Jackson County Courthouse (Independence, Missouri)
Encyclopedia
The Jackson County Courthouse (also known as the Truman Courthouse) in Independence, Missouri
is located on Independence Square at Main & Maple Street in Independence.
In 1922, Harry S. Truman won election as county judge for eastern Jackson County
as a candidate of the Tom Pendergast
faction of the Democratic Party
. He failed to be re-elected in 1924, but, then won election as presiding judge in 1926. Truman served in this position in effect as county commissioner for eight years. He divided his time between the two Jackson County courthouses: the one in Independence and the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City. (Truman later had an office in the Kansas City courthouse during most of his first term as U.S. Senator from 1935 to 1939.)
No county offices are currently in the building. County offices have moved a few blocks away to the Independence Courthouse Annex, located at 308 W. Kansas. The Jackson County Historical Society office and archives are housed in the building. It is currently undergoing a massive renovation to restore President Truman's office and courtroom, and to fix major structural issues.
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
is located on Independence Square at Main & Maple Street in Independence.
In 1922, Harry S. Truman won election as county judge for eastern Jackson County
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
as a candidate of the Tom Pendergast
Tom Pendergast
Thomas Joseph Pendergast controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri as a political boss. "Boss Tom" Pendergast gave workers jobs and helped elect politicians during the Great Depression, becoming wealthy in the process.-Early years:Thomas Joseph Pendergast, also known to close friends as...
faction of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He failed to be re-elected in 1924, but, then won election as presiding judge in 1926. Truman served in this position in effect as county commissioner for eight years. He divided his time between the two Jackson County courthouses: the one in Independence and the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City. (Truman later had an office in the Kansas City courthouse during most of his first term as U.S. Senator from 1935 to 1939.)
No county offices are currently in the building. County offices have moved a few blocks away to the Independence Courthouse Annex, located at 308 W. Kansas. The Jackson County Historical Society office and archives are housed in the building. It is currently undergoing a massive renovation to restore President Truman's office and courtroom, and to fix major structural issues.