A landmark building in Independence gets its own month.
The Independence City Commission has declared October the 100th Anniversary Month for Live Performances at Memorial Hall. City Manager Kelly Passauer says the declaration marks a significant milestone in the building's history.
Construction of Memorial Hall was completed in 1922 and its grand opening was on November 11th of that year – a date that is now Veterans' Day, but at that time was known as Armistice Day that marked the end of Word War I. The cornerstone of the building was set that day and the front bears the American Legion insignia. On the north face of the stone is the Masonic insignia. Also placed that day was an airtight copper box of memorabilia inside the stone, where it remains today. The American Legion staged the first live performance at Memorial Hall for Neewollah 1923 with a production of The Pirates of Penzance as a fundraiser for purchasing furnishings. The 2023 Neewollah musical is Beauty and the Beast.
