Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Lexington: cinema, costs, brick)

[pearjas]

I went to school with a couple of Bridges. Guess given we are all from good 'ol Indy, there always might be a connection or two. I can remember hearing someone say "well if they ever decide to do it, we'll all be rich". haha... not quite so sure about that one!! Oddly enough, right where they mentioned building the airport was near the water treatment plant... and it would smell quite often, especially on windy days!

Originally Posted by SilverDoc

I have had family out near, in and around Atherton for years. (Sibley, too.) Bridges, Brisbin, Messina(?) just to name a few branches of the family! Your comment about the airport brings to mind the N.I.M.B.Y. attitude that a lot of people take when something like a prison, airport, etc is proposed, and they'll say "Not In My Back Yard!". As far as the distance, that's what people said when they wanted to build K.C.I. where it is, "Why would you want to build an airport way up there?" Now look at the area! The city moved to be closer to the airport, and someday when K.C.I. runs out of room for future expansion, they'll have to move even further out! Look at the old Stapleton airport they had to close in Denver, for example. The city grew, and soon they were surrounded by the city, and even had runways out over I-70! So..when they decided to move the airport further north, they settled on 33,920 acres, or 53 square miles! People out there asked "Why?"

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I noticed the Statue of Liberty that was at the corner of Maple and Pleasant at the school was missing. I believe it is now at the genealogical library on Kiger Road. I asked about it there, but another young lady said she did not know if it came from the former junior high school.

That indeed is the same statue. After it was removed from Palmer it sat for many years in the city garage lot behind the Sermon Center. When the Geneaology Library was built the statue was cleaned and restored to be properly displayed.

[WCHS'59]

There is some major deconstruction going on at the southeast corner of 23rd Street and Noland Road.

This is the site of the former Noland-Alton business district and the Clark Bernard drug store.

Years ago a major new Safeway was put on that corner and it seemingly did not last long. That building has sat there empty for awhile but has been brought down just recently.

A sign says a QT, Quick Trip, is going in there but there is already a QT on Noland at the end of that block. Maybe there is to be a super QT as on 40 highway and Lee's Summit where Stephenson's restaurant use to be.

Whatever it is there is some serious deconstruction going on.

[Mad Anthonie]

It is indeed a new and improved QuikTrip. QT has a pattern of upgrading their facilities.

Across the street to the north the automotive shop has asked for TIF financing to enlarge and renovate their property and the sidewalks.

Also this week I noticed earth work at the site of the old Candy Stripe Drive-In on 23rd. Stay tuned for updates.

WCHS, your observation would lead me to suspect something, are you back in town?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

It is indeed a new and improved QuikTrip. QT has a pattern of upgrading their facilities.

Across the street to the north the automotive shop has asked for TIF financing to enlarge and renovate their property and the sidewalks.

Also this week I noticed earth work at the site of the old Candy Stripe Drive-In on 23rd. Stay tuned for updates.

WCHS, your observation would lead me to suspect something, are you back in town?

No, but I was there for one day as a side trip from a visit to Kansas. I did not make it out to the old Candy Stripe.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

No, but I was there for one day as a side trip from a visit to Kansas. I did not make it out to the old Candy Stripe.

I also noted that Polly's Pop is still in a coming soon mode on west Maple across from the old post office.

[WCHS'59]

Byam Theater, Independence, Missouri

In 1961 while working in Fairmount, I recall someone coming out of the door of a brick building on Ash Street behind the corner drug store. Someone mentioned the door was to the old theater. I was confused because I knew the entrance to the now closed theater was around the corner on 24.


By 1961 the theater had been closed for a while and the marquee had been taken down. Turns out the theater’s narrow entrance was actually on Highway 24. There was a deep walkway the width of the Marquee going back to the auditorium which ran east to west behind the drug store. The person I saw was coming out of an exit door.

Location: Entry on 24 Highway next door west of Byam’s Drug Store, which is apparently now a closed thrift shop at the corner of 24 and Ash Street.

Designer and builder: F. L. Byam who owned the drug store.

Cost: $70,000 for building, equipment, and furnishing.

Actual theater owner: Reube Finkelstein, who owned the Belmont Theater on St. John Street about four miles east in Kansas City.

Seating: 730 seats. First nine rows were wood intended for kids. The rest of the seating was upholstered in red fabric and the wood walnut finished.

Year built: 1937

Size of auditorium: 50 x 150 feet.

Stage: 28 feet wide by 14 feet tall.

Curtain: gold colored velvet with royal blue valance.

Basement: 25 x 50 feet holding the air conditioning and heating equipment.

Projection room: 25 x 10 feet.

From Box Office magazine, January 8, 1938.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Byam Theater, Independence, Missouri

In 1961 while working in Fairmount, I recall someone coming out of the door of a brick building on Ash Street behind the corner drug store. Someone mentioned the door was to the old theater. I was confused because I knew the entrance to the now closed theater was around the corner on 24.


By 1961 the theater had been closed for a while and the marquee had been taken down. Turns out the theater’s narrow entrance was actually on Highway 24. There was a deep walkway the width of the Marquee going back to the auditorium which ran east to west behind the drug store. The person I saw was coming out of an exit door.

Location: Entry on 24 Highway next door west of Byam’s Drug Store, which is apparently now a closed thrift shop at the corner of 24 and Ash Street.

Designer and builder: F. L. Byam who owned the drug store.

Cost: $70,000 for building, equipment, and furnishing.

Actual theater owner: Reube Finkelstein, who owned the Belmont Theater on St. John Street about four miles east in Kansas City.

Seating: 730 seats. First nine rows were wood intended for kids. The rest of the seating was upholstered in red fabric and the wood walnut finished.

Year built: 1937

Size of auditorium: 50 x 150 feet.

Stage: 28 feet wide by 14 feet tall.

Curtain: gold colored velvet with royal blue valance.

Basement: 25 x 50 feet holding the air conditioning and heating equipment.

Projection room: 25 x 10 feet.

From Box Office magazine, January 8, 1938.

$70,000 to build the Byam Theater in 1937 is the equivalent of $1,131,681 today.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I also noted that Polly's Pop is still in a coming soon mode on west Maple across from the old post office.

Polly's Pop is making a comeback?

Not something I would have expected, but certainly good news if true.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Polly's Pop is making a comeback?

Not something I would have expected, but certainly good news if true.

All I know about it at this point is what the sign on the window says. It has been there for awhile.

Someone in one of the previous messages issued sometime before the Santa-Cali-Gon celebration first mentioned it.