For more than 150 years, Independence, Missouri, has been making history. It was a starting point for pioneers headed west, a Civil War battleground, a significant religious site to followers of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith and best known as the hometown of that plain-speaking president, Harry Truman.
But the community is something more than its past. This stunning photographic book of Independence looks at life in a community that twice has been selected an All-America City by the National Municipal League. It captures not only the historic sites but also the community life - schools, churches, factories and farms and the people that make up a part of this historic town in Middle America.
This is visually and verbally an engaging book that uses contemporary photographs to capture the spirit of Independence - its past, present and future.
The photographs and words together provide a portrait of a place that, like a good painting, gives new insights and greater appreciation with each viewing.