- Independence
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/in'di pen"deuhns/, n.1. a city in W Missouri: starting point of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails. 111,806.2. a town in SE Kansas. 10,598.
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ICity (pop., 2000: 113,288), western Missouri, U.S. Settled in 1827, it served as the starting point for the Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail and was a rendezvous for wagon trains during the California gold rush.Home of a Mormon colony (1831–33), it is now the world headquarters of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was occupied by Union troops during the American Civil War and was the scene of two skirmishes with Confederates. The hometown of Pres. Harry Truman, it is the site of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.II(as used in expressions)Algerian War of IndependenceUnited States War of IndependenceGreek Independence War ofLeague for the Independence of Vietnam* * *
city, seat (1870) of Montgomery county, southeastern Kansas, U.S. Independence lies on the Verdigris River, near Elk City Lake (dammed for flood control and irrigation). It was founded in 1869 by a company that purchased a portion of an Osage Indian reservation. The town had temporary economic booms with the discoveries of natural gas in 1881 and oil fields in 1903. Independence is now a trade and processing centre for agricultural products (wheat and beef and dairy cattle) and for the production of oil and natural gas. Cement, boats, machinery, and electronic equipment are manufactured. Independence Community College was established in 1925. Nearby is Montgomery State Fishing Lake and Elk City State Park. The official Little House on the Prairie historic site, a small log cabin reconstructed on the foundation of the original house to resemble that found in Laura Ingalls Wilder (Wilder, Laura Ingalls)'s famous book, is located 13 miles (21 km) southwest of the city. Former Independence residents include Alfred M. Landon (Landon, Alf), U.S. presidential candidate in 1936, and playwright William Inge (Inge, William). Inc. 1870. Pop. (1990) 9,942; (2000) 9,846.city, seat of Jackson county, western Missouri, U.S., immediately east of Kansas City. It is the hometown of President Harry S. Truman (Truman, Harry S.) (who was born at Lamar, 100 miles [160 km] south). Settled in 1827, the county was named for Andrew Jackson, and the community of Independence was named the county seat in that year. Near the western terminus of transportation on the Missouri River, Independence was the starting point for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trails and later became a rendezvous for wagon trains to the California gold mines. Mormon settlers arrived in 1831, but local resentment drove them out in 1833. During the American Civil War, the city was occupied by Union troops and was the scene of two skirmishes with Confederates.Higher-education opportunities are found at the Independence campuses of Graceland University, Park University, and Blue River Community College, as well as at several vocational and technical schools. The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum (1957), housing the former president's private papers and mementos, has a Thomas Hart Benton mural, Independence and the Opening of the West; Truman's grave is in the courtyard. His mid-19th-century Victorian home and his courtroom and office are preserved. The Auditorium in Independence (completed 1962) is the centrepiece of the world headquarters of the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Exhibits at the National Frontier Trails Center chronicle western migration. The city's economy relies primarily on services and retail trade. Inc. 1849. Pop. (2000) 113,288; (2005 est.) 110,208.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
