Long ago on independence square (Kansas City, Lexington: buyer, pharmacy, garage)

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by sally36

WCHS -- just went to pg. 12 and I can't believe the Electric Theater was almost as big as the Granada. When I went there it was miniscule--like someone's living room ! would've sworn the Granada was waaaaaaay bigger.

I got those theater seating numbers from a web site. They may be suspect. I thought the Granada held almost 1,000 seats. As I recall, it extended from Maple back to Lexington, a distance of one block, whereas both the Electric and Plaza only extended to the alley behind. The web site also shows the Englewood as having more seats than the Granada and I recall the Englewood being much smaller than the Granada.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by sally36

WCHS -- I got my D L in 1953 and didn' have to take any kind of test !! They just handed them out in those days. A bunch of us girls ran uptown to this tiny storefront on Maple no bigger than a walk in closet, and paid our $2.00 and got our licenses about a week boefore they changed the law and gave tests. Yea !!! I knew zip about how to drive ! It felt so daring.

I had no idea one could get a driver’s license at one time just by forking over the cash. Chuckle. I thought I was under a lot of pressure at the time having to pass two tests just to get a license to drive.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by sally36

I beg to differ about the one-way streets ! I was living in Indep in '49 and do not recall any one way streets. More importantly, I was living there from l950 to l954 and don't recall any. When I was married and raising kids in the '60s in Calif. I recall my Grandma writing and tellin me how they put in one way streets around the square. I was so disgusted about it. Are you positively SURE ??

Sally, no, I am not sure about that late forties date. I had a reason for saying that time frame but that reasoning appears to be incorrect. I have come across a book with what is labeled as a 1952 photo of the Independence Fire Department parking all their equipment on Maple Street for a publicity photo. The photo was apparently taken on a Sunday and there are no cars parked but the white lines show angled parking in each direction on Maple indicating a two-way street.

I received my driver’s license in late 1957 and the streets around the square were one-way at that time. Based on that Maple Street photograph it would have to have been sometime between 1953 and 1957. And, I am really thinking closer to 1953. But if I split the difference and say it was 1955 that would account for why you could not recall any one-ways while living in Independence.

It seems to me that when the streets were made one-way, a new curved section of Maple was built extending from Truman Road at Grand Avenue to River Road so that traffic coming east on Truman Road could veer off east to get to the square. East bound traffic on Truman could go no further than Grand since the portion of Truman going west was made one-way from Main to Grand Avenue.

One other note, back in the fifties eastbound Missouri Highway 12 followed Truman Road and then at Grand Street followed Maple along that “new” curved section to its eastern end at about Snow Meats behind Katz Drug Store. Today, that highway continues along Truman and has its eastern end at Spring Street.

[MRG Dallas]

Yeah, I recall TPS being of that same format. It was owned by a Wm. W. Bailey, Jr. ("Won't you come home, Bill Bailey, won't you come home?")

Interesting some of the slogans and jingles various businesses had:

Dobson Cleaners 1331 W. Lexington (near the Triangle) "We operate our own plant"
Englewood Hobby & Toy Shop, Inc. "Year 'Round Toys & Hobbies, If We Don't Have It, We'll Get it, Year 'Round Lay Away Plan" 11010 Winner Rd.
Alderson Construction & Realty Co. "Let us sell your old home & build a new one"


Sure enough, WCHS nailed Cooper's Hobbies: the blue house with the vestibule 1312 W. Lexington. J. Glenn & Vida V. Cooper, proprietors.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Yeah, I recall TPS being of that same format. It was owned by a Wm. W. Bailey, Jr.

Interesting some of the slogans and jingles various businesses had:

Dobson Cleaners 1331 W. Lexington (near the Triangle) "We operate our own plant"
Englewood Hobby & Toy Shop, Inc. "Year 'Round Toys & Hobbies, If We Don't Have It, We'll Get it, Year 'Round Lay Away Plan" 11010 Winner Rd.
Alderson Construction & Realty Co. "Let us sell your old home & build a new one"


Sure enough, WCHS nailed Cooper's Hobbies: the blue house with the vestibule 1312 W. Lexington. J. Glenn & Vida V. Cooper, proprietors.

