The Journal
Winding
the Clock: Time Keeps Ticking
for Jackson County’s Two 19th Century Courthouses By. J.
Bradley Pace The
Spring 2002 JOURNAL of the Jackson County Historical Society features Winding
the Clock: Time Keeps Ticking for
Jackson County’s Two 19th Century Courthouses by. J. Bradley
Pace. Brad
Pace has been kind enough to expound on a section from his published book, Survivors:
A Catalog of Missouri’s Remaining 19th Century Courthouses.
Pace’s article, Winding the Clock:
Jackson County's Enduring 19th Century Courthouses, re-counts the two
courthouses that have withstood the ravages and renovations of time. This
timely article strikes at a moment when the Independence Square Courthouse
faces the latest pendulum swing from outdated use into a modern VOC (read the
article to find out what that means). More
than one third of Missouri’s 114 counties are governed by courthouses over
100 years old. While some have been extensively rebuilt or remolded, others
have changed little with the passage of time. These old buildings are
dinosaurs from another age, but still manage to capture the public’s
imagination and affection. Jackson County, Missouri is blessed to have two of
these 19th century facilities.
J.
Bradley Pace is the current President of the Jackson County Historical
Society. His initial involvement
was with the Society’s Young Historian group. In 20000 Pace published Survivors: A catalog of Missouri’s
Remaining 19th Century County Courthouses, available for research
and purchase at the JCHS Archives & Research Library. Pace practices law in Prairie
Village, Kansas. Notes on Sources:
City of Independence Tourism Department, Visitor Orientation Center Development
Strategy, (Museum Management Consultants, Inc., The Portico Group and MK
Communications, Autumn, 2000). Dedication
of Jackson County Courthouse, Official Program, 7Sept1933,
Independence, Mo., compliments of Blevins Davis. Historic
markers around the Independence Courthouse Square.
Independence
Examiner, “Guest Tax Hike Seen as Boost for Tourism,” 4Jan2002. Independence
Examiner, “City Guest Tax Increase Passes,” 6Feb2002. Kansas
City Star, “Visitor Center Gets a Push,” Neighborhood News section,
Independence and Raytown, 25Jul2001, p. 4. Kansas
City Star, “Repair Work to Start Soon on Historic Area Courthouse,”
23May2001, p. B4. Kansas
City Star, “Landmarks Could Get Renovations,” Neighborhood News
section, Lee’s Summit, 17Mar2001, p. 20. Ohman, Marian M. Encyclopedia
of Missouri Courthouses. (Columbia, Mo.: Univ. of Mo.-Columbia Extension
Office, 1981). State Historical Society of Missouri. Missouri Historical Review (October
1964), Vol. 64, inside back cover. Webb, W. L. Centennial
History of Independence, 1927, p. 64. Websites
offering further information: To
order this JOURNAL edition, subscribe or join JCHS click
here. |
