Independence (Images of America: Kansas)

Independence, Kansas, is the perfect picture of Americana. Where else can one find a small town that holds an annual theatre festival named in honor of one of its own natives, William Inge, or celebrates the early settlers in the Little House on the Prairie novels? Where can one find the site of the first-ever night game in organized baseball or the first team of one of baseball's most prolific hitters, Mickey Mantle? What other town in America can claim achievers like safari traveler Martin Johnson, oil magnate Harry Sinclair, presidential candidate Alf Landon, and even an astronaut chimp named Miss Abel? Lastly, where else can one find a town that holds a weeklong festival with the whimsical name Neewollah ("Halloween" spelled backward)? Upon opening a photo album from Independence’s past, one likely finds a recurringtheme in the fading images: celebration. Independence likes to party. The oldphotographs captured it, and the town’s legacy still bears it.Independence is known far and wide for its festivals, parades, and celebrations. It islikely that almost every home in Independence has a gallery of photographschronicling some sort of celebration: Neewollah parades, Riverside Park festivals,homecoming pageantry, or school and college activities.