Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, St. Louis: richest, business, cities)

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Calico Cat was/still is on Indep Ave. 10325. I saw it on Google Maps awhile back, the took at Streetview tour up and down US 24 in that direction. I believe an old A&P structure still had the distinctive architecture on the north side of 24.

These were all from 1936. Talk about staying power! I'm surprised you didn't mention the Green Lantern which was still at 1425 W. Lexington in 1960. Fairmount Cafe was on IA, 10225. Just down from Jerry's Cafe at 10219. Fairmount also had a Nu-Way Drive In at 10503 IA.

For some reason my standard fare at Fairmount Cafe was ham and eggs and hash browns. I don't know why but it was always tasty.

I do not recall Green Lantern but went by Green Gables many times.

I worked at Charlies Market (actually the Cook brothers neither of whom was named Charlie) in Fairmount. Charlie's was a couple doors west from the Fairmount Cafe and across the street from Jerry's Cafe. Sometime after I left, "Charlies" went into the A&P store a couple blocks east.

[MRG Dallas]

It seemed like all those little cafes had good, home made food. Sally still swears by Winstead's cheeseburgers, the Darigold had great burgers and fries. And even though it was a chain, I long for another Nu-Way burger.

[WCHS'59]

MRG, do you have anything on a Starlet or Starlight or Starlite drive in eatery that was on US Highway 24 near River Boulevard?

It is long gone, but in the fifties it was supposed to have been a popular favorite for high school kids. I can recall going there only once or twice. I think it had car hops.

At 23rd and Leslie was a Mugs Up with car hops that was opened around 1955. I was a frequent customer. On my last trip, I noticed that it is still going.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

MRG, do you have anything on a Starlet or Starlight or Starlite drive in eatery that was on US Highway 24 near River Boulevard?

It is long gone, but in the fifties it was supposed to have been a popular favorite for high school kids. I can recall going there only once or twice. I think it had car hops.

At 23rd and Leslie was a Mugs Up with car hops that was opened around 1955. I was a frequent customer. On my last trip, I noticed that it is still going.

A few months ago I was playing around on Google and saw, too, there was a Mugs Up still at that location. It sells and offers to deliver its "secret" ingredients for its famous loose-meat "Zipburger" From the site:

It’s a lot easier to find local restaurants that serve their own house-brewed beers and ales these days than home-made root beer.
But the foamy brew that Bill and Ann Kendall serve at Mugs Up Root Beer Drive-In in Independence (700 E. 23rd St.) is made from the same recipe that this distinctive white-and-orange burger joint has sold for 51 years.

The Kendalls have owned the Independence operation for nearly 30 years and it’s the last one left in the metro.
Back in the 1960s, during the heyday of drive-ins, there were nine Mugs Up locations in town, created by Raytown’s Jim Heavey.

[MRG Dallas]

Besides the Mugs Up in Raytown at 63rd & Raytown Rd, there was one on the N. side of US 24 between Sterling and River.

The Starlet Drive-In finally shows up in the 59 Polk's. No mention in 54 or 57. It was in the oddly-numbered section of US 24, 1619 W. where Forest intersects. The place is now a children's dental office. I should remember that place but I don't as we were just down the road at 1020 W. US 24 and 24 to Sterling was our commuting route home in 59. I don't remember much else besides the Mugs Up and Site Oil (at the bottom long hill) between River and Sterling. It was a long walk on a hot summer day during a.m. bowling at Sterling back to River Rd.

[WCHS'59]

Do you remember the Clark Super 100 gasoline stations in the area?

I am thinking there was one on Highway 24 between the Truman Library and William Chrisman.

All they sold was high octane gas. You could not fill up with regular.

[WCHS'59]

That Clark Super 100 may have been further west on 24.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Do you remember the Clark Super 100 gasoline stations in the area?

I am thinking there was one on Highway 24 between the Truman Library and William Chrisman.

All they sold was high octane gas. You could not fill up with regular.

Now that you mentioned it, Clark's did sound familar. After looking it up, I realize why, at least in 59 it was near Strike N Spare Bowl @ 13001 E. 47th. I think we had a Galen Boyer Bonneville back then and no doubt it drank premium gas.

The gas stations on W. 24, which began @ N. Main:

101 Logan Conoco
@N. Osage 301 Sam's Texaco
402 Pickwick Serv Station/Moore Fuel Co.
@ River 1003 Lynch Standard
1315 Site
1700, which Polk's lists as the last on US 24 West (it says to the "City Limits") Al's Gulf

Did Independence only go that far west in 1969? Surely not. There must be a continual listing for US 24/Independence Ave. westward. Further research is warranted!

[MRG Dallas]

Ok, mystery solved. US 24 picks up from Sugar Creek Blvd/N. Crysler @ 11806 running west to the city limits, last address @ 9300 Woody's Serv Station @ Brookside/Cedar. Strange street numbering across Independence, east to west.

Other locations within the "West 24" numbering:

424 Howard Johnson's Rest.
600 US GSA Natl Archives Records Service/Truman Library/HST's Office CL 2-1061
720 Slover Memorial Park
920 Darigold Drive In (best burgers/banana splits/French fried shrimp)

1000-1022 24 Hiway Shopping Center

1212 City Block & Products Co.

No mention of another Clark's location at least in 1959, anywhere along US 24.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Now that you mentioned it, Clark's did sound familar. After looking it up, I realize why, at least in 59 it was near Strike N Spare Bowl @ 13001 E. 47th. I think we had a Galen Boyer Bonneville back then and no doubt it drank premium gas.

I sat next to a fellow in 11th grade physics class at WCHS. We were good friends in this class and we always talked before class started.

One day we were talking about the high cost of filling a tank with gasoline. He mentioned that his folks had a big new Oldsmobile and he said it cost around $6 to fill it up with Ethyl.

I almost fell out of my chair. In those days, I very seldom put more than $1 worth of regular in my Ford at a time.