Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Liberty: cabinet, farms, Sears)

[WCHS'59]

Number 2 Sanborn Map, August 1885.

There is a railroad turntable without a roundhouse on Grand Avenue just north of the Missouri Pacific Station. The east-west street north of the turntable is Commercial Street. This might now be Elm Street.

Co-located with the Missouri Pacific depot is a hotel.

A depot is also at Liberty and Short streets on what is called the Lexington Branch of the Missouri Pacific. This location is about where the Examiner plant is today.

[WCHS'59]

Number 2 Sanborn Map, August 1885.

Exact locations are indeterminable in some cases because only partial panes are shown without streets.

Located one-half mile east of the public square is a distillery with a capability of 10 barrels per day production. There is a notation "not running."

One-half mile northeast of the square is a cider and vinegar factory.

One-half mile southwest of the square is a woolen mill.

Three-eighths mile southwest of public square on Pacific Street is the Waggoner-Gates Milling company with a production capacity of 300 barrels of flour per day.

At the southwest corner of Osage and Lexington where the current post office is located is a church. Across the street where the "grand" post office was located is a private residence plus a fence factory and miscellaneous buildings.

On north Liberty Street is Saint Mary's Catholic Church. North of Saint Mary's is a convent. South of Saint Mary's is a dwelling for the Priest.

South of the Priest's residence is the Presbyterian Female College.

[WCHS'59]

Number 1 Sanborn Map, August 1885.

Population of Independence, 4,500. No steam fire engines. One hand engine. No independent hose carrier. 2.5 million gallons of water per day capacity at 25 pounds pressure to consumers and 40 pounds pressure in the fire system.

In the mid fifties, the Missouri Water Company furnished water to Independence and the capacity might have been 14 million gallons a day at that time.

Wilson's Opera House located on east side of square where the Bundschu department store was later located.

Telegraph office is on Lexington Street across from the courthouse at about where the Courthouse Exchange restaurant is today.

Skating rink located east of square on north side of Lexington Street at about where Antoine's seed company would later locate.

[WCHS'59]

Number 1 Sanborn Map, August 1885.

On west Maple and Osage at the later location of Velvet Freeze (now a parking lot) was a rather large Baptist church.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I failed to note the map number and year but one of those maps has a north-south Ridgeway Street sandwiched in between Spring and Pleasant just west of the square.

Happy Boxing Day!

There is still one small portion of Ridgeway surviving. It runs north off of Farmer just west of Spring. When I was a kid there were several large old houses along there, my aunt lived in one of them. When McCoy Park was built Ridgeway was cut off from W College, and became a cul-de-sac. Now it is a dead end and serves as a driveway for the Heritage House Senior Adult apartments.

[WCHS'59]

Number 1 Sanborn Map, August 1916.

Winner Road from Crysler Street was called Washington Park Boulevard.

North of Independence Ave, south of Kentucky, and west of River Boulevard were these east-west streets:

Henry Ave
Simonds Ave
Alberta Ave
Rector Ave
Whipple Ave
Collins Ave
Mindrup Ave

The area where Doutt's Lake was located appeared to be called Martha Vineyard.

[WCHS'59]

Number 1 Sanborn Map, August 1916.

Independence population 12,000.

Rather than number two fire station coming along in 1928, there was a number 2 fire station by this time on west Elm. It had three men and two horses and one hose wagon with 1500 feet of hose.

Number one station on north Main had three men, two horses, one hose wagon equipped with a chemical tank.

Water supplied by city of Independence from three reservoirs.

Fire alarm by telephone and whistle on top of electric generating plant.

Twenty-three miles of paved streets in city.

The Catholic cemetery is shown separately from the Woodlawn cemetery. They would combine at around this time and there is a Catholic portion of Woodlawn, today.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Happy Boxing Day!

There is still one small portion of Ridgeway surviving. It runs north off of Farmer just west of Spring. When I was a kid there were several large old houses along there, my aunt lived in one of them. When McCoy Park was built Ridgeway was cut off from W College, and became a cul-de-sac. Now it is a dead end and serves as a driveway for the Heritage House Senior Adult apartments.

Yes, I see where Ridgeway or Ridgway is north off Farmer Street with addresses of 500-599 North.

[WCHS'59]

Number 1 Sanborn Map, August 1916.


A block west of Liberty Street in the Doutt's Lake area was the north-south Jersey Street.

What is now West Maple Street from about Willis to Forest was called Lexington Street.

A block west of Fuller Street beginning at the Chicago and Alton RR tracks and going south past Alton (23rd Street) was Chicago Ave. Torpy Street was an east-west Street in the same area one block north of Alton Street about where the gas plant on 23rd Street use to be.

There is today a Chicago Street but it is east-west in the northeast area of Fairmount.

[WCHS'59]

Silver Doc, these maps are very interesting. Thank you for posting them.