It was a scorching summer’s day to start another of my little road trips. But a little AC and some tunes made for a very quick and pleasant drive.
I was off to Independence, MO where I would be staying at the Silver Heart Inn, owned and operated by Perry and Melanie Johnson, as well as reviewing The Crucible for the Barn Players.
I only made one miscalculation for the trip. With only an overnight stay planned, I had to be selective in the activities I chose to do. I decided to visit the Truman Presidential Museum and Library and figured an hour would be enough time to get through it.
It was not enough time.
I did manage to get through Truman’s presidential years, but did not make it through the section detailing his personal life. Rest assured, I will rectify this error if and when my travels bring me through this area again.
Truman was a very interesting President. He was a common man who came from a period where you didn’t have to be wealthy to run for the Presidency. He was a simple farmer who had deep ties to labor. He wasn’t a good speaker. He was put into power by a political machine, yet he was a incredibly honest man who vowed to get things done the right way. Despite holding the prejudices of his time and place, Truman helped launch the Civil Rights movement after observing the horrible treatment of black people after World War II. He made the decision to drop the atomic bomb. Truman also had the biggest upset in political history when he was reelected to the Presidency in his own right when it was believed he would be crushed by his opponent, Thomas Dewey. This was due to his Whistlestop Campaign where he rode a train through numerous communities to share his message, sometimes speaking at a dozen stops a day.
What I found most interesting about Truman was that he seemed to have no aspirations to be President. It was his everyman quality (especially his ties to farming and labor) that secured his nomination for the Vice Presidency. In reality, the Democrats were really looking for the next President as it was obvious FDR would not be long for the world. In fact, he died shortly after he was reelected to his fourth term.
I also had great respect for Truman’s decency. When his term of office expired, he was not a wealthy man and could have earned fat fees doing public speaking tours, but he refused to trade on the office of President. Instead, he founded the Presidential Library which was the first in our country and I look forward to completing my tour of the museum some future day.
About 3pm, I headed to Silver Heart Inn to check in. I pulled into the parking area, sidestepped a few chickens wandering about the property, and headed to the back door entrance where I was quickly greeted and led to my room.
I had been expecting to stay in the Roy Gamble Room, but was upgraded to the Napolian Stone Room instead. It was one of the smaller rooms I had stayed in, but I enjoyed the rich brown of the walls, the soft and comfortable queen bed, and the gas fireplace. I made my normal explorations and then killed a couple of hours reading Face to Face by Ellery Queen and brushing up on Silver Heart Inn’s history.
The Silver Heart Inn was built 1856 by local businessman, Napolian Stone. The house used to be twice its original size and originally built in a T formation. That changed when Judge George Jennings, the house’s owner in 1923 had the house split in half and moved to the same side of the street. This was done as Jennings recognized that Noland Street (where the home is located) was becoming Independence’s main thoroughfare. The inn, itself, was the back wing of the house. The front wing fell into disrepair and was destroyed in the 1960s.
At 5pm, I headed off for an early dinner. I once again dined at Corner Café, which you may remember from my trip to Liberty, MO about a year ago.
The restaurant was packed so I took advantage of my solo status to dine at the counter. I ordered the Turkey Melt, one of the house specials, with a side of loaded French Fries. Within five minutes of my hour, a plate of piping hot food appeared which I relished as I continued to read my novel.
Once fed, I drove to Mission, KS to enjoy another stellar production by the Barn Players. It was one of the finest dramas I had ever watched and I could not wait to get back to the inn to start writing. You can read the review here.
After I finished writing, I curled up in my bed for a restful night’s slumber.
When I awoke the next morning, I drew a hot bath and enjoyed a long soak before wandering downstairs in search of breakfast.
Breakfast was a rather pleasant, if quiet, affair. I continued reading my mystery as I enjoyed a dish of yogurt, blueberries, granola, and cream for an appetizer followed by the main entrée of turkey sausage (I think) and an Eggs Benedict omelet served with goblets of water and orange juice. After this tasty affair, I settled up my bill and headed off to worship services at St Mark’s before heading for home.
I definitely would recommend a stay at Silver Heart Inn if you find yourself in the Independence area. It’s quiet and comfortable and you’ll get yourself a tasty meal (and some other perks offered by the inn if you’re so inclined). You’ll just be minutes away from the Truman Museum and can’t pick up a little history if you wish.
Until the next time, happy travels.
Chris' Corner 