Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Jackson: furnishings, girlfriend, alternate)

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by smh69

"The Natatorium was at 1400, across Elm from Safeway, that was west but had to be the same pool. I remember you could hear the trains passing underneath the bridge. You can see the vacant spot there on Satellite view. Bridge Cafe across WL @ 1329 Lots of businesses on that side of the street. Mrs Cooper was back at 1312 Hard to believe that whole area was once vibrant, filled with houses and businesses"

That empty lot is where the pool was as I recall. There was a drive-in that went in there after the pool was removed. It seem's as though it changed hands quite often up into the 70's or so. I see the Safeway building has been torn down as well. Mrs Cooper's house look's like it is still there though. There was also a lumber yard behind the Safeway that I used to frequent. Also at the end of Short street to the South of the lumber yard was National Aluminum and Brass, which at that time was owned by the Austin brothers.

Yes, that was a vibrant area. At the intersection of Lexington, Winner road and Chrysler was a small group of shops as well. I remember later, that Steven's Meat Market was on the South side of the intersection, and a health foods store(possibly Staff O Life?) on the corner. Seem's like there was a Real Estate company on the North side right at the intersection.

I also bought my first bow and arrow set at York Woodcraft which was on the North side of Winner, West of the intersection. It was just to the North of the funeral home. Also, just East of York was McKevit's donut shop. My mother used to buy us donuts there. As I recall the glazed variety were either $.25 or .50 a dozen![/quote]



NAB looks to still be there. The lumber yard was DH Crick

Mrs Cooper's house is still there but it's the last structure on that side of the street. There used to be an apt house and Fields Paint & Wallpaper next to Safeway.

Across the street there was a building with shops and offices next to Bridge Cafe. Dobson Cleaners, a barber shop, Jennings Furniture as noted above, another barber shop and last an apt house with 10 units right next to the RR tracks. Can you imagine living there with trains running day and night?

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Browns also had a hardware. The address of C&J was at 1526 or 1536 East Alton. Alton out in that area must have been Blue Springs Road at some point. Initially, John Brown sold the grocery portion to C&J and kept the adjacent hardware and station. Around 1957, maybe, Brown moved across Kiger (Lees Summit) Street and built a buff brick complex consisting of a filling station, hardware, dime store, laundromat, barber shop, beauty shop and even a contract post office. C&J expanded by moving into the old Browns hardware and the pumps were taken out.

MAD posted a photo of the complex just as it was being torn down in 1988, I think.

There is a Walgreens where C&J once stood. There is a "super" filling station where the Brown complex stood.

Queen City Market initially gave way to a new Safeway complex, which is now something else. In the Safeway complex in one corner where Queen City Market once was is a CVS pharmacy.

yawn... stretch... Did I hear someone mention my name? Sorry I've been absent. RL has me very extremely busy right now. But, I did catch a short break. Here are the photos you seek...

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by smh69

I also bought my first bow and arrow set at York Woodcraft which was on the North side of Winner, West of the intersection. It was just to the North of the funeral home.

I took these when there was a fire there in the early 1970s.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I took these when there was a fire there in the early 1970s.

There sure were alot of fires back then

I wish I could remember the one I swear I watched with my friend and his dad from one of the 5 & Dimes on The Square . . . circa a mere fifty years ago 1963

[WCHS'59]

I have been a lifelong non-coffee drinker, which some folks think is pretty weird, chuckle.

My dad, though, was a prolific coffee drinker. The blacker the better and the stronger the better. There was always a pot on the stove and sometimes he would allow me to scoop the required number of scoops into the peculator to make the next batch.

But in the late forties one of my favorite treats was to be allowed to grind coffee beans. The smell was very fragrant and most irresistible.

My dad worked at the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in the 100 block of south Liberty just south of the Chrisman-Sawyer bank. This grocery store was the A&P Supermarket for those not familiar with the full name. The site is now a parking lot.

When we would go to A&P to grocery shop, my dad would pick up a bag of either Ann Page or Jane Parker or Eight O'clock coffee (I cannot remember which) that he wanted. All of these coffee brands were not sold in a ground state but were just coffee beans. Then he let me pour the beans into an electric grinder sitting right there in the coffee section and bag the ground coffee into the same bag. Mom would not let me do it, but when my dad was around when we shopped, he would.

I subsequently worked in several area grocery stores from about 1954 through 1965 but none of them had a facility to grind coffee. When someone mentions A&P, I recall being able to grind coffee and that delicious aroma. I guess A&P is now just a small chain somewhere back east.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I have been a lifelong non-coffee drinker, which some folks think is pretty weird, chuckle.

My dad, though, was a prolific coffee drinker. The blacker the better and the stronger the better. There was always a pot on the stove and sometimes he would allow me to scoop the required number of scoops into the peculator to make the next batch.

But in the late forties one of my favorite treats was to be allowed to grind coffee beans. The smell was very fragrant and most irresistible.

My dad worked at the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in the 100 block of south Liberty just south of the Chrisman-Sawyer bank. This grocery store was the A&P Supermarket for those not familiar with the full name. The site is now a parking lot.

When we would go to A&P to grocery shop, my dad would pick up a bag of either Ann Page or Jane Parker or Eight O'clock coffee (I cannot remember which) that he wanted. All of these coffee brands were not sold in a ground state but were just coffee beans. Then he let me pour the beans into an electric grinder sitting right there in the coffee section and bag the ground coffee into the same bag. Mom would not let me do it, but when my dad was around when we shopped, he would.

I subsequently worked in several area grocery stores from about 1954 through 1965 but none of them had a facility to grind coffee. When someone mentions A&P, I recall being able to grind coffee and that delicious aroma. I guess A&P is now just a small chain somewhere back east.

I remember those house brands and my Mom grinding coffee beans at A&P also

[WCHS'59]

These trucks appeared frequently in our area of Independence in the 40s and 50s. Though not as often as the Manor Bread truck or the Borden's milk truck, which came by daily except Sunday and perhaps not on Saturday.

Lots of women stayed at home in those days and the husband had the family car. These Jewel Tea trucks would deliver groceries and other items that had been ordered by phone. There was a warehouse somewhere in Kansas City and I don't believe they had walk in business--at any rate, I dont ever remember seeing a Jewel Tea grocery store somewhere.

It seems to me Jewel Tea Company was printed across the front of the truck and maybe also across the back.

Here in Colorado, King Soopers, a part of Kroger, had for a short time in the early 2000s a grocery delivery service. Customers ordered by internet. They no longer do that but I have read that Walmart will start this service across the country.

[WCHS'59]

This Silex coffee brewer was used by virtually every restaurant and cafe across the country in the forties and fifties and maybe earlier. Even the Woolworth and Kresgee dime store lunch counters on the square had them.

I always wondered why my family had just a simple metal percolator pot but this glass machine was made for commercial use.

My dad said that coffee from this machine was the better drink but at 5 cents a cup, it was just too expensive.

I don't know exactly how it made coffee but when the coffee was ready, the top glass was taken off and washed and the waitress poured coffee for customers from the bottom glass.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I remember those house brands and my Mom grinding coffee beans at A&P also

I went into a Walmart grocery only store the other day and it seems like they had a coffee grinder.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I went into a Walmart grocery only store the other day and it seems like they had a coffee grinder.

One or more of the chain groceries here in Dallas has had them. Either Tom Thumb. Or Albertson 's