Ok I realize I made this way too complicated. There are street directories in the back. I should have known since MAD once posted a block of Main north of Katz there'd be a simpler way.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Well I sorta struck gold by accident today. Found online the Polk's directories that MAD talks about and uses. I've got so many pages of notes I'd bore you all more than usual if I went to town with this stuff.

Suffice it to say, I'm using 1960 as the focus year. That's a few years too early for MAD and a few too late for Sally, but for me and WCHS it's a good reference year.


N. Osage
The Pictorial Shopper 310
John A. Sea Title Co. Inc. 233
McDaniel Title Co. 311

I recall the Pictorial Shopper at 310 N Osage. I think it was a free “newspaper” with all most all of it being advertising and it went in where the old Independence Daily News and KIMO radio were located. In fact, I think the publisher of the short lived Daily News moved from putting out a full newspaper to printing the Pictorial Shopper.