Long ago on independence square (St. Louis, Springfield: house, bankrupt, inspection)

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I have a question: Name the spot where this photo was taken?

It could be on the south side of Truman Road just west of Route O, aka US 71 By-pass, aka M-291.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

The grandstands at the Rodeo? The All School Stadium at WCHS? The county jail?

No, No, and No.

Makes me wonder what the rodeo grandstands and the all school stadium capacity were, though.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

It could be on the south side of Truman Road just west of Route O, aka US 71 By-pass, aka M-291.

There is a sidewalk in the background, though.

I first thought somewhere around Liberty and Short and my second thought was at the light plant.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

There is a sidewalk in the background, though.

I first thought somewhere around Liberty and Short and my second thought was at the light plant.

I don't think either of those would do, as there is a ravine behind the tracks. There is also a second set of tracks in the foreground. I will have to contemplate some more...

[WCHS'59]

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?

The Independence Fair grandstands.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I recall that Buick. I wondered then why the city had such an expensive car for the Fire Chief. Buicks back then cost an arm and a leg. I am wondering if he might not have purchased his own car as a vanity thing and perhaps the city footed the cost of paint job.

I was wondering why the “off base” location for the fire chief to take a photo of his car. But, but it may have been parked near a fire and someone else took the photo.

Upon some further thinking, it seems to me there was a Buick dealer on north Main right across from fire station 1 in 1957. Perhaps, there was some cooperation here on the part of the dealer with the city.

I checked the 1957 prices for a Roadmaster 2-door hardtop (no pillars) coupe with the three-pane rear window and came up with $3,536 less options. Air Conditioning was an option for $695. I could not find what options were available other than air conditioning. The Chief’s car apparently did not have air conditioning since the windows are open, including the wing. Air conditioning was not big back then anyway. I can recall the ’55 Oldsmobile having air conditioning but don’t remember anything earlier than that.

I also recall that for a 1957 Ford, anyway, virtually everything that is standard today was an extra cost option, such as seat belts, padded dash, safety steering wheel, power steering, power brakes, power window, automatic transmission, heater, and radio. Even white wall tires were extra. The thing that always got me was that you had to pay extra for a heater. In ’61 I asked a dealer in Blue Springs why that was and he gave me a lame excuse that heaters were not needed in Florida….

By comparison to the Buick, a 1957 Ford two-door hardtop (no pillars) was $2300 without options. By comparison with that was the Ford basic two-door sedan at $1991 plus options, which is probably what the fire chief should have been driving if the city was footing the bill.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

The Independence Fair grandstands.

I see where Independence has the 38th largest sports venue in the state with the 5800 seat Independence Events Center.

Largest venue is Arrowhead with 76,416 seats.

Next is the Rams venue in St Louis at 66,000.

Lowest listed is Cardinal Stadium, in Webb City at 5,000 seats.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Wilson’s Opera House was located on the east side of the square where the old Bundschu/Emery Bird Bundschu/Macy’s was located.


I have no information as to its seating capacity.


How long did this often mentioned Opera House serve the citizens of Independence?

Maybe seven years, maybe just a little more or maybe fourteen years.


It opened on Christmas Eve, 1878.



An 1885 Sanborn map shoes it as on the second floor with a grocery store underneath.


Bundschu located there in 1885 but there is no information that I found to indicate Bundschu opened occupying both floors or occupying just the bottom floor displacing the grocery store.


An 1892 Sanborn map shoes the location only as a former opera house.


Based on this information, anywhere from seven to fourteen years. Not very long in either event.

[WCHS'59]

This is the test pattern that in the late forties and early fifties WDAF TV would broadcast after signing off each day and again before signing on each day. I estimate an hour each time. Apparently the transmission equipment needed a lot of calibration back then. For several years there was no such thing as 24-hour broadcasting and at the end of the broadcast day, the National Athem would be played with a flag waving.

I dont recall the other stations running a test pattern but they probably did.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I was wondering why the “off base” location for the fire chief to take a photo of his car. But, but it may have been parked near a fire and someone else took the photo.

Upon some further thinking, it seems to me there was a Buick dealer on north Main right across from fire station 1 in 1957. Perhaps, there was some cooperation here on the part of the dealer with the city.

I checked the 1957 prices for a Roadmaster 2-door hardtop (no pillars) coupe with the three-pane rear window and came up with $3,536 less options. Air Conditioning was an option for $695. I could not find what options were available other than air conditioning. The Chief’s car apparently did not have air conditioning since the windows are open, including the wing. Air conditioning was not big back then anyway. I can recall the ’55 Oldsmobile having air conditioning but don’t remember anything earlier than that.

I also recall that for a 1957 Ford, anyway, virtually everything that is standard today was an extra cost option, such as seat belts, padded dash, safety steering wheel, power steering, power brakes, power window, automatic transmission, heater, and radio. Even white wall tires were extra. The thing that always got me was that you had to pay extra for a heater. In ’61 I asked a dealer in Blue Springs why that was and he gave me a lame excuse that heaters were not needed in Florida….

By comparison to the Buick, a 1957 Ford two-door hardtop (no pillars) was $2300 without options. By comparison with that was the Ford basic two-door sedan at $1991 plus options, which is probably what the fire chief should have been driving if the city was footing the bill.

I could not come up with a probable location for that shot. The best guess is near Pacific & Spring. There was a short stub siding serving the mill (the foreground track) while the Pixley Spur curved off in the rear.