Long ago on independence square (Columbia: recruit, specials, profit)

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

K-Mart, 40 Hiway & Noland Rd . .. facing west

You have one out of three answers correct!

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

MRG, when they first razed the corner of 40 and Noland having the drive in and Hawthorne Cafe, [which appears to be what is happening in the photo] there was some type of large electronic store built there. Was it one of the first Best Buys? Whatever it was, it did not seem to last very long.

I remember going in there right after it opened but cannot recall the name.

Best Buy was first located on the southeast portion of the intersection, in KC. Later they built a larger building on the north side in Independence. It seems like less than 10 years after that they moved out to the 39th Street mess, just west of the theater. Brands Mart was also at 40 & Noland for a few years, on the north side just west of where Best Buy later built. They also moved out to 39th after that.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

You have one out of three answers correct!



Best Buy was first located on the southeast portion of the intersection, in KC. Later they built a larger building on the north side in Independence. It seems like less than 10 years after that they moved out to the 39th Street mess, just west of the theater. Brands Mart was also at 40 & Noland for a few years, on the north side just west of where Best Buy later built. They also moved out to 39th after that.

Chuckle, every time I mention the Best Buy on that corner to someone I know in Independence, no one could remember it although they were living there at the time.

[WCHS'59]

When I first came to Colorado in 1980, there was a Bernstein-Applebee store in downtown Denver and another in the Buckingham Square shopping center in Aurora, CO. While the wife shopped at Buckingham, I browsed BA looking at all the goodies.

BA was a Kansas City firm located on McGee Street, which had branched out. One could buy most anything electronic. They had the right kind of wire that I used in my model railroad and the right double pole double throw switches I needed at a reasonable price. Otherwise, I had to order mail order at higher prices. (This sort of pricing structure seems to have totally 180ed with the internet.)

Alas, they went out of business not too long after I arrived.

It looks like there is a huge parking lot on McGee where they used to be located.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Chuckle, every time I mention the Best Buy on that corner to someone I know in Independence, no one could remember it although they were living there at the time.

I sure don't remember it. What year(s) might we be talking about here?

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I sure don't remember it. What year(s) might we be talking about here?

My foggy memory thinks Best Buy first located there in the later half of the 1980s.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

My foggy memory thinks Best Buy first located there in the later half of the 1980s.

That is a pretty good prognosis. Wikipedia says they introduced their yellow tag logo in '87 and that was what I remembered from going in that store.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

My foggy memory thinks Best Buy first located there in the later half of the 1980s.

That's a bit after my time there, although my parents still lived in the area. I also barely remember Bernstein Applebee (sp?) It is not listed in KC for 1960 so I presume it was a child of the 60s et seq As well as Brands Mart

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

That's a bit after my time there, although my parents still lived in the area. I also barely remember Bernstein Applebee (sp?) It is not listed in KC for 1960 so I presume it was a child of the 60s et seq As well as Brands Mart

It should have been around 10th and McGee.

[WCHS'59]

"It was decided that the city of Independence has no right to sell a tree that may be standing in a public street, even if the city is badly in need of cash, and the tree is very much desired by buyers of logs. The matter started a week ago when Councilman William Peters told the council that an Independence buyer of logs had offered to buy the tree if the city would sell it."

The above comes from the files of the Examiner of 100 years ago in 1913.

Up until sometime in the late 50s or early 60s, a huge tree stood in the middle of the 1100 block of south Savage in east Independence. Savage was about three fourths of a mile east of Noland and 23rd and was a busy thru street north to Truman Road (via Hunter and Rogers). The tree was only one block north of 23rd. Cars going north curved around one side of the tree and cars going south curved around the other side. The curve on both sides was extremely narrow and could only be negotiated at slow speed. This was still in the time of chip and seal roads. At some point, the tree just seemed to disappear. No doubt taken out by the city.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

It should have been around 10th and McGee.

Ok, I'm going to blame you: it's BURSTEIN Applebee, and you were right on the money re the address. 1012 McGee, with a branch at 301 E 55th. "Distributors of everything in radio, TV and electronics"