1940 Map of Independence

About this map

Independence serves as a dense municipal hub just east of the Missouri River bend, showing a landscape transitioning from suburban grid to agricultural ridges in the years before the second World War. The map details a heavy concentration of social and civic infrastructure, including the Sanitarium, Girls Home, and the Kansas City Tubercular Hospital. The rail network is particularly intricate here, with the Alton RR, Kansas City Southern, and Missouri Pacific converging near the industrial corridor of Sugar Creek.