Long ago on independence square (Liberty, Jackson: underwater, aquatic, varieties)

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by Kev 2732

Again before my time, but I will guess Bridger Middle School and Highleah Townhomes. 78 hwy.

Originally Posted by Kev 2732

I'm going to add/change my guess. George Owens park might be more of an "attraction" than Highleah Townhomes. Although they did have a public swimming pool back in the day.

You are correct. The Hialeah Pool has come and gone, as has the QT that was diagonally across from it. James Bridger Jr. High came, then became James Bridger Middle School (sixth grade only). It was joined by Bingham Middle School (seventh & eighth grade) and Pioneer Ridge Middle School (also 7th & 8th grades). Across Speck from the school complex is the George Owens Nature Park.

[Mad Anthonie]

Whereas Santa Clause is Gone, er, Santa-Cali-Gon starts tomorrow this would be an appropriate time to make sure y'all have seen this video from 1947...

Jackson County Historical Society JCHS

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Whereas Santa Clause is Gone, er, Santa-Cali-Gon starts tomorrow this would be an appropriate time to make sure y'all have seen this video from 1947...

Jackson County Historical Society JCHS

Isn’t that something? I had not seen this ’47 film before but have seen the ’40 film.


The merry-go-round at the beginning was in the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company grocery store parking lot on the 100 s, west side of Liberty between the grocery store and the Pioneer Restaurant. I dont believe that parking lot could have held more than 20 cars.


I caught glimpse of a Standard Station in the middle of south side of the 200 w block of Maple. That is new to me and might have been where Moody Motors was before he moved to west Lexington.


An area I had trouble identifying turned out to be the “front lawn” of the old post office building across Lexington from the current post office building. When the camera was looking in the other direction, I could see the stack of the Independence Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company in the 100 s Osage area.


Initially, it looked like our founder Sally B’s favorite candy shop on Lexington had a six-horse drawn wagon in the parade. The white wagon had Curtiss Candy lettered on the side along with a Baby Ruth logo. Curtiss Candy in Illinois made Baby Ruth candy bars at the time. So maybe it was not her shop.


Sudora’s Beauty Shop had a wagon, also.


Western Auto was next to the old telephone building fronting entirely on the 300 w block of Maple and looking south. I only remember it as being on the northwest corner of Osage and Maple—a door or two east.

[WCHS'59]

On a second look, it looks like the huge "mockup" of Fort Osage was in the middle of 200 s Liberty Street between Bank of Independence and the Watkins Hotel.

[WCHS'59]

I viewed the JCHS video also.

In what is purported to be a 1956 photo of the old Jackson County Jail, Main Street is one way going south.

So it appears that the time that Independence went to one-way streets in the uptown area is between 1947, the time of the Santa-Cali-Gon film and 1956.

I think I originally said 1949, but Sally said she did not remember one-way streets and she graduated and left town in 1953, I think.

I subsequently posted a photo that seemed to show two-way streets in 1952.

I remember the one-way signs going up and then being covered until opening day I think the opening day might have been on a Sunday morning or the previous midnight to provide some break in time.

One of these days, the actual date of going to one-way streets will come out.

[Mad Anthonie]

When SCG was restarted in 1973 it was called Three Trails Days. The Explorer Post I belonged to at that time served as conductors on trams that provided transportation from the RLDS parking lots to the Square. The Chamber of Commerce had borrowed several trams from Hermann, Mo, which were pulled by farm tractors.

In 1974 they went back to calling it Santa-Cali-Gon.

[Mad Anthonie]

Although not within the city limits of Independence the site in this 1957 view was a favorite for many Independence residents.

Where/what is it?

[ChuckWC75]

A wet place in Sugar Creek??

[Mad Anthonie]

I could say your answer is all wet, but I'd have to twist the meaning of that phrase!

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Although not within the city limits of Independence the site in this 1957 view was a favorite for many Independence residents.

Where/what is it?

Originally Posted by ChuckWC75

A wet place in Sugar Creek??

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I could say your answer is all wet, but I'd have to twist the meaning of that phrase!

That is the Sugar Creek Municipal Pool, and the large parking lot across Kentucky that served for both it and the ball fields just south of there.