Long ago on independence square (house, theater, school)

[Major Tom 58]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I can recall going into B&G Hosiery at that location to buy a pair of socks. They had quite a lot of women's hose on display and a smaller selection of men's calf high and other socks including argyles. Back then people wore socks until they fell apart. Holes in the toe and the heel were darned by the lady of the household (she did not work outside the home) and my mother and others had an egg shaped "tool" that would be put inside the sock to hold the material steady while being mended.

Women's thigh length nylon hose held up with garters or a clip from a foundation garment (girdles were in style), though, did not last so long and could not be repaired. This hose had a dark seam up the back of the legs and women were all the time trying to keep their seam straight or complaining that it would not stay straight. They were all the time complaining about snags and a pair of nylon hose did not seem to last for many wearings.

It was also a time when women pulled out their white shoes on Memorial Day for strictly summer wear and put them in storage for winter when Labor day arrived going back to their dark shoes. A woman would not be caught dead wearing white shoes at any other time than between those two holidays. Except for older women it was mostly high heels for public wear back then. I cannot remember what they wore for casual. The school girls wore mostly penny loafers

Men's shoes were worn until at least one re-sole. I can remember putting thin cardboard in the bottom of a shoe until I could afford a re-sole. A re-sole was much cheaper than a new pair of shoes. The cardboard would not last very long, though. There were a number of shoe repair shops on the north and south side of the square and at least one in the 200 block of w Lexington and maybe on e Lexington and s Main as well. They repaired umbrellas, also. I have not looked but I think one, today, would be hard pressed to find a shoe repair store in Independence, or elsewhere.

For some reason, it seems to me like there was a shoe repair business inside the Independence center or the Blue Ridge Mall. This would have been back in the early 80's. Maybe I'm just snow happy.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

What is this man’s name and what is his significance in the history of Independence?
(Although be forewarned there is a discrepancy in what local history says and what his family history says, although there is a discrepancy there, also)


“You could not help being happy in his presence.”

“Everybody loved (our man)”

Born in Independence, the son of Mary and Abner.

Died in 1905 in Kansas City at his daughter’s home.

The governor of Kentucky was a relative.

Buried in Englewood, but not ours.

Fought in the Mexican-American War.

Went to California in 1949, where he stayed two years, and then returned to Independence by way of Panama. He married Margaret and they had seven children over the years.

In 1855, he moved his family to Texas, where he served as a member of the Texas Rangers.

Served in the Confederate Army for two years after enlisting in Texas.

He was said to have endured many hardships in his life but was able to purchase 1600 acres in another county twenty years before he died.

He was locally recognized in 1950.

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

His recognition was in the form of a naming. His namesake also has had its ups and downs, for several years it was avoided by respectable persons due to an influx of undesirable activity. That activity was eventually eradicated by multiple Police sting interventions (during my dispatch days). Today his namesake is very popular with families.

I dair anyone to guess who this man is!

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I dair anyone to guess who this man is!

I accept your dare. Even if it's not double-dog

He was also the first white male born in Independence

Joseph Adair

Adair Park

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I accept your dare. Even if it's not double-dog

He was also the first white male born in Independence

Joseph Adair

Adair Park

MRG you pegged that one.

Joseph Adair (1829-1905) after whom Adair Park was named in 1950 by Jackson County.

The "Official souvenir of the Independence, Missouri Centennial ~ 1827 to 1927" says he was the first white child born in Independence—and by default in Jackson County. His family history, though, says that he was the first white male (vs first white child) born in Independence.

Curiously, neither one of the Jackson County histories mention him. Neither does Webb’s Centennial History of Independence.

There are double bronze plaques on stone pillars at an entrance to Adair Park but I don’t know if those have his full name.

Joseph Adair moved from west Texas to Henry County, Missouri around 1888 and is buried at the Englewood Cemetery, Clinton, Mo.

Joseph Adair is related to Governor John Adair of Kentucky.

His father Abner was one of the first residents of Independence building a dwelling at Liberty and Maple.
Here are facts related to father Abner as seen on the internet. The first three cannot be true due to the time factor:

1823: Built the first dwelling in Independence, Missouri
1823: Fathered the first white child born in Jackson County, Missouri
1823: Helped to lay out the streets of Independence.
Abner Adair family farm is now Swope Park in Kansas City.
Abner Adair was a tailor, having received his training in the same shop as Andrew Johnson (17th president of the US).


I tried to relate Joseph Adair to Red Adair of Texas (the oil well fire fighter) but was not successful.

[WCHS'59]

What high profile Independence resident’s grandson was mayor of Independence?


What high profile Independence resident’s grandfather was mayor of Independence?

[WCHS'59]

The Independence Fire Department officially came into being in 1843. For some reason the town (it would not be a city for another six years) had to petition the state government to incorporate a volunteer fire department. The state approved the request, but the department for several years had no equipment other than axes and buckets.

At any rate, I came across the following tidbit of information.

The Noland House hotel was located on the northwest corner of Rock and Main, where the Clinton “Drug Store” is today.

The Noland House caught fire in 1846. An alarm was sounded and probably every able bodied man around in addition to the regular volunteers responded. The men set up a bucket brigade line from the hotel down to the spring at Noland and Truman. One man said they scrounged up every available bucket in town.

The spring has been moved a couple times (by way of piping) because of wider/paved roadways but it is still in the same general vicinity. The bucket line consisted of a man every ten feet or so and they moved buckets one-by-one from the spring to the hotel and back. (I am thinking they had to have two lines for efficiency but maybe they made do). One historical site says bucket brigades consisted of two lines.

No word on how the building fared but one of their intentions was to save the Twyman House Hotel across the street, which they managed to do. The Noland House was rebuilt after the fire.

The Noland House was two story and had a capacity of 400 people if they did not mind sleeping two or more in a bed or on the floor per Pearl Wilcox.

The very first building on the site was a tavern.

In 1853 Independence got its first fire engine called the Independence 76--I guess now we know where the Harry S Truman Independence 76 Fire Company got its name.

I once saw a photo of an Independence fire house in which two sets of horse harness were suspended, somehow, from the ceiling in front of the engine. The horses were trained to run into the fire house and position themselves under the harness for a fast hook up.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

What high profile Independence resident’s grandson was mayor of Independence?


What high profile Independence resident’s grandfather was mayor of Independence?

Is this one and the same person?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Is this one and the same person?

No, not the same person.

[WCHS'59]

The Granada Theater seated 1,000 people.
The Englewood seated 670.
The Maywood seated 540.
The Plaza seated 500.
The Electric seated 500.
The Majestic seated 330 (north Main close to the Electric. I believe I saw somewhere this was a theater for black patrons)

However, this place seated 2,000. What was it?

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

The Granada Theater seated 1,000 people.
The Englewood seated 670.
The Maywood seated 540.
The Plaza seated 500.
The Electric seated 500.
The Majestic seated 330 (north Main close to the Electric. I believe I saw somewhere this was a theater for black patrons)

However, this place seated 2,000. What was it?

Too easy! It was bigger than the others!