Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Raytown: commissions, coupon, 2013)

[MRG Dallas]

Can you imagine that today?

Especially with something like POLIO

Independence must have had the Governor of NY in charge

[dmouse]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

Not all that much talent here. Just purchase an annual or five year subscription and follow the software company's directions. It helps to purchase a URL for your class.

I watch over the Truman class of 68; our site is on Classreport.org. No charge to do so.


www.truman68.com

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by dmouse

I watch over the Truman class of 68; our site is on Classreport.org. No charge to do so.


www.truman68.com

I noticed that an old neighbor and friend, Jeremy Gard, is the webmaster for the THS site that I am guessing each class can join. Well, I did not know about classreport.org and found another site. We are using Class Creator. Here is our website.

William Chrisman High School Class Of 1963, Independence, MO

[MRG Dallas]

Ok so Monday is the 22nd. The Tenth Birthday of this extremely viewed thread

Can we see if pearjas, CatHerder et al can be reached for their comments, history, recollections, etc?

I suggest we can start posting today, no need to narrow the window to just the 22nd

And we should allow tardiness as well . . . why not the whole week, yeah!

Ideas: How you found this forum? What you've learned from it? What your fave memories are? Just anything and everything

ALL ARE WELCOME to THE TABLE

[MRG Dallas]

BTW your post(s) doesn't need to be one comprehensive post. Bits and pieces, here and there, would add quantity and quality so don't be shy . . . nor lazy

Maybe our efforts will include key words that subsequent would-be posters can find. More, more, more!

MAD, dmouse, Casey, MarketStreet, Doc, et al Will need your contributions and recruiting skills, if possible

[Mad Anthonie]

Happy 10th Anniversary!

I came into this thread through pure serendipity. My Beloved stumbled across it in search results for something completely different. At that time Sally was about to give up on this thread due to lack of response.

[dmouse]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

BTW your post(s) doesn't need to be one comprehensive post. Bits and pieces, here and there, would add quantity and quality so don't be shy . . . nor lazy

Maybe our efforts will include key words that subsequent would-be posters can find. More, more, more!

MAD, dmouse, Casey, MarketStreet, Doc, et al Will need your contributions and recruiting skills, if possible

To be honest, I don't remember just how I came across this site. I'm glad I did though. I've learned a lot and made several new friends. And the resources! I am interested in the old street car and trolley lines that once ran here, and information is sometimes hard to find, but the folks here are always happy to share what they have, and I've made lots of progress in my search. Some of you live many states away, and some nearly next door, and I appreciate you all. I'm looking to forward to hearing from more folks and new members.


Note to MAD: Thanks again! Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated!

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Ok so Monday is the 22nd. The Tenth Birthday of this extremely viewed thread

Can we see if pearjas, CatHerder et al can be reached for their comments, history, recollections, etc?

I suggest we can start posting today, no need to narrow the window to just the 22nd

And we should allow tardiness as well . . . why not the whole week, yeah!

Ideas: How you found this forum? What you've learned from it? What your fave memories are? Just anything and everything

ALL ARE WELCOME to THE TABLE

I believe I unofficially joined this site back in 2013. While I cannot be specific, my belief was that I was searching for photos of Independence that I could use for a slide show for my class's 50th Reunion later that year. I'm guessing that I did a search and stumbled across this site. I had been copying photos from Facebook and added many more once I found this site.

I officially joined on February 6, 2014 in Posting # 4,893. I responded to a posting by WCHS'59 about the railroad tracks that crossed over Walnut by where Cairn's Flowers used to be. In that post, we began chatting about our times in the grocery business and about a meat cutter at Kroger.

I don't participate as much as I would like to as my knowledge of Independence is not as good as one might think. My family moved to Independence in September of 1945, when I was a whopping four months old. My very first memories we around 1950 when we lived on a farm at the end of Trail Ridge north of 23rd Street. My father and uncle sold the farm in 1958 and we moved in May of 1959 to an address on South Kiger, which had been a lot saved from the farmland.

I never spent a great deal of my childhood going to the Square and can only remember going to the Old Post Office, the old Bank of Independence, J.C. Penney's, Bundschu's, and some business in the 100 or 200 block of east Maple. I would love to see photos of those two blocks from the time period of 1950 to 1955.

I never had a camera until I was in the Army in 1964. My first photos were taken of sites in Washington. DC while I was on my way to the Brooklyn Naval Yards to catch the "luxury" liner which took me and a few other guys to Germany. I only have one good photo of the farmland and I have none of the barns and other buildings and land. I wish I had developed the skill of photography many years earlier than I did.

Between WCHS'59, MADman, and MRG, I have learned many things about Independence that I either had forgotten or never knew.

[CatHerder]

I actually don't remember how I found this forum a few years ago, but I know that Sally had already passed on by then.

I grew up near 33rd & Crysler during the first seven years of my life, and then my family moved south of Noland Rd., but on the KC side, in the mid-1960s. The neighborhood was originally part of Indep. but was annexed by KC around 1961. So, my brothers and I went to Indep. schools for awhile and then, though living fairly close to Truman H.S., to Raytown schools.

My husband and I unexpectedly moved back to Indep. a few years ago because we found an acre of land with a big barn, something my husband always wanted. We are enjoying restoring the modest farmhouse (re-shingling is underway as I write) and having ample room to plant vegetables and flowers.

It has been interesting getting reacquainted with Indep. history through this forum, though I don't have the same level of familiarity as some of you.

I admit to spending more time on the Facebook pages for Independence history, which have the added advantage of being able to display photos.

Thanks to Mad Anthonie for keeping this forum alive!

[Mad Anthonie]

We owe a great deal to the lady that started this thread back in 2011. Sally was a forever Independence girl, although she lived elsewhere. By sharing her memories of our beloved town she spurred a lot of reminiscing. Let's honor her memory by keeping this thread going for another decade!

Originally Posted by sally36

Any oldtimers out there want to remenisce about Independence Square--how it used to be--traditional architecture--a place to purchase anything one could need or want?

I went to Chrisman in the early 50s, in the beautiful old building on W. Maple, and we bought our textbooks (new and used) at Sturges on Liberty. Every day after school I'd go upstairs at Bundschu's and drool over a blue suede jacket my folks couldn't afford at $39.95. I loved the stonework of the showcases out front. Was mortified to see all that gone or covered by unattraactive raw wood pieces when I last went back.

There was a tiny place just off the square at Main and Lexington where we could get a string of tiny pictures taken for a quarter . . . .

I loved the architecture of the old Chrisman-Sawyer Bank facing the corner of Liberty and Lexington back then. I dont understand why these structures werent preserved! It is now replaced by a very modern one that is NOT complementary to the "historic Indepencence square'.

My Grandpa got his groceries at Milgrams when I was little. Anyone remember that? And I have NEVER eaten a cheeseburger in all these decades that compared to Winsteads' juicy delectable ones! Do I hear an amen?

Of course there was the cigarstore Indian on Lexington, down from Penney's . . . please share with me and others your memories of the old-time courthouse square. Or any place in Indep. MO that is an old memory now . . . Gosh, I wish the Velvet Freeze was still there . . . a few blocks West on Maple I believe. And MADE-RITE on Lexington, on the way out to the Natatorium!

Please join me in looking back to when we were a really small town and everybody knew everybody!