She, Mrs. Cooper, was one nice lady. I thought that house was rather small. But looking at the back end with Google Maps, she had a lot of room back there. If J. Gleen was her husband I never saw him. He might have had a day job somewhere else.

Is Curt's Barbershop on South Main listed? I really liked that man for a haircut. I can recall when the cost went from $2.00 to $2.25 and everyone thought the world was coming to an end. I seem to recall he retired when I was in high school or soon after.

[MRG Dallas]

Independence did seem rather "old" compare to the suburbs so I guess one could expect alot of pharmacies. Several were clustered in the same areas, The Square, and out on Winner Rd.

Bogart & Brown was at 131 W. Lexington & 10819 Winner

Bob Bunyar Drug Co. @ 121 W. Lexington & 10901 Winner

I guess the "BB" pharmacies were chasing each other!

Add Petey Childers at 10900 Winner.
Denton Drug @ 128 W. Maple
Katz @ 201 N. Main

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

She, Mrs. Cooper, was one nice lady. I thought that house was rather small. But looking at the back end with Google Maps, she had a lot of room back there. If J. Gleen was her husband I never saw him. He might have had a day job somewhere else.

Is Curt's Barbershop on South Main listed? I really liked that man for a haircut. I can recall when the cost went from $2.00 to $2.25 and everyone thought the world was coming to an end. I seem to recall he retired when I was in high school or soon after.

Yes, I saw it last night but it's listed as "Barber- Harold Curtis" 115 S Main. Lambert-Moon was 114, Davidow's 111-113, Jones & Herald Office Equipment Col @ 119 Sears Mail Order @ 123 Eagles Hall @ 124 and Firestone @ 125.

I remember haircuts that cheap too. And the one time Dad got upset with me because I (typically) didn't want to get my hair cut, and he wanted to beat the 25 cent increase. After his hard day's work that's the last thing he wanted, a stubborn son. Naturally he won out.

[MRG Dallas]

Besides Cooper's Hobbies, there are several other businesses out that way as we've noted before:

I recall a home business (much like the Coopers had), a printing business further east called Monte Parker Printer. That was @ 1106.

The much-discussed Natatorium is listed as Independence Natatorium and together with a Waterfield Cab. Co. is addressed at 1400 W. Lex.

1401 Jennings Furniture
1405 George Miller Barber Shop
1407 "White Apartments"

@ the RR overpass: 1411 Artistic Beauty Salon
On past, Hill Flower Shop @ 1440 (no doubt close to Carson's Funeral Home. listed @ Winner & Fuller)

Back the other direction: Galen Boyer is listed one year at 907 W. Lexington but I also saw it at W. Maple on same block as Granada (as previously discussed) in either tht 59 or 60 directory, so I presume the move was in one of those years (can't remember which address came first and last).

Sally's favorite, Slover's is at 921.

[WCHS'59]

My mother insisted I get a haircut every two weeks. Before I drove, I would walk uptown after school and get one, then either ride the bus home or walk home. I believe (I knew him as Curt) he was the first barber who shaved me around the ears and back of the neck with a straight edge and I was impressed.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Besides Cooper's Hobbies, there are several other businesses out that way as we've noted before:

I recall a home business (much like the Coopers had), a printing business further east called Monte Parker Printer. That was @ 1106.

The much-discussed Natatorium is listed as Independence Natatorium and together with a Waterfield Cab. Co. is addressed at 1400 W. Lex.

1401 Jennings Furniture
1405 George Miller Barber Shop
1407 "White Apartments"

@ the RR overpass: 1411 Artistic Beauty Salon
On past, Hill Flower Shop @ 1440 (no doubt close to Carson's Funeral Home. listed @ Winner & Fuller)

Back the other direction: Galen Boyer is listed one year at 907 W. Lexington but I also saw it at W. Maple on same block as Granada (as previously discussed) in either tht 59 or 60 directory, so I presume the move was in one of those years (can't remember which address came first and last).

Sally's favorite, Slover's is at 921.

Do you think that the 907 W Lexington address was the used car lot? And the Maple Street address the new car lot?