Jackson County Courthouses (Missouri)

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The Jackson County Courthouse of Missouri consists of two locations. They are located at 415 East 12th Street in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri and on Independence Square at Main & Maple Street in Independence, Missouri.

[edit] Courthouse of Kansas City

Harry S. Truman decided very quickly after he became county judge in 1923 that the old Jackson County Courthouse at 5th and Oak was a fire hazard and needed to be replaced. He got approval from the voters in 1931 for a $4 million bond issue for a new courthouse, which was dedicated in December 1934. Truman had an office in the new courthouse building during most of his first term as U.S. Senator from 1935 to 1939.

[edit] Courthouse of Independence

Jackson County Courthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location:	Bounded by Lexington and Maple Aves. and Liberty and Main Sts., Independence, Missouri
Coordinates:	39°5′33″N 94°22′58″W / 39.0925, -94.38278Coordinates: 39°5′33″N 94°22′58″W / 39.0925, -94.38278
Built/Founded:	1836
Architect:	David Frederick Wallace
Architectural style(s):	Colonial Revival, Other
Added to NRHP:	October 18, 1972
NRHP Reference#:	72000713^[1]
Governing body:	Local

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 in Independence and Kansas City.

Truman's main accomplishments were to greatly improve county finances, to build a 230-mile county road system, a county hospital, a new county courthouse in Kansas City, and to remodel the courthouse in Independence.