Long ago on independence square (Jackson, California: sale, credit, purchase)

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Besides Frank James, what other equally famous outlaw was held in the 1859 Jail on north Main?

Besides holding murderers and thieves, one of the infractions that a Jackson County citizen could be put in the 1859 Jail to serve time for was the building of a privy--one that was not over a pit.

[Major Tom 58]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Besides Frank James, what other equally famous outlaw was held in the 1859 Jail on north Main?

I was going to guess one of the Youngers, but Wikipedia came up with Quantrill.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Major Tom 58

I was going to guess one of the Youngers, but Wikipedia came up with Quantrill.

That is the answer I have.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

What building did the American Legion occupy during WWII?



After the war the Legion purchased the place for $100, and then proceeded to attempt to upgrade before giving up hope and relocating to a new home in old telephone building in the three hundred block of west Maple Street.

Below is a Silver Doc photo post showing the old telephone building erected in 1907 at 308 west Maple and having the first elevator in Independence. This building is where the American Legion moved to from their old location around 1950.

Prior to moving to west Maple, the Legion paid $100 to the city of Independence for the 1859 Jail. The city owned part of it and the county owned part of it. The county deeded their portion to Independence, which sold it to the Legion. The building proved an expensive albatross for renovation and repairs. The Legion vacated the building in 1950 and it was subsequently condemned. The city was going to have it torn down possibly for a parking lot. The Jackson County Historical Society put out a call to save the structure and began taking donations for the renovation. Harry Truman made the first donation.

I don't know which Legion post occupied the buildings or where they are at today unless it is the one on Highway 40. Legion membership has probably declined many fold since occupying both buildings.

At any rate, if anyone that reads this Independence thread has not been through the jail, I would highly recommend it.




Cell block in the old jail. The last prisoner left in 1920. In the 50s there were holding cells in the basement of the Independence square courthouse.

Some of the cell blocks in the 1859 jail were torn out after the jail was no longer used.

[WCHS'59]

On February 17, 1919, an engine pulling twenty-five cars arrived at the Chicago and Alton depot in Independence.



The rail car's lading included a number of horse wagons and their equipment plus a portable grandstand capable of seating ten thousand people.



What local business purchased this stuff?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

On February 17, 1919, an engine pulling twenty-five cars arrived at the Chicago and Alton depot in Independence.



The rail car's lading included a number of horse wagons and their equipment plus a portable grandstand capable of seating ten thousand people.



What local business purchased this stuff?

Rumor's that it was Wild Woody's are not true.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

On February 17, 1919, an engine pulling twenty-five cars arrived at the Chicago and Alton depot in Independence.



The rail car's lading included a number of horse wagons and their equipment plus a portable grandstand capable of seating ten thousand people.



What local business purchased this stuff?

Perhaps the Horne Zoological Park?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Perhaps the Horne Zoological Park?

The Horne Zoological Arena company or Horne Zoo on Spring Branch Road--which became Truman Road around the 900 east block, north side. The equipment was purchased from a defunct traveling circus in Florida for resale.

This information came from Pearl Wilcox but it brings up a perhaps expensive question.

The equipment covered ten acres once it was all delivered to the zoo. That would have been many, many truck or horse drawn wagon trips ferrying back and forth to the C&A depot.

With that much stuff why did they not use the Missouri Pacific Lexington Branch switch at Dodgion Street between Kansas and Walnut where the Zoo was known to ship elephants from? The street trip from the C&A depot was 2.5 miles, whereas the trip from the Dodgion Street switch was half a mile or less—five times closer.

It would have been a rather simple matter to have the C&A drop the train off at a yard in Kansas City for pickup by the Missouri Pacific and delivery to Dodgion Street. Maybe the answer was that the Dodgion switch siding could not handle 25 cars. But, the C&A does not seem to have been able to handle that many cars on a switch either.

She also mentions that Buffalo Bill’s private car, Jess Willard’s private car, five sleeping cars, two baggage, cars, and three horse cars, and even the flat cars were in the shipment. These were all for resale.

Wilcox says the company purchased from was the Jess M. Willard Show of Pablo, Florida.

Jess Willard, the heavy weight champion, was known to have signed with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. A show in 1917 was known as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Jess Willard Show and toured that year but Buffalo Bill died early in January of that year. A November 25, 1917, newspaper article says Jess Willard gave his circus up to Uncle Sam that month--whatever that is supposed to mean.

Since the sale included Buffalo Bill’s private car, Jess Willard’s private car, and the circus the Horne Zoo purchased from was the Jess M Willard show, it seems like there is an intricate connection here.

