Independence is the fourth largest city in the
U.S. state of
Missouri, and is contained within the counties of
Jackson (primarily) and
Clay. It is part of the
Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city had a total population of 121,212 in 2008,http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/2000s/vintage_2008/08s_challenges.html and is the 201st largest city in the United States.http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-01.csv adjusted with applicable Census estimate challenges http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/2000s/vintage_2008/08s_challenges.html Independence is one of two
county seats of Jackson County, and is known as the "Queen City of the Trails"http://www.usacitiesonline.com/mocountyindependence.htm. Retrieved on 20 July 2008. because it was a point of departure of the
California,
Oregon and
Santa Fe Trails.
The city also played a pivotal role in the early history of the
Latter Day Saint movement, and is home to the international headquarters of several Latter Day Saint denominations, most notably the
Community of Christ, whose
Temple is located there.
History
Independence was originally inhabited by
Missouri and
Osage Indians, followed by the Spanish and a brief French tenure. It became part of the United States with the
Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
Lewis and Clark recorded in their journals that they stopped in 1804 to pick plums, raspberries, and wild apples at a site that would later form part of the city.
Independence was founded on March 29, 1827 and quickly became an important
frontier town. Independence was the farthest point westward on the
Missouri River where
steamboats or other cargo vessels could travel, due to the convergence of the
Kansas River with the Missouri River approximately six miles west of town, near the current
Kansas-Missouri border. Independence immediately became a jumping-off point for the emerging
fur trade, accommodating merchants and adventurers beginning the long trek westward on the Santa Fe Trail.
In 1831, members of the
Latter Day Saint movement began moving to the Jackson County, Missouri area. Shortly thereafter, founder
Joseph Smith, Jr. declared a
spot west of the Courthouse Square to be the place for his prophesied temple of the
New Jerusalem, in expectation of the
Second Coming of Christ. Tension grew with local Missourians until the
Latter Day Saints were driven from the area in 1833. Several branches of this movement gradually returned to the city, with many making their headquarters there. These include the
Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), the
Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and the
Restoration Branches.
Independence saw great prosperity from the late 1830s through the mid-1840s, while the business of outfitting pioneers boomed. Between 1848 and 1868, it was a hub of the
Central Route to
California. On March 8, 1849, the
Missouri General Assembly granted a
home-rule charter to the town and on July 18, 1849,
William McCoy was elected as its first mayor. In the mid-1800s an Act of the
United States Congress defined Independence as the start of the
Oregon Trail.
Independence saw two important battles during the Civil War: the
first on August 11, 1862 when
Confederate soldiers took control of the town, and the
second in October 1864, which also resulted in a Southern victory. The war took its toll on Independence and the town was never able to regain its previous prosperity, although a flurry of building activity took place soon after the war. The rise of nearby
Kansas City also contributed to the town's relegation to a place of secondary prominence in Jackson County, though Independence has retained its position as county seat until the present day.
President Harry S Truman grew up in Independence, and in 1922 was elected judge of the County Court of Jackson County, Missouri (an administrative, not judicial, post). Although he was defeated for reelection in 1924, he won back the office in 1926 and was reelected in 1930. Truman performed his duties diligently, and won personal acclaim for several popular public works projects, including an extensive series of fine roads for the growing use of automobiles, the building of a new County Court building in Independence, and a series of twelve
Madonna of the Trail monuments to pioneer women dedicated across the country in 1928 and 1929. He would later return to the city after two terms as President. His wife,
First Lady Bess Truman, was born and raised in Independence, and both are buried there. The
Harry S Truman National Historic Site (Truman's home) and the
Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum are both located in Independence, as is one of Truman's boyhood residences.
Independence continues to be of great importance to the Latter Day Saint movement and is the headquarters of the Community of Christ, the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. This church has built a striking
temple in Independence, and also maintains a large auditorium and other buildings nearby.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormons") operates a sizable visitors' center adjacent to the Community of Christ Temple, which is located directly across the street from the original
Temple Lot designated by Joseph Smith in 1830. The Lot itself is occupied by a small white-frame church building that serves as the headquarters and local meeting house for the Church of Christ (Temple Lot).
Geography
Independence is located at (39.079805, -94.406551). It lies on the south bank of the Missouri River, near the western edge of the state. According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 78.4 square miles (203.2 km²), of which, 78.3 square miles (202.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.17%) is water.