Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Liberty: movers, safest, deposit)

[SilverDoc]

Originally Posted by wchs'59

looking forward to seeing those photos.

Fields was on the northeast corner of truman and noland road.

I really think fields had to relocate slightly because the widening of noland road needed the front part of their store.

After rebuilding they were still on the northeast corner of the same intersection.

I don't think i ever learned the name of the junk yard but their business required them to have a large crane of some type that towered over the landscape and was used to move junk from one place to another. I cannot recall whether the crane had a magnetic end or a claw end.

[WCHS'59]

Thanks for posting those photos. That entire building was Fields.

I noticed one of the photos indicated that the store was built in 1950.

Both Noland and Truman appear to be two lane, so this would be the original store.

I am thinking the city widened Noland to four lanes and widened the Truman intersection to four lanes at the same time and thus needed to take that building.

I don't believe the Fields replacement building was as large as the one shown in the photos.

I noticed on Google maps that nothing is there now but greenery. There is a power sub station immediately behind that greenery so maybe the city took the replacement Fields store for Independence Power and Light.

Maybe some knows the history of Fields.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Thanks for posting those photos. That entire building was Fields.

I noticed one of the photos indicated that the store was built in 1950.

Both Noland and Truman appear to be two lane, so this would be the original store.

I am thinking the city widened Noland to four lanes and widened the Truman intersection to four lanes at the same time and thus needed to take that building.

I don't believe the Fields replacement building was as large as the one shown in the photos.

I noticed on Google maps that nothing is there now but greenery. There is a power sub station immediately behind that greenery so maybe the city took the replacement Fields store for Independence Power and Light.

Maybe some knows the history of Fields.

Recheck your current map and you'll notice that Noland bows east between Kansas and Farmer. The original Noland ran straight, a portion of the old Noland became Memorial Drive. Fields sat directly north of the current police station.

Someday, I promise, I'll get out my old slides of that area and get them scanned for posting. The way the heat wave and drought are killing my garden it may be sooner than expected!

Welcome Silver Doc, thanks for chiming in.

[WCHS'59]

Chuckle, you mean I was 150 feet off?

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by SilverDoc

This will explain Wild Woody's a little better:

Noland Road, then and now - Independence, MO - The Examiner

Interesting. We moved about a mile SW of Noland/40 in 1965. I remember well the drive-in (I could see the screen from my bedroom), WW's, Holiday Inn and the General's Inn. I had forgotten about the A-C tractor plant. It's hard to remember Noland when it wasn't chock full of businesses and signage. In fact I remember at least one Star expose on the cluttering, with pictures taken from that high point adjacent to WW's, looking north for quite a ways. The mass of wires, poles and signs made good fodder for the "density pollution" crowd.

South of 40 development never happened. KCIR went in about 65-67 but not much else. In fact our development didn't go any further east so we had lots of vacant land for baseball, football, even hitting golf balls without fear of someone's window. It's still pretty much that way today.

Just read where the A-C plant closed almost 30 years ago, Nov. 15 1982.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Interesting. We moved about a mile SW of Noland/40 in 1965. I remember well the drive-in (I could see the screen from my bedroom), WW's, Holiday Inn and the General's Inn. I had forgotten about the A-C tractor plant. It's hard to remember Noland when it wasn't chock full of businesses and signage. In fact I remember at least one Star expose on the cluttering, with pictures taken from that high point adjacent to WW's, looking north for quite a ways. The mass of wires, poles and signs made good fodder for the "density pollution" crowd.

South of 40 development never happened. KCIR went in about 65-67 but not much else. In fact our development didn't go any further east so we had lots of vacant land for baseball, football, even hitting golf balls without fear of someone's window. It's still pretty much that way today.

Just read where the A-C plant closed almost 30 years ago, Nov. 15 1982.

A few weeks ago there was some clamor by someone associated with the Santa-Cali-Gon to acquire the former Allis Chalmers Gleaner combine manufacturing plant area on Pleasant, Pacific, and College streets as an off square site for the annual celebration.

Gleaner Combines moved from Kansas to Independence in the 1920s or 30s. Allis Chalmers took over in 1955.

The Gleaner plant operation was moved to Heston, Kansas, and Gleaner was subsequently acquired by a German company, which still makes the Gleaner combines in Heston.

Gleaner was the first combine in America to be self propelled.

[Mad Anthonie]

I well remember the Allis-Chalmers Plant. As kids we played in the fields of the Bingham/Waggoner estate. There is a creek that runs through the estate, and then tunnels under the plant. We would walk through the tunnel and peek out through the grates to watch the workers.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Independence was not founded until 1827 and then took a little time to get up and running.

The Santa Fe Trail started in 1821 originating out of Franklin, Missouri, which is 100 miles east along the Missouri River near Columbia. That town today has a population of around 100.

The Independence web site says Independence became the eastern origination of the Santa Fe Trail.

Sally was right. There needs to be something more grandiose commemorating these trails. The National Frontier Trails Museum on Pacific Avenue, along with the Oregon-California Trails national association on Osage are good starts but more is needed.

The Santa Fe Trail started in Independence and ended in Santa Fe, some 760 miles distant.

On a bet, Francis Xavier Aubry, a 24 year old French Canadian, started out for Independence from Santa Fe and covered the distance in 5 days and 16 hours. This record set in 1848 was never broken. For his effort he collected $1,000 ($41,000, today).

He averaged 5.6 miles an hour based on the total time. Assuming he slept 4 hours a night, he averaged almost 7 miles an hour. However, he was actually held up by having to transact some business along the way and exchanging horses. Some reports said he made fifteen miles per hour while in the saddle.

When the New York Times reported his untimely death, the newspaper said that no one would bet with him that he could finish the distance within three days.

Aubry died at age 30 in 1854.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

I well remember the Allis-Chalmers Plant. As kids we played in the fields of the Bingham/Waggoner estate. There is a creek that runs through the estate, and then tunnels under the plant. We would walk through the tunnel and peek out through the grates to watch the workers.

That looks like a bit of a jaunt but at that age we had lots of energy Judging from the Examiner article, it appears the AC Plant was across from Truman High. At least by roadway, it's 2.5 miles from BWE to Cargo Largo. Maybe the estate was larger as shown on the today's map, so you started further S/SE.

But then again how many times did I walk from 24/River to The Square, and back? Map shows only 1.3 miles, sure seemed longer. Maybe too impatient to get Katz & Woolworth's !

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

That looks like a bit of a jaunt but at that age we had lots of energy Judging from the Examiner article, it appears the AC Plant was across from Truman High. At least by roadway, it's 2.5 miles from BWE to Cargo Largo. Maybe the estate was larger as shown on the today's map, so you started further S/SE.

But then again how many times did I walk from 24/River to The Square, and back? Map shows only 1.3 miles, sure seemed longer. Maybe too impatient to get Katz & Woolworth's !

The Allis Chalmers tractor place was on 35th Street just a block or so west of Noland Road and quite near Truman High School.

I thought the place on 35th Street was merely a distribution depot for Allis Chalmers tractors and other AC equipment but the article says tractors were manufactured there.

The Allis Chalmers combine plant was seven-tenths of a mile southwest of the square. The article mentions that at some point the tractor manufacturing was moved in with the combine manufacturing. I was unaware that tractors were ever made in that complex.

Mad would not have had far to go to get to the combine plant.