Independence

Founded in 1827 as the county seat of Jackson County, Independence, "Queen City of the Trails," prospered through outfitting pioneers as they began the journey west on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails. The city persisted through various travails: a bloody war over slavery, fought between the Kansas Jayhawkers and the Missouri Bushwhackers; the rise of William Quantrill; the enforcement of the infamous Order No. 11; and Civil War action on the town square. By 1900, Independence was a prosperous community, the location of the headquarters of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (renamed the Community of Christ), and the hometown of a young man who became the 33rd president of the United States--Harry S. Truman. This book illustrates the history of Independence in more than 200 vintage images, detailing the people, businesses, churches, schools, organizations, and events that played important roles in the city's past.

A former college teacher, Richard N. Piland owns the community survey research firm he started in 1983. Piland is an amateur historian and an avid model railroad enthusiast. He grew up in Independence and now resides in Fairfield, Ohio, with his wife, novelist Kathryn R. Blake. Marietta Wilson Boenker is a lifelong resident of the Independence area. An avid genealogist, she lives in Lee's Summit with her husband, Kurt, and is writing the history of the Wilson family of Independence.