Independence Missouri is known as the "Queen City of the Trails" because it was a point of departure for the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe Trails.
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10 Facts About Independence Missouri
2.
Independence Missouri was a stopping point for the "Donner Party", an ill fated group of 19th Century wagon train emigrants whose westward journey along the California Trail ended in disaster; spawning one of the most well known and taboo stories of pioneer era America.
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3.
Independence Missouri immediately became a jumping-off point for the emerging fur trade, accommodating merchants and adventurers beginning the long trek westward on the Santa Fe Trail.
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4.
Independence Missouri saw great prosperity from the late 1830s through the mid-1840s, while the business of outfitting pioneers boomed.
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5.
The rise of nearby Kansas City contributed to the town's relegation to a place of secondary prominence in Jackson County, though Independence Missouri has retained its position as county seat to the present day.
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6.
Independence Missouri's wife, First Lady Bess Truman, was born and raised in Independence, and both are buried there.
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7.
Independence Missouri played an important role in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement, and is home to the headquarters of several separatist denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement, most notably the Community of Christ, whose Temple is located there.
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8.
Community of Christ has built a temple in Independence Missouri, and maintains a large auditorium and other buildings nearby.
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9.
The Independence Missouri Heritage Festival is a celebration of the diverse culture that exist in Independence Missouri.
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