Long ago on independence square (Liberty, Lexington: license, garage door, pool)

[WCHS'59]

Here is a photo from a web site that states the photo can be used for personal non commercial use.

This scene is the reverse from MRG's 1948 photo of west Lexington Street. This photo appears to be from around the same timeframe and looks west on Lexington, probably taken from the top of the First National Bank building at Liberty and Lexington.

The Memorial Building can be seen at the top. Below it is the marvelous old post office.

In the forefront is the Chrisman-Sawyer Bank before its exterior was modernized. Tucker Furniture is next to it.

Further down the street can be seen the rear of Bostian Cheverolet.

[WCHS'59]

Not sure when traffic lights were installed around the square but one way streets were installed in the late forties when I was around eight years old.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by sally36

Sorry, 59, I got mixed up. It was you who brought up the tunnel talk. I well remember Van Horn Ave. and felt disgusted when it changed to Truman. I am certain Mr. Van Horn was ameaningful historic figure in Indep. and it's disrespectful --VERY !!--to take his name off that street and replace it. I do not see how the powers that be can think it honorable. They should've given Truman a different street--a street with no name yet or with a numbered name, like 23rd St.

Anyone remember Adair Park? I think it was southeast of town. I have pix of friends and I taken there in the 50s and I also have a pic of my mother there in her prime (before I was born!) She was standing on a little wooden bridge and in a ppic of me there I also was on the same bridge. It's very rustic, like unsanded branches.

When I was a dispatcher for the PD in the late 70s we had regular runs to Adair Park to haul off the deviants. Thankfully the county (which owns the park) finally put some money into renovating it. It is now a very heavily used ballpark, home to many tournaments.

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Here is a photo from a web site that states the photo can be used for personal non commercial use.

This scene is the reverse from MRG's 1948 photo of west Lexington Street. This photo appears to be from around the same timeframe and looks west on Lexington, probably taken from the top of the First National Bank building at Liberty and Lexington.

The Memorial Building can be seen at the top. Below it is the marvelous old post office.

In the forefront is the Chrisman-Sawyer Bank before its exterior was modernized. Tucker Furniture is next to it.

Further down the street can be seen the rear of Bostian Cheverolet.

Can anyone make out what the first business at the lower right is?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

When I was a dispatcher for the PD in the late 70s we had regular runs to Adair Park to haul off the deviants. Thankfully the county (which owns the park) finally put some money into renovating it. It is now a very heavily used ballpark, home to many tournaments.

It seems to me that a well known Independence doctor was nabbed out there and faced some serious, if not embarrassing, charges.

[WCHS'59]

Here is another photo taken from atop the First National Bank building looking north along Liberty Street and the intersection with west Maple.

The bus is a Kansas City Transit bus. The white building to the left behind the bus is the old Bank of Independence.

Across the street on the corner to the right are the upper two floors of the Earle Hotel although it was the Watkins Hotel at this point in time. The hotel entrance was on Liberty Street. The lower floor on Maple was a business with B&G Hosiery in there at one time and later a finance company. Lee's Sporting Goods is one or two doors to the right along Maple.

An interesting item here is that Van Horn Street (renamed Truman) appears to not exist as intersecting with Liberty. It must have started further west.

There are no parking meters and I think these were introduced in the 50s and then later taken out, probably with the abysmal urban renewal project. The parking meters accepted pennies and nickels.

Someone might recognize the spire in the distance. The white column was, I think, a round brick water tower.

One might also notice the very narrow sidewalks in front of the courthouse, which is out of the picture to the right. I remember those narrow walks and they were very inconvenient.

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

It seems to me that a well known Independence doctor was nabbed out there and faced some serious, if not embarrassing, charges.

Dr. Strangelove, perhaps?

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Here is another photo taken from atop the First National Bank building looking north along Liberty Street and the intersection with west Maple.

The bus is a Kansas City Transit bus. The white building to the left behind the bus is the old Bank of Independence.

Across the street on the corner to the right are the upper two floors of the Earle Hotel although it was the Watkins Hotel at this point in time. The hotel entrance was on Liberty Street. The lower floor on Maple was a business with B&G Hosiery in there at one time and later a finance company. Lee's Sporting Goods is one or two doors to the right along Maple.

An interesting item here is that Van Horn Street (renamed Truman) appears to not exist as intersecting with Liberty. It must have started further west.

There are no parking meters and I think these were introduced in the 50s and then later taken out, probably with the abysmal urban renewal project. The parking meters accepted pennies and nickels.

Someone might recognize the spire in the distance. The white column was, I think, a round brick water tower.

One might also notice the very narrow sidewalks in front of the courthouse, which is out of the picture to the right. I remember those narrow walks and they were very inconvenient.

The tall steeple is St. Mary's Catholic Church, the shorter steeple just to the right of it is Trinity Episcopal. The water column is now a large round type water tower.

I'll check my old maps to see if Van Horn Road intersected with Liberty.

[MRG Dallas]

I'm wondering if the sidewalks weren't whole or in part, removed/moved to make way for the adjacent diagonal parking. The curbs on that side of Liberty aren't in alignment, but they are on the (west) side. Perhaps the city or county didn't want to incur the cost to move and expand the sidewalks. There's plenty of room on the grassy side for that.

So Lee's is the 3rd building to the right, with the dark sign and striped awning?

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

The water column is now a large round type water tower.

I'll check my old maps to see if Van Horn Road intersected with Liberty.

This is from the City of Independence web site concerning the brick water tower.

"North Main Water Tower (24 Highway and Main) was constructed in 1884. It was a circular, brick water tower 55 feet high and 21 feet in diameter with a wooden standpipe 30 feet high. In May of 1995, it was dedicated as a National American Water Works Association Historic Landmark. There are only 11 National AWWA landmarks in Missouri. North Main water tower was rebuilt after the wooden portion (top 30 feet) burned down after being struck by lightning."

Google shows a circular building of some type next to the current water tower, but it is rather short and hidden by trees. The current water tower has to be from around 1955.

There is an old map on the web drawn by Harvey A. Jones, county engineer, which seems to show Van Horn started west at Spring Street. It also seems to show Spring Branch Street starting east at Main Street, although that street is not named on the map. There also seems to be a three block long alley between Van Horn and Spring Branch.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

I'm wondering if the sidewalks weren't whole or in part, removed/moved to make way for the adjacent diagonal parking. The curbs on that side of Liberty aren't in alignment, but they are on the (west) side. Perhaps the city or county didn't want to incur the cost to move and expand the sidewalks. There's plenty of room on the grassy side for that.

So Lee's is the 3rd building to the right, with the dark sign and striped awning?

The sidewalks all around the square are now comfortably wide.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by sally36

59, I think that big gray bldg where Milgram's was is newish, isn't it? Milgram's when I was small opened out on the corner, I do believe, and definitely didn't take up that whole area in your pic.

Here is that photo again. I found an old photo of Milgram's in a book and it shows the exact same building format for the second floor, that is seven narrow window treatments on the right and two wider window treatments on the left.

A Milgram's sign extends all the way from the corner to the end of that building under all those windows. The entry door open's to the corner in both photos. It has to be the same building. The one time that I was in Milgram's it seemed much smaller.

In the book photo, the store immediately to the right, or south, of the Milgram's building is shown as Davidow's Furniture. I had thought they were further south.