| | | • | Independence was unanimously selected as an All America City in 2001 by the National Civic League and the Allstate Corporation. | | • | Harry S. Truman, Independence's favorite son, was the 33rd President of the United States. He became a presiding judge of Jackson County in 1933, and then elected vice president in 1944. Upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945, he became President of the United State and was re-elected in 1948. From the "show me" state, Truman's legacy of hard-nosed practicality and "the buck stops here" attitude helped shaped the world we live in today. | | • | Independence is fourth in Missouri (2001) in taxable sales at $1.5 billion. This is a 7.3 percent increase from 2000. The increase for the seven years from 1995-2001 is 46 percent. | | • | Santa-Cali-Gon Festival is in its 30th year and is the largest KC area festival over Labor Day Weekend. Over 250,000 people attend this free admission event in Independence. | | • | Independence School District is "Accredited with Distinction" and was named one of the top 10 school districts in the nation by Working Woman magazine. | | • | ERROR MSGIn 1930, Independence adopted the slogan of "Queen City of Trails," celebrating its pioneer heritage. As a frontier town, Independence became a depot for supplies for hardy pioneers heading west along three trails, the Sante Fe, the California and the Oregon. | | • | Independence is kid friendly. Zero Population Growth, a non-profit organization agency that tracks quality of life issues, gave Independence an A+ and ranked it sixth in the nation with towns of more than 100,000 population. | | • | Blue River Community College located in Independence is home to the Western Missouri Public Safety Training Institute, which offers police and fire academy courses. | | • | Independence has unique subsurface business complexes spanning over 310 acres carved out from limestone rock formation. Its clients range from local companies to Fortune 100. Underground facilities have a constant temperature with low humidity meaning reduced operating costs. |
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY OR THE EASTERN JACK DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE (EJDA), CONTACT MARILYN SCOTHORNE, OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR, AT (816) 881-4443 OR ScotMar@gw.co.jackson.mo.us.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE GREATER KANSAS CITY METRO AREA, CONTACT TIM COWDEN, SENIOR V.P. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, KANSAS CITY AREA DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AT (816) 374-5650 OR cowden@smartkc.com. © Eastern Jackson County Alliance. All rights reserved. |
