Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Lee's Summit: most expensive, bowling, 2008)

[WCHS'59]

Independence, 1962, paved street, gutters, presumably drainage (although no sidewalk). Seems so out of fashion for Independence in those days unless a new subdivision was involved, which this may very well be. Perhaps an extension of the one in the background.

At some point around that time, the city standard in new subdivisions was changed to require a sidewalk on at least one side of the street. My folks purchased at Glendale Gardens on 35th Street in 1963 and they had a sidewalk on their side.

New subdivisions were being built in the fifties with chip and tar streets. Not sure when that was changed to require a paved road.

[WCHS'59]

A super QuikTrip similar to the one going up at 23rd and Noland has been approved for end of year opening at Little Blue Parkway and Jackson Drive.

Jackson Drive is to be widened from four lanes to six lanes in that area.

[WCHS'59]

I just checked Google Earth and there is still only one sidewalk on the south side of 35th Street in Glendale Gardens--or anywhere else for that matter.

The widening of 35th to three lanes from Crysler to Noland is supposed to include sidewalks on both sides ala 39th Street.

I also noticed that Google Earth still shows an airport at the location of the old Independence Memorial Airport.

[SilverDoc]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I just checked Google Earth and there is still only one sidewalk on the south side of 35th Street in Glendale Gardens--or anywhere else for that matter.

The widening of 35th to three lanes from Crysler to Noland is supposed to include sidewalks on both sides ala 39th Street.

I also noticed that Google Earth still shows an airport at the location of the old Independence Memorial Airport.

I've noticed that Google Earth is a bit behind in their images. I was trying to capture a view from the Little Blue Parkway bridge of the "Blue Cut" along the old Chicago and Alton tracks that led to the (Glendale)-Selsa depot, and old images of Selsa road came up! Selsa Road, no longer crosses the tracks as before, but turns east and under the bridge that now crosses the tracks, before turning south again and ending at 39th st. Neither the section of Selsa Road from where it crossed the tracks, nor the old airport, exist today.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

It is time for another mystery photo. This one is from 1962.

"Where were you in '62?" Name that movie tagline (no cheating)

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

At the time I attended, it was in, more or less, a rough shod red light area. The area appears to be pretty well cleaned up now.

It was a weird area with the Folly and all the riff-raff yet over by the KMBC Ch. 9 studios as I recall. Also a movie theatre, was it the Empire?

[SilverDoc]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

At the time I attended, it was in, more or less, a rough shod red light area. The area appears to be pretty well cleaned up now.

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

It was a weird area with the Folly and all the riff-raff yet over by the KMBC Ch. 9 studios as I recall. Also a movie theatre, was it the Empire?

I think that it was the Lyric, if memory serves me correctly.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by SilverDoc

I think that it was the Lyric, if memory serves me correctly.

You're right, Doc, could picture it but not the name.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

"Where were you in '62?" Name that movie tagline (no cheating)

American Graffiti.

Originally Posted by SilverDoc

I think that it was the Lyric, if memory serves me correctly.

KMBC shared the building with the Lyric Theater. I got to explore portions of the building several times, thanks to my buddies in engineering. It is a neat old place, but well worn. I'm not sure who is using the place now. KMBC built new studios out near 63rd & I-435. The Opera or whoever was in the theater proper moved to the new Kaufman Performing Arts Center just south of Bartle.

[WCHS'59]

The Empire was several blocks away from the Folly at 14th and Main. It was the RKO Theater until Durwood theaters renamed it to the Empire. The successor to Durwood, AMC now owns it. The Empire was hard ticket or reserved seats for the first few years.

When it was converted to show movies, the Lyric became the Durwood Capri around 1960 but was named back to the Lyric after I left town.

I saw Cimarron and My Fair Lady at the Capri, with reserved seats. That was back when the biggest first run movies would run for several weeks in only one movie house. There was a particular descriptive name for that type of movie but I have forgotten it. Maybe it was "Road Show." Next to the Empire Theater on Main Street was a small shop ran by Durwood that did nothing but sell advance reserved seat tickets to all the Durwood Theaters downtown. I can think of Empire, Studio, Academy, Roxy, Capri but there were others, also.

I once sent a letter to Durwood Theaters (might have been AMC by that time) asking them why they could not put a theater on the square. I explained the old long gone theaters, etc. They wrote back sounding like they were interested and said they would need a building with such and such dimensions width wise and lengthwise. I guess they thought I was an entrepreneur or something, chuckle. I did not respond back. But it seems to me AMC was the first to show movies where the Pharaoh IV is now.

The Google Earth image that shows the Truman Memorial Airport from the air is dated 9/2012. But if you go down to ground level over at Jackson Drive the image is date 4/2008. I also encounter a lot of problems with the latest version of Google Earth.

Same dates are used with the Square. The aerial shows the Santa-Cali-Con Festival in Sep 2012 but when you go down to ground level the festival disappears and the image date is 2008. But it is free, what the heck.