Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, North Kansas City: used car, company, dinner)

[WCHS'59]

There has not been a lot said about the Santa-Cali-Gon celebration this year except for maybe the rain.

Anyone know what the attendance figure was this year?

[WCHS'59]

According to one web site:

There are 136 bridges within the city limits of Independence.

These bridges are a cumulative 3,373 feet long.

Truck traffic over these bridges run 470,646 per day.

All traffic is 2,762,167 vehicles per day.

[pearjas]

Get well soon, Sally!!!

Originally Posted by sally36

Greetings folks, this is Sally36's son. She sent me to type this message on her behalf. Due to mitigating circumstances she is unable to visit the Library Computer Lab and spend time with you folks on City-Data. She dearly misses the conversation and hopes to be back Online soon.

Her message is as follows:


"I've sent my son to the library to let you all know that I've been
incapacitated for over a month with acute polymyalgia rheumatica.
Lotsa pain , lotsa sitting , sleeping , and taking pills .

I hate missing all the good stuff y'all are talking about. Trying to get better so will feel like spending time at the local computer !

All you new folks , a big welcome. I hope you are enjoying all the
years -ago trivia and PLEASE add your own ! If you are young, sit down
with your grandparents . I wish i had. They might love going down
memory lane.

See you before long, I pray."

~Sally36

[WCHS'59]

Some minor mention has been made before on this thread about the Golden Point drive in restaurant.

Golden Point predated McDonald’s by several years, at least in Independence.

The restaurant opened somewhere at the vicinity of Maple and River Boulevard sometime around 1958 or 1959, and the prices were just right. Hamburgers were ten cents and French fries were twelve cents. I never learned why fries cost more than a hamburger.

I cannot remember the cost of a coke but it was probably ten or fifteen cents. At any rate, you could take a date there for less than $1 for the two of you. I don’t believe they offered anything in upgrades, such as quarter pounders, etc.

There were no carhops and everything was ordered outside at a window.

This was a national chain out of Chicago and their claim to fame was a gold spire that rose a number of feet above each store. I think the rest of the paint scheme was red and white.


One web site says there was one on Highway 40 in Independence, but I have no recollection of that one.

I have not been able to find out what happened to the chain.

[MRG Dallas]

Hmmm I remember Golden Point but not at Maple and River, which would have been within steps of my grandparents' home. Was it down River perhaps more in the Polly's Pop vicinity (Truman Road)

We might be looking at the same website. If it's the former GP on 40 Highway, then it's now the Subway shop at 10910, which is just west of Sterling on the N. side, across 40 from the long-time V's Restaurant.

There are also links to Griff's Burger Bar which also had a site in the general area of 40, but perhaps further east.

Scroll down to the bottom:

http://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/aframegolden.html

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Hmmm I remember Golden Point but not at Maple and River, which would have been within steps of my grandparents' home. Was it down River perhaps more in the Polly's Pop vicinity (Truman Road)

We might be looking at the same website. If it's the former GP on 40 Highway, then it's now the Subway shop at 10910, which is just west of Sterling on the N. side, across 40 from the long-time V's Restaurant.

There are also links to Griff's Burger Bar which also had a site in the general area of 40, but perhaps further east.

Scroll down to the bottom:

Golden Point

It had to have been a block over on Truman and River. Does not look like there was enough room on Maple. Also, I recall driving west on the street is was on and Maple only went east. At any rate this appears to have been a rather large chain.

[pearjas]

I mentioned a book I picked up at Amazon... I actually found it on google docs, which had some of these pictures (and several others posted) as part of a preview of a book, so I figure posting a few of the pictures from the book couldn't hurt. The book has hundreds of photos, and of course, they all look better in the book than when scanned. Many of these scanned images are distorted or not straight because I was in a hurry. I was just hoping to bring back some memories of some of the others on this forum. Plenty of other pictures to come, as I figured I'd post a few at a time (but not obviously everything in the book). The first picture is what the book looks like if you're interested in checking it out.

[WCHS'59]

Good Ole Katz Drug Store...............

Herms is one of the stores we have not heard much about. I believe it was a men's wear store.

[SilverDoc]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

It had to have been a block over on Truman and River. Does not look like there was enough room on Maple. Also, I recall driving west on the street is was on and Maple only went east. At any rate this appears to have been a rather large chain.

It was on the S.W. corner of Truman and River. Behind it to the south at Maple, is Polly's Pop Park.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Good Ole Katz Drug Store...............

Herms is one of the stores we have not heard much about. I believe it was a men's wear store.

Ah yes, Katz, site of one of my all-time "mischief stories." My buddy, a co-conspirator, and I still laugh when we think how about how stupid we really were. Pearjas' photo is the best shot of Katz I've seen so far. LOL fond memories of the entrance, the "scene of the crime" . I just placed an order for the same book, it had been on my Amazon Wish List for weeks.

Moving north on Main, in 1950, Katz had also the Katz Building which housed several law offices, etc. Next door @ 205 we can see the Gilmore sign, "Fabric Shop" aka Gilmore Dry Goods, along with Ideal Sewing Machine. At 207 the sign says "Record Shop" which was the Independence Amusement & TV Co. Next at 209 was Royal Recreation, which if probably the two-toned horizontal sign at the far left. I listed 1950 as I suspect from the cars and the boys on bikes, that would be about the right time frame.

On the middle photo, there's some confusion as Polk's in 1950 already lists SS Kresge's at its new location of 111-113 N. Main. That photo is supposedly dated in 1951. However, I noted in 1952 Polk's that, as WCHS once remembered, that Kresge's had two Square locations. For whatever reason, who knows, especially with competitor Woolworth's within throwing distance. But by 52, it looks like SSK contracted the 122-24 W. Maple location and kept part of its operations at 122, while moving the bulk of the store to 111 N. Main. I'd love to hear the business reason for that.

The last photo, moving east to west down Maple, Crown Drug has become Goldman Jewelry (can see the "G" part of the sign), the Crown Building stayed at 100 1/2 (upstairs), 102 1/2 - 104 1/2 was the Medical Arts Building, Herm's was 104 (men's clothing, Herman Wienshienk, proprietor), 106 Helzberg's which called itself "Middle West's Largest Jeweler"), 108 Knoepker's Dept Store, 110-112 Lerner's JS Vogue women's wear, which eventually moved to the Blue Ridge Mall.