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Independence put forth
two of the most heroic
efforts that any city ever
put forth to checkmate her
rival. Nature took a hand
in the contest. The Big
Blue and Missouri River gave
Kansas City first aid and
saved her life. In the
early spring the Big Blue
was so swollen that wagon
trains from Independence
could not cross it. Traders
to Santa Fe who outfitted at
Westport got the start of
those that had to wait at
Independence for the Blue to
run down. Steamboats plying
the Missouri River
discovered at the foot of
Main Street, in Kansas City,
a Bethany Falls limestone
ledge projecting into deep
water, the best boat landing
between the mouth of the
river and the head of
navigation. That landing
was but four miles from
Westport. Independence saw
the impending danger and
sought to avert it.
The capitalists jumped in
and built a railroad from
the river to the public
square in Independence with
the hope of thus
articulating the river
traffic with the Santa Fe
traffic. This railroad was
the first ever built west of
the Mississippi River. It
was a grand undertaking and
for a grand purpose. It was
a link in a
trans-continental system of
transportation. It
connected directly the
voluminous river traffic
with the trade and travel
across the plains. Again
the Missouri River, bete
noir of Independence, issued
an edict in favor of the
daughter of Independence.
The river threw up a sand
bar in front of the
Independence landing and
boats were compelled to pass
on to the aforesaid Bethany
Falls limestone ledge. The
heroic little railroad thus
was rendered useless and
went into the hands of the
receiver. Dim traces of the
roadbed of this primitive
railroad may be seen to this
day long the valley between
Independence and Sugar
Creek. This little old
nondescript railroad, with
its three or four mule-drawn
cars, was the forerunner of
all the railroads that now
radiate into our out of
Kansas City.
But romantic and picturesque
as was this very remarkable
railroad, it nevertheless
failed to meet the
overwhelming requirements of
a trade that was largely
international in character.
A bridge across the Big Blue
on the Independence and
Westport road would have
done more for Independence
than that heroic little
railroad did.
But Independence was not a
quitter. She held to the
good old pioneer motto:
"Pick your flint and try
again." And she did try
again in one of the most
sensational episodes known
to the entire west. She
brought on the first real
estate boom in the country.
Independence was the first
in railroad building and the
first in real estate booms.
The Kansas City spirit was
born in Independence and we
lay claim to the parentage
of it. This real estate
boom, the pioneer of all
western booms, was the work
chiefly of one man, Maj.
William Gilpin, a resident
here, who distinguished
himself as an author, a
soldier, an explorer and as
the originator of Isothermal
theory, whereby he pointed
out the sites of great
cities on this and all
continent, including
Centropolis, the central
continental city which he
located at Independence. He
created the wild enthusiasm.
The city limits of
Independence were extended
to the Missouri River and
the intervening region was
laid off into streets and
boulevards bordered by
palatial residences,
universities and colleges,
industrial buildings,
factories, mercantile
emporiums -- all on paper.
Having thus laid the
foundation for this great
city, and having created
tremendous local enthusiasm
for the enterprise, Major
Gilpin departed for
Washington City, where he
was well acquainted, and to
New York, where he
anticipated another
financial excitement in his
great scheme. He returned
empty-handed to Independence
and found that in his
absence his town company had
been called into court for
final settlement.
The public square was
occupied originally by a
heavy forest, through which
ran an Indian Trace-Trail
afterwards. The trees were
cut down by Adam
Christianson, as I have been
informed, related to the
Rowe family of Blue Springs.
Within five years after the
founding of Independence,
the Santa Fe trade began
slowly and in small volume
to foregather here, the fur
traders to the west
outfitted here, a few
steamboats appeared on the
river, traffic with the
Indians became important.
In this same half decade the
Mormons arrived and Joseph
Smith, their leader, prophet
and seer, located Temple
Lot, and Dr. Josiah Gregg
departed over the plains and
so found material for his
great book, one of the
first books ever written in
the west and one of the
greatest.
Independence history is
studded with men who tower
well above the mass level,
both statesmen and military
men. Independence has
produced two Governors, one
for Missouri and one for
Kansas, L. W. Boggs and John
P. St. John. Two
Independence men went to
Congress, Judge Samuel
Sawyer and Abraham Comingo
-- and the brilliant Col.
John T. Crisp, who nearly
went to Congress, but did
not.
The first white man to visit
the site of Independence was
probably Morgan Boon, son of
the immortal Daniel Boone.
It is a fair inference that
Morgan Boone passed over the
site of Independence, not
only once, but many times.
For twelve years he trapped
beaver on the Big Blue and
Little Blue. One of these
streams is five miles west
of Independence and the
other is five miles to the
east. An old Indian trail,
or trace, from one of these
streams to the other, cut
diagonally across the public
square. It is a fair
inference that Boone
frequented this trail and
drak at the public spring on
the east side of town --
probably sometimes camped
there. |
