AAA Traveler Magazine - Historic Town Squares

Town Squares

Horse-drawn wagon rides are offered around the Independence Square, where pioneers once gathered. /Independence Tourism photo

Published: Jul/Aug 2000

The town square was once the heart of Midwestern communities, pulsing with culture, shopping, arts and entertainment.

It was where people bought produce, took care of their business in the court building and city hall, saw a movie, had their hair cut, window shopped, visited the bank and gathered to talk with friends. In a way, it was the community.

However, shopping patterns have changed, with strip centers, malls and discount superstores displacing sales from the downtown area. And changes in transportation–from wagons to cars–have had a withering effect on the viability of squares. Many have faltered and faded.

Some squares, though, are still pumping with life. Their lifeblood can be found in their historic architecture, rich heritage, leisurely pace and the lively collection of shops and restaurants that have helped revitalize these bastions of simpler days. On a day tour of the region, this sampling will help travelers recall yesteryear– tinged with modern influences.

Truman’s town

From its founding in 1827 as the Jackson County seat, to its current ranking as Missouri’s fourth-largest city, Independence has played an important role in American history. That role can be retraced through more than a dozen attractions, all located within 15 square blocks of the historic Independence Square.

At one time, thousands of pioneers outfitted their wagons in Independence and began their journeys west on the Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails. Pioneers, tradesmen and soldiers thronged the Square in the 1800s, and the town saw great prosperity from the late 1830s through the mid-1840s.

Later, Independence gained renown as hometown to President Harry S. Truman, who lived, worked and honed his leadership skills on the Square. He held his first job at Clinton’s Drugstore, which is still in operation today as Clinton’s Soda Fountain. Truman memorabilia lines the restaurant’s walls.

Within the Jackson County Courthouse, discover more Truman lore in the Harry S. Truman Courtroom and Office. A film about Truman’s youth and retirement in Independence is shown in the restored courtroom that he used during his early political career as a county judge. For more details, call (816) 795-8200, ext. 1264.

Also on the Square is the Truman Home Ticket and Information Center, where visitors pick up tickets to the nearby Harry S. Truman National Historic Site, where Truman lived. Call (816) 254-9929.

Explore early crime and punishment in the 1859 Jail, Marshal’s Home and Museum on the Square. With its iron bars and limestone cells, the restored jail looks as it did in the 1800s when it held notorious outlaws, such as Frank James. Call (816) 252-1892.

In addition, the Square offers horse-drawn wagon rides, unique eateries, specialty shops and more. Call 1-800-748-7323 for details, or visit the Web site www.ci.independence.mo.us.

Bullets on the square

Like Independence, nearby Liberty flourished as an outfitting center for pioneers and gold seekers. But the Liberty Square witnessed even more excitement when armed bandits galloped through it in a hale of gunfire after the first successful daylight bank robbery during peacetime in U.S. history.

Jesse James and his gang were blamed for the 1866 robbery, although they were never convicted. Today, the authentically restored bank office and vault at the Jesse James Bank Museum look as they did when the crime was committed. It also features James memorabilia, period furnishings and banking displays. Call (816) 781-4458.

Also on the Square, the Clay County Museum and Historical Society is housed in a restored 19th-century drugstore displaying patent medicines, early farm tools and other artifacts of pioneer life in Missouri. For details, call (816) 792-1849.

And nearby, the Historic Liberty Jail is a restored version of the 1833 jail were Mormon prophet Joseph Smith was held for four months in 1838–39. While there, he is said to have received several revelations about doctrines of the Mormon Church. Call (816) 781-3188.

After you’ve worked up an appetite shopping and traveling through history, the Square offers several cafes. And you can head to the top floor of the Clay County Administrative Building to see three beautiful murals that depict the area’s history. Call (816) 792-7691.

All-American appeal

The distinction for the having Missouri’s largest square belongs to Clinton, located southeast of Kansas City. Many buildings around the stately Henry County Courthouse date to the 1800s, and more than 40 of them have been restored to their original splendor. Today, they house antique shops, jewelers, cafes, gift shops, florists, clothing stores and more.

From certain angles, the Square looks as if it could have been the setting for a Norman Rockwell painting. And confirming the city’s all-American spirit and appeal, it was recently chosen as one of 30 finalists nationwide for the All-America City Award, a prestigious national civic award.

As you walk along the Square, it’s easy to imagine the bustling retail community in the 1800s. To give your imagination a little help, visit the Henry County Museum and Cultural Arts Center just off the northwest corner of the Square. Within the museum is a re-created 1800s village, including a drug store and soda fountain, doctor’s office, barbershop, general store, schoolhouse, bank and more. Adjacent to the museum is a fully restored 1850s dog-trot log house, furnished in period. For museum details, call (660) 885-8414. For more information about Clinton, call 1-800-222-5251.

Lincoln and lawmakers

Abraham Lincoln left his footprints in Spencer County of southern Indiana, where he lived from 1816–1830, growing from a 7-year-old boy to a promising 21-year-old man. Some of those footprints can be found in Rockport around the Square.

It was at the Spencer County Courthouse on the Square that Lincoln campaigned in 1844 for presidential candidate Henry Clay. Today, the courthouse features a spectacular stained-glass dome towering over a grand rotunda.

Strolling around the Square, visitors are reminded of the small town Main Street of yesteryear, with popular hometown shops located in restored buildings. And during lunch, the cafes are packed with hungry locals catching up with neighbors and friends. For more details, call the Spencer County Visitors Bureau at 1-888-444-9252.

More political history can be found on the Square in Corydon, which served as the Indiana state capital from 1816–25. At the time, lawmakers met in the newly constructed Capitol on the Square, as well as under the shade of a nearby elm tree, to draft the state’s constitution.

Today, visitors can tour the restored two-story building, erected of limestone and hand-hewn timbers and furnished in period. Across the street from the Old Capitol Square is the Gov. Hendricks’ Headquarters, the former home and headquarters of Indiana’s second elected governor. And nearby is the trunk of Constitution Elm and a memorial. Call (812) 738-4890.

Strolling these squares is like stepping into a time machine, a nostalgic and sentimental journey. By just window shopping, sitting on a park bench or eating at the café lunch counter, you can experience the former glory of small town America.