Here is a list of items the Horne Zoo bought in 1917 when the traveling Coop and Lent circus show went belly up in Kansas City. A number of animals and equipment are not listed because they were leased rather than owned. The list is taken from Bandwagon, May 1959

Four sleeping cars No. 60-61-62-64
Two sixty foot flat cars No. 5 and 57
One fifty foot flat car No. 56
One stake and chain wagon
One pole wagon
One reserve seat wagon
One blue plank wagon
One stringer wagon
One jack wagon
One property wagon
One cookhouse wagon
One side show wagon
One stable wagon
One tableau wagon No. 53
One tableau wagon No. 59
One tableau wagon No. 99
One tableau wagon No. 62
One tableau wagon No. 42
One bandwagon
One tableau wagon containing unifone
One tank wagon
One chandelier wagon
One ticket wagon
One big den wagon
Four cross cage wagons
Four miniature cage wagons
One calliope wagon
One stake driver
One two wheeled cart
One calliope
One unifone
Twenty lengths eight tier high seats, (reserve)
Twenty-five ten tier high seats (blue seats)
One advance bill poster's car at Cincinnati
Bedding including mattresses, blankets, comforts, pillows, sheets, and pillow cases for about two hundred people.
One 110 foot round to a tent with three forty foot middle pieces ten foot wall
One 70 foot round top tent two forty foot middle pieces ten foot wall.
One 60 foot found top two forty foot middle pieces ten foot wall
One 50 foot round top one twenty foot middle piece ten foot wall
One 20x40 foot pitcho tent one forty by sixty foot dressing tent
Two 30x60 horse tents
One 12x20 candy stand with complete equipment for same
One 20x20 kitchen tent with complete equipment including ranges, dishes, and all kitchen paraphernalia
All poles, riggings, ropes, stakes, and other equipment for erecting tents
Complete blacksmith outfit, sledges, and so forth
Complete parade wardrobe including 22 band uniforms, 12 grey uniforms, 8 ladies costumes, two complete cowboy outfits, one cowgirl outfit, ten property men's suits, nets for side show, ticket boxes, ring curbs, plumes for horses in parade and all trappings used in performance and parade.
Forty-five draft horses
Six saddle horses
Thirty-one Shetland Ponies including two colts
One pony known as Dandy
Two mules
Complete harness for forty-six work horses
Complete harness for twenty-six ponies
Six saddles and bridles
One complete lighting system four big top lights, two menagerie lights, two side show lights, one marquee light, one outside side show light, twelve Beacon lights, about 18 torches.
Banner poles, ropes, stakes, and sledges for sideshow, platforms, stage, and curtains for interior sideshow.
One camel
One puma
Two monkeys with baby
Four cockatoos
Dining room equipment, tables, table linen, dishes, etc.
One set of steel runs
One set of steel runs
One set jacks, four runs, all ropes, pulleys, stakes, sledges, grubbing hoes, and tools used in operating show.
One bay mare and colt on hand at Dixon, Illinois, and various wheels, and other miscellaneous paraphernalia on hand at Dixon, Illinois.

[WCHS'59]

Mad, add some more from the game.



What major manufacturing company moved from Wichita, Kansas, to Independence?

The company had a working agreement with the Fordson manufacturing company.

Then, two years after moving the company threatened to move back to Kansas.

As a condition for not moving, the company asked for reduced power rates from the city, which was granted.

The company asked for an adjustment in their shipping rates and a switch track from the railroad, which was granted.

The company asked for the purchase of $75,000 in preferred stock by the citizens of Independence.

The Independence Chamber of Commerce could only rally the sale of $63,400 in stock but the company was okay with that.

Four years later the company went into receivership but did eventually manage to recover but then eventually left Independence.

[Major Tom 58]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Mad, add some more from the game.



What major manufacturing company moved from Wichita, Kansas, to Independence?

The company had a working agreement with the Fordson manufacturing company.

Then, two years after moving the company threatened to move back to Kansas.

As a condition for not moving, the company asked for reduced power rates from the city, which was granted.

The company asked for an adjustment in their shipping rates and a switch track from the railroad, which was granted.

The company asked for the purchase of $75,000 in preferred stock by the citizens of Independence.

The Independence Chamber of Commerce could only rally the sale of $63,400 in stock but the company was okay with that.

Four years later the company went into receivership but did eventually manage to recover but then eventually left Independence.

Mr. Boten is a Democrat, and one of Jackson County’s public spirited citizens. In 1912 Mr. Boten ran one of the first gas tractors in Jackson County, using it for his thrashing. His farm work is now carried on with a Fordson tractor.

The above paragraph was taken from the 1920 History of Jackson County. I am guessing that the mention of the Fordson Tractor is the answer or partial answer to the question.