The big news for these two years was the acquisition and
beginning operation of the new cement plant, while Sugar
Creek bloomed Fairmount Park boomed.
On May 27, 1906, a full-page ad in the Kansas City
Journal touted the New Kansas City Portland Cement Plant as
a great investment. They didn't give a price for their
stock or a phone number, just an address: K C Portland
Cement, 708 Heist Bldg, K. C. M. O. along with the names and
professions of the major entrepreneurs, a drawing of the
plant and a description of future operations were
included. Quality cement was in great demand to the
point where America was importing 20,000,000 a year and much
of it was needed west of the Mississippi River.
Samples were sent to some of the best chemists in the land,
including Cornell University, all reports came back
declaring it of "unusually high quality". 73
acres were purchased for the enterprise. Buildings on
the site included a stock house, cinder mill, engine room,
kilns, dryers, machine shop and office, all made out of
cement or brick. Most of the finished product will be
shipped out by rail. Three 2,000 horsepower engines will
drive the mill, which will produce 1,400 barrels a day, fuel
supplied by a pipeline from Standard next door.
Early in 1907 an Iowa firm bought 120 acres by
Courtneyville to build an even bigger cement plant, one
producing 2,500 barrels a day. But the deal fell
through.
In late October of 07, the Examiner sent a reporter to
the site of the latest jewel of the industrial area now
springing up just outside of Independence's
grasp. C. H. English, the boss of Cement City had
appeared in front of County Court asking that the terrible,
wild hemp-lined road to the plant be improved. After a
bone-jarring ride by the court to the plant along said road,
it was deemed to expensive.
The 2,000 horsepower engines, here in reality, turned out
to be two 600 horsepower and one 175 horsepower, but still
impressive to a newspaper person. 300 people, many
being of Mexican descent, worked at the plant, some living
in a four story hotel atop the bluffs known as Lover's
Leap. Among his description of the area was to mention
that the old river landing called Wayne City was now a
fisherman's shack.
Meanwhile, in April of 1906, the Bowman- Hicks Lumber
Company of Sugar Creek was selling out.
"Everything must go Quickly" including a 34 x 80'
shed and 20,000 feet of lumber. The building boom was
over.
In July Sugar Creek got its first and only hotel,
"The Standard". Standing two stories, some
of the 20,000' of lumber went to good use. Located
northeast of the intersection of Sterling and Elizabeth
where now a fence company exists, the creek at that time
being farther south. Besides being a hotel with large,
airy rooms, the people going to Fairmount Park were
encouraged to walk the half-mile through the dusty
little town to get a country-style dinner for 50c,
open from 1pm to 8pm and no phone.
In February 1907 transportation between Independence and
Sugar Creek became easier, for 10c each way a person could
get on a trolley near the Independence Square and get off in
Sugar Creek, or vice versa.
While things were going good for Standard of Sugar Creek,
the same can not be said for Standard. The attorney general
was on the war path in Cleveland. In an article
entitled, "Closing in on Standard" he subpoenaed
as witnesses the honchos of the Lake Shore Railroad, hoping
they would furnish more damning testimony against
Standard. The federal government was building a case
that in 1911-13 would threaten the very survival of the
company town.
The oil boom that swept Kansas and was responsible for
the Sugar Creek Refinery was over. The price of a barrel of
oil had fallen to 65c and the gushers were a thing of the
past. The pipe that once helped bring in the oil was
sold for scrap. Thousands of barrels of oil were
stored about the area by many small companies.
Prairie, i. e. Standard, had 23,000,000 barrels stashed in
their tank farms.
New Fairmount Park's second season began on May 27 with
the "Daredevils of the Clouds", the main free
draw. Two huge balloons lifted a large cannon high
into the sky, on a signal from the ground, the cannon was
fired and a man and a woman with parachutes landed in the
lake.
One of the new attractions this year was a ride called
the "Figure Eight", rising 60 feet above the park
and giving a great view of the area, did exactly what its
name implied. You paid ten cents for an adult and five
cents if you looked younger, and did a figure eight in a
plush, leather cushioned car.
Admission to the park again was free but once inside you
were penny, nickled, and dimed. Picnic baskets could
be checked all day for 5 cents. Plates, glasses and
silverware could be rented and ready-made, custom picnic
baskets could be delivered anywhere in the park for a price.
The Fourth of July was a blast. 40,000 people
packed the park on the preceding Sunday, with the Fourth
being on a Wednesday. The main attraction on the
Fourth was the destruction of Naples by Mt. Vesuvius.
$4,000 was spent on a carload of pyrotechnics including 30
pounds of dynamite. Laid out at the south end of the
lake, a scale model of Naples made with combustible material
was destroyed and could be heard for miles. The
feature was so well received that the next Saturday night it
was repeated across the lake (east) from the bathing
beach. Soon after the Fourth, professional divers and
swimmers, both men and women, were hired as
instructors. Next year two new parks would open
in Greater Kansas City.
Copyright © 2006 John M. Olinskey
