Independence Downtown Historic District
Chestnut, Laurel, Myrtle, Main, and Maple between 5th and 9th. The advent of the industrial age and the oil and gas boom, which began here in the early 1900s, led to a glorious age in Independence architecture that can be admired within this historic district. As often happened in communities in the late 1800s, buildings were constructed of wood and succumbed to devastating fires, such as the 1875 fire in Independence. The city adopted an ordinance that required all future buildings to be constructed of steel, cement, and other incombustible materials. (NRHP)