Long ago on independence square (St. Louis, Jackson: home, transfer, neighborhood)

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Where was this 1966 photo taken?

I'm stumped

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I'm stumped

I thought that was you, third from the left!

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by Major Tom 58

This is a google snap shot of a brick building now a residence. Located on S. Pearl a little south east of the power plant/ Sermon center. Was wondering if this might have been a neighborhood grocery at one time. I know said businesses have been discussed here several times but didn't want to dig around trying to find those postings. I happened to drive by this building/home a few days ago and decided I needed to share.

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

My fuzzy memory says we have discussed this building before, either in this forum or someplace I was once maybe. I'll know more in the morning after coffee!

In 1960 it was the IOOF Hall.

In 1950 it was the Mary Maness Dance Studio

In 1940 it was the James Walton Grocery

[Major Tom 58]

Well, whadda ya know.

[WCHS'59]

There is something that I have never understood about the establishment of Jackson County in late 1826. There is also something that I have never understood about the establishment of Independence, Missouri, in 1827.

I am aware of how things worked in Kansas when the area was opened to settlement in 1854. And I thought it worked the same way in all areas, particularly where the federal government was involved.

ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Kansas has 105 counties. Kansas Territory created thirty-six counties to begin with in the eastern part of the state. The entire western part was then declared to be one huge county pending future division. The boundary of each county would be surveyed by federal surveyors and at some point the surveyors would return and survey the interior into Congressional townships.

A Congressional township is six-miles wide by six-miles long and contains 36 numbered sections of 640 acres each. In each Congressional township there originally were 66-foot-wide surveyed roads—one road every mile from east to west and one road every mile from north to south. Not real roads but surveyed roads on paper. (This is where I believe the six-mile area near Fort Osage got its name from. It could quite possibly be in the first six-mile by six-mile Congressional township surveyed in Jackson County)

When settlers began moving into a new county in Kansas there was naturally no government. Each settler picked out his new land, which was a 160-acre quarter section. If the county interior had not yet been surveyed by the feds, each settler had to take a walk and guess their 160-acre plot and stake it out. If the interior was surveyed, he simply found the survey markers. Whether or not the county interior had been surveyed the new citizens immediately became squatters. In either case they were squatters having, by law, the first right to claim the land they were on. No one could actually claim their land, though, until the federal surveyors had surveyed the county’s interior.

Provided there was a survey, each man had to formally claim his 160 acres by going to the nearest US Land Office, sometimes miles away. The settler paid the federal government for his land. Before one could go to the land office, though, he had to build a cabin that was at least 6 feet by 10 feet, had to get crops in the ground, and had to be living on the land in question. The settler had to take a neighbor or an independent person to the federal land office with him and that person had to sign a document stating the squatter had complied with the law. The settler then paid $1.25 per acre for his claim and went home happy having changed from a squatter to a land owner just like that. After 1862, the land was free to new settlers under the Homestead Act.

In each Congressional township, sections 16 and 36 were reserved for the benefit of schools. No one could build there. At some point in the future, the county would auction off the land in these two sections and the proceeds were split between the state capital and the county to fund schools.

When there were enough settlers in a county, the settlers could petition for a government. Kansas required 600 settlers as a minimum to establish a governing county. Sometimes this population took years to attain. Three of those settlers would conduct a census and provide a copy of that census to the governor asking to establish a county government. They also requested that a certain town, which was almost always nonexistent, be the temporary county seat. Upon the governor’s approval, the settlers would vote for where they wanted to establish a permanent county seat, and vote for their county commissioners, sheriff, etc.

ESTABLISHMENT OF TOWNS

Towns in Kansas were created by Town companies. That is, after county government came on board, one or more settlers would band together and form a profit making Town Company, which issued stock to each member. The stockholders then laid claim to 160 acres and requested the state approve the 160-acre area site for their town. After approval, the Town Company purchased the land from the federal government. Then the company used their own surveyors to divide the town site into lots and offered them for sale to new settlers who did not need to farm. (A town company is not the same as a company town)

One example was the Independence, Kansas Town Company. Independence is the county seat of Montgomery County.

The Town Company had to pay taxes to the county on all vacant lots so they tried to sell as fast as possible, while acting as an informal governing body. When all lots were sold, the Town Company went out of business. The town then governed itself by asking the state for recognition as a third class city and electing a mayor, councilmen, etc.

I HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING ABOUT:

When Jackson County was surveyed by the feds

Jackson Countians building minimum six by ten foot homes in order to buy 160 acres from the federal government

Jackson Countians taking a census and asking Jefferson City for approval to establish a county government

Jackson Countians traveling to a US Land office to buy their farm land.

Jackson Countians asking Jefferson City for approval to establish an Independence, Missouri Town Company to sell town lots.

Jackson County selling the quarter sections in school sections to the highest bidder.


It seems that the governmental organization of Jackson County was set up by the state before any settlers requested the organization. Independence town lots were apparently sold by and for the benefit of the county, and not a private town company.

So, who can clarify what went on here and why it would be different?

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

In 1960 it was the IOOF Hall.

In 1950 it was the Mary Maness Dance Studio

In 1940 it was the James Walton Grocery

I just knew it had to be those darn Odd Fellows

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I thought that was you, third from the left!

None were misbehaving, so it couldn't have been me

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

There is something that I have never understood about the establishment of Jackson County in late 1826. There is also something that I have never understood about the establishment of Independence, Missouri, in 1827...

I HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING ABOUT:

When Jackson County was surveyed by the feds

Jackson Countians building minimum six by ten foot homes in order to buy 160 acres from the federal government

Jackson Countians taking a census and asking Jefferson City for approval to establish a county government

Jackson Countians traveling to a US Land office to buy their farm land.

Jackson Countians asking Jefferson City for approval to establish an Independence, Missouri Town Company to sell town lots.

Jackson County selling the quarter sections in school sections to the highest bidder.


It seems that the governmental organization of Jackson County was set up by the state before any settlers requested the organization. Independence town lots were apparently sold by and for the benefit of the county, and not a private town company.

So, who can clarify what went on here and why it would be different?

I hereby nominate Pearjas to perform this research and provide the answers, as he is known to have insider connections.

[SilverDoc]

I'll be damn! This forum is like the Energizer bunny!

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by SilverDoc

I'll be damn! This forum is like the Energizer bunny!

where have you been????

We could have used your help over the past years? chuckle.