Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson (primarily) and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city had a total population of 110,440 in 2008, and is the 224th largest city in the United States. Independence is one of two county seats of Jackson County, and is known as the "Queen City of the Trails" because it was a point of departure of the Califor...
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Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson (primarily) and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city had a total population of 110,440 in 2008, and is the 224th largest city in the United States. Independence is one of two county seats of Jackson County, and is known as the "Queen City of the Trails" because it was a point of departure of the California, Oregon and Santa Fe Trails. The city also played a pivotal role in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement, and is home to the denominational headquarters of several Latter Day Saint groups, most notably the Community of Christ, whose Temple is located there.
Independence was originally inhabited by Missouri and Osage Indians, followed by the Spanish and a brief French tenure. It became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Lewis and Clark recorded in their journals that they stopped in 1804 to pick...
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