The story so far
from the U.S. CensusBetween the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 119 to 105 (-12%). Half of its homes were built before 1946.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Independence yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Be one of the first
Start Independence’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Independence’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10By decade
Independence, decade by decade
Before
2000
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your albumNational Register of Historic Places
Nothing in Independence is on the National Register yet
That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Independence has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Douglas County Courthouse and Auditor's Office in Armour, 3.5 miles away.
Independence and the nearest listed places
Dashed line = Independence. Tap a dot.
How a place gets listed
1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Douglas County Courthouse and Auditor's Office’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Independence?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Independence’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old placeNational Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons