Long ago on independence square (Lee's Summit, Washington: public school, dangerous, legal)

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

MRG

I kept trying to move Mad's photo of the Hiboy around to get a view of the surroundings. Chuckle.

I am too and I'm getting more confused by the minute. It sorta looks like 24 and River, but the intersection does not. In fact, it looks like it was taken on a parking lot on the right side of the pic, rather than at River Rd. south of 24, so I'm suspecting it may be the one on US 40. But that doesn't look the same either, so maybe MAD has posted a HiBoy that doesn't even exist anymore!

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Even though Missouri was a slave state, Hiram Young was a freed slave who established a thriving wagon making business in Independence in the years before the Civil War. Young was freed around 1847 and was something of an entrepreneurial employing around twenty men in his blacksmith shop. He is supposed to have purchased his employees and let them earn their freedom. His shop was at Highway 24 and Liberty.

Missouri was a slave state but stayed in the Union. It might be noted that the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln did not free slaves in the states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, or Delaware.

Young elementary School in Independence was named for the black wagon maker. It was the designated “colored” school for elementary kids. Young, himself, built the first Young School and then the Independence district built a modern one in 1934. When these children finished elementary school they were bussed to a Kansas City high school. I am not sure when the bussing to Kansas City stopped but my senior class at WCHS was integrated. Young school is still standing at 501 N. Dodgion but is not used any more.

There is a marker for the Weston Blacksmith Shop at Kansas and Liberty. It would be interesting to know if there was one for the Hiram Young blacksmith shop. It seems significant also to note how far (half a mile) his shop was from the business district.

I just came across the Hiram Young Park, which is along Noland Road between Lexington and Walnut.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Here is the stone monument at Kansas and Liberty looking south. I thought it was on the other side of Kansas.

It looks like it is highly vulnerable to street traffic.

I thought this was the Weston Blacksmith Shop marker. But a city web site says it is a Santa Fe Trail historical marker and needs some enhancement done to the area around it.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I thought this was the Weston Blacksmith Shop marker. But a city web site says it is a Santa Fe Trail historical marker and needs some enhancement done to the area around it.

Found this on the web, but no evidence of where it is located.

IN MEMORY OF
1783-SAMUEL WESTON-1846

Founder, in 1827, at Independence, Missouri, of the Weston Blacksmith and Wagon Shop, from that time the starting point of wagon trains over the Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails.
Born in North Ireland, impressed into the British Navy in 1812, rescued by the United State Navy and joined their forces.
Came to Jackson County in 1824 from Green County, Kentucky. First County Judge by election, 1829 assisted in building our first Court House.

Erected by Citizens of Independence
1948

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

It's time for a quiz!

50 Brownie points to anyone correctly identifying the location and former business in these pix...








Ready, set, post!

The first two are indeed the shops at 23rd & Kiger. These were taken about 1988, just before the bulldozer arrived.


The Hi-Boy Drive-In was located at 1550 S Noland Road. We talked to Jerry Mackey last year. He says he closed this one when the lease was up for renewal and the property owner wanted too much.

Just left of it is the driveway to 1600 S Noland, a row of shops/offices. Jackson County Cable TV was located back there. My Beloved and I met there.

[MRG Dallas]

"so maybe MAD has posted a HiBoy that doesn't even exist anymore!"

The Hi-Boy Drive-In was located at 1550 S Noland Road. We talked to Jerry Mackey last year. He says he closed this one when the lease was up for renewal and the property owner wanted too much.


AHA! A trick question, as suspected

[WCHS'59]

I never realized before that HiBoy was an Independence "chain."

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

The first two are indeed the shops at 23rd & Kiger. These were taken about 1988, just before the bulldozer arrived.

John Brown owned the northeast corner of 23rd and Kiger where those shops are. He also owned the northwest corner, to include his nondescript house, which was also on 23rd next to his properties.

Those brick buildings were constructed around 1958 or so, maybe a little earlier. John Brown kept busy by running the day to day operation of the hardware store and Mrs Brown kept busy by operating the day to day business of the dime store. Their son-in-law ran the service station and they leased out the beauty shop, barber shop, and, I think, the laundromat. They also had a contract post office in the dime store.

John Brown and his wife seemed to be typical hard working people who never let making a little money change their life style.

I suppose they may have been gone by the time those pictures were taken.

[MRG Dallas]

"You are mostly correct. In 2007 when they closed the branch on Lexington the staff moved to the branch on 23rd just west of Alton Plaza. It is still open, now under the Bank Midwest name."


This spurred me to take a nostalgic Streetview "walk" westward on 23rd St. Sad to see the state of Alton Plaza but thrilled to see the name still there and a close-up satellite view to see the backlot of AP, still with the cement-sectioned lot and its slight incline towards the field behind it. The field used to extend all the way to the RR tracks. There wasn't much else of interest around (besides Crown and TG&Y) for a baseball-loving boy and Crysler Stadium was a bit too much of a walk on a once-busy 23rd/Crysler intersection. Still, fond memories.

[WCHS'59]

Sally36 and I both went through kindergarten and grades 1-6 at McCoy School, 1010 S. Pearl in Independence. I am not sure when this early 1900s school closed down but there are class photos on the web from as late as 1975. The rehabbed school building is currently occupied by the Music Arts Institute, which appears to have been there since 1981.

A little bit about William McCoy, 1813-1900.

He came from Ohio and operated a mercantile store on the square. He was also a partner in Waldo, Hall & Company, a freight company with freight runs to Santa Fe, New Mexico and to several Army outposts.

He arrived in Independence in 1838.

Hiram Young the freed slave having his own blacksmith and wagon making shop depended on McCoy to be his business agent because Young could neither read nor write.

McCoy lived for fifty years at 410 West Farmer Street. That house is on the National Register of Historic Places.

McCoy was also a banker forming McCoy and Stone Bank. Robbers believed to be the Jesse James gang took $20,000 in gold in 1867. The robbers locked him and the cashier in the vault. A family lady having a duplicate key let him out.

Independence came into existence in 1827 but was not granted a home rule charter until 1849. McCoy was elected the first mayor of Independence for one term beginning in 1849. At the time there were 900 citizens living in the city.

He later served two terms on the Independence Board of Education after helping organize the Independence Public Schools.

He helped develop the Independence Female College in 1871.

McCoy Park is at 800 N. Bess Truman Parkway (I believe this is the old Northwest Parkway)