Long ago on independence square (Lexington, Alton: pedestrian, for sale, purchase)

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by SilverDoc

There was a cafe on the southwest corner of Lynn and Lexington, an auto parts store on the north side of Lexington and a head shop called J.P. Warthogs in the late 60's. U.S. Supply was further east down the hill closer to old Noland. Sorry I can't give you more specifics as to names and addresses.

Antoine had worked for Adams Seed Co. and later bought the business after buying property from Adams, on South Ave, where he later moved the business. He moved because the city wanted to cut Lynn street through from Lexington to Maple, and would need to demolish Antoine's building to do so.

Thanks for the history lesson. I do not believe that I have ever heard that U.S. Supply was on Lexington. That name probably would not have meant much to me back in the early '50s.

Wasn't there a television/radio store on old Noland Road. I keep think that Elrod had a shop somewhere in the vicinity, but don't believe the one I am thinking of was his.

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Paul Henning the creator of Beverly Hillbillies and other hit television shows was from Independence.

Ginger Rogers was born in Independence, under another name, and lived at 100 West Moore Street.

Richard Rhodes was from Independence (Drumm Farm) and received the Pulitzer Prize for “The Making of the Atomic Bomb.” Most of the Drumm Farm area is now a golf course.


Apparently, there are still kids at Drumm Farm but I am not sure how the place is run now. I visited there as a Cub Scout when only boys were accepted. I now understand that girls are accepted also.

Paul Henning was a friend of Petey Childers.

I had a WCHS-63 classmate who lived for a while at 100 W. Moore.

Richard Rhodes went to church at Watson Memorial Methodist Church which was at Delaware & Maple.

Drumm Farm is alive and well. They sold a bunch of the land, but they are currently renovating the buildings and driveways.

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

According to one source, St. Mary’s High School started in 1853.

The 1947 building is still going in the 600 block of north Main Street.

St, Mary's school is now closed.

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

The Independence Power and Light had a power facility named Jackson Square Station (which must have been the old power station where the Sermon Community Center is now) Some web sites still have a reference to Jackson Square.

Here is a photo or a rendering (not sure which) of the Independence P&L plant on Truman and Noland. Does anyone recall what looks like a curved road running behind it? Also, when they converted it to the Sermon Center, did they sheer off the front part of the building? I ask as the building in the picture comes right up to the street, but the Sermon Center does not.

Also, there was talk about a Thriftway at Noland and Truman. Using this photo, where was it?

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

Paul Henning was a friend of Petey Childers.

Not only that, they were related. If'n my feeble mind has had enough coffee Petey married Paul's sister. On at least one episode of The Beverly Hillbillies Granny called back home to talk to Petey for unusual pharmacy items.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

Here is a photo or a rendering (not sure which) of the Independence P&L plant on Truman and Noland. Does anyone recall what looks like a curved road running behind it? Also, when they converted it to the Sermon Center, did they sheer off the front part of the building? I ask as the building in the picture comes right up to the street, but the Sermon Center does not.

Also, there was talk about a Thriftway at Noland and Truman. Using this photo, where was it?

Here is the closest I could get to a modern view at the same angle. The only curved road behind it is the RR tracks. The road running diagonally at the top right is Lexington. The city garage is on the left side of Lexington, just across the tracks from the power plant.

Dodgion Street still runs along the west side of the building. When converted to the Sermon Center the L-shaped portion on the north side of the building was removed and replaced with the new lobby

The Thriftway would have been a block west of the power plant. It would have been in the front yard of the Police Building on Memorial.

[WCHS'59]

It is a little difficult to tell but it looks like they did shear off that smaller top level with the smoke stack and two eyebrow windows facing west and left the level immediately underneath.

That road in the lower right running into the plant is Maple.

The spur rr track is no longer there but was used to load elephants and other animals from the Horn Zoo down the road east on Truman, but that was before any of us were crying for milk.

It seems to me that they blew a loud steam horn everyday at noon from the power plant. You could hear it distinctly from the square.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by CaseyMO

Wasn't there a television/radio store on old Noland Road.

Seems to me the TV/radio place was on Noland just to the south of the Lexington intersection on the west side. I think it sold TVs but also did TV repair.

Here is a cut and paste from Joel in November 2012:
I recall Joe Elrods old TV repair shop and how devoted Joe was to local politics.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Seems to me the TV/radio place was on Noland just to the south of the Lexington intersection on the west side. I think it sold TVs but also did TV repair.

Here is a cut and paste from Joel in November 2012:
I recall Joe Elrods old TV repair shop and how devoted Joe was to local politics.

I'm thinking that you're thinking about Washburn TV.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I'm thinking that you're thinking about Washburn TV.

Washburn sounds familiar.