There’s Something About Harry
During the 2021 NFL Playoffs, the statue of President Harry S. Truman that stands in front of the courthouse now named for him, showed its support for the hometown Kansas City Chiefs.
Published April 12, 2021
Please, be mindful that due to COVID-19 concerns, some of the places recommended in this article may not be open to the public, or have limited hours and capacity. Please check hours and availability.
On April 12, 1945, Harry S. Truman poured himself a bourbon and branch water.
It was a little after 5:00pm and the Vice President (and Independence, Missouri native) was at the U.S. Capitol in the office of House Speaker Sam Rayburn, who he was joining for an early evening drink. Before Truman could take his first sip, someone in the office let Truman know that the White House had called for him and he should return the call immediately.
Truman dialed the White House and according to accounts, all the color drained from his face. He put down the phone, turned to Rayburn and uttered, “Jesus Christ and General Jackson!”
Truman dismissed himself immediately and then ran across the Capitol to his office to retrieve his effects. Within minutes, he was in a black Mercury sedan, en route to the White House.
Upon his arrival, Eleanor Roosevelt informed Truman that her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had passed away. In an exchange that is now famous, Truman asked the soon-to-be former First Lady, “Is there anything I can do for you?” To which Mrs. Roosevelt answered, “Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now.”
And so it came to pass, exactly seventy six years ago today (to the minute might I add!), at 7:09pm EST, that Harry S. Truman was sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States.
“Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now. I don’t know if you fellas ever had a load of hay fall on you, but when they told me what happened yesterday, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.”
The only Missourian to ever hold this nation’s highest office, President Truman, and his wife Bess, never strayed far from their Kansas City area roots. The Trumans frequently visited Kansas City during Truman’s presidency. President Truman conducted so much business from the historic, downtown, Muehlebach Hotel that it became known as “White House West”. In fact, the Truman Doctrine was signed in the Presidential Suite!
Truman was so fond of his home state that his famed “The Buck Stops Here” desk sign actually read, “I’m from Missouri” on the reverse side that faced him while he sat. As for the First Lady, Bess Truman reportedly counted down the days until the end of Truman’s second term when they could return to their home in Independence for good. In January, 1953, that is exactly what they did.
In commemoration of the 76th anniversary of Kansas City’s lone Commander-in-Chief assuming office, here are some of President Truman’s favorite Kansas City area hangouts, and a few local landmarks significant to his story.
Now a part of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, the Muehlebach Hotel has played host to several notable celebrities and historic figures. During the Truman presidency, it became known as “White House West” due to the amount of business that President Truman conducted here.
Clinton’s Soda Fountain
100 West Maple Avenue, Independence, Missouri
Across the street from the now-named Truman Courthouse, where Harry S. Truman once served Jackson County as Presiding Judge, sits the building where Truman held his first job. For three dollars a week, the 14 year old Truman opened Clinton’s Drugstore every morning at 6:30am. He did everything from mopping the floors to serving sodas and ice cream treats to manning the cash register. For the past three decades, Clinton’s Soda Fountain has kept that history alive. The mid-century charm of the checkerboard floors, retro furniture, and marble counter will transport you to a different time. Today, Clinton’s Soda Fountain continues to serve up old-fashioned sundaes, phosphates, and sweet treats in the same style that a young Truman once did from this very building.
So, What Do I Get? You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu but it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to have Harry Truman’s favorite - a butterscotch sundae made with chocolate ice cream - at the place he once served ice cream.
While Clinton’s Drugstore, where a young Harry S. Truman first worked is long gone, Clinton’s Soda Fountain preserves a mid-century charm and continues to serve up sodas and sundaes in the same fashion that our 33rd President once did for three dollars a week. PHOTO COURTESY OF: Clinton’s Soda Fountain
National World War I Museum & (Liberty) Memorial
2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, Missouri
As the only national war monument not located in Washington, D.C., the Liberty Memorial is one of the top tourist attractions in the Kansas City metro. It is impossible to find yourself downtown and not have your eye drawn to the majestic, towering column. Ground was broken on the monument on November 1, 1921. Over 200,000 people gathered to watch Vice-President (later President) Calvin Coolidge, United States General of the Armies John Pershing, and a group of distinguished European military commanders from Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Italy dedicate the monument. On that day, a local haberdasher and World War I veteran was chosen to present flags to the commanders in attendance. That local veteran was none other than Harry S. Truman. (FUN FACT: Harry S. Truman and friends once ran a haberdashery, or clothing store, downtown where the Hotel Phillips lobby now sits.)
Harry S. Truman was the only World I combat veteran to ever become President of the United States. During the Great War, Truman served on the front lines in France as a First Lieutenant in the Missouri National Guard. After his presidency, Truman was involved in the efforts to restore the Liberty Memorial. On the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking in 1961, the former President rededicated the National World War I Monument in front of a crowd of 15,000 people. Designated a National Historic Landmark since 2006, there are several reasons to visit the National World War I Museum & Memorial but now, you have yet another one.
On November 11, 1961, President Harry S. Truman rededicated the National World War I monument. Truman was the only WWI combat veteran to ever become President of the United States. PHOTO SOURCE: Public Domain
Dixon’s Famous Chili Parlor
9105 East US Highway 40, Independence, Missouri
Today, Dixon’s Famous Chili is known for its sole location in Independence but that is actually its second location. The original was a small lunch counter in downtown Kansas City, Missouri at 15th Street and Olive Street. In the early 1900s, Vergne Dixon began selling his ground beef chili from a pushcart and opened his first restaurant in 1919. A no-frills counter with only six stools, Dixon banned his patrons from adding ketchup to the chili (he believed it didn’t need it) or reading the newspaper. He wanted his customers to eat their chili and then leave to make room for others. As early as the 1920s, Harry S. Truman was a frequent Dixon’s customer. After being elected to national office, Truman would routinely order Dixon’s takeout from the Muehlebach Hotel on his trips to Kansas City.
“There is nothing more I’d rather have, than a spread at Dixon’s Chili.”
In 1950, LIFE published photos highlighting President Truman’s patronage. That’s when Dixon’s went from a chili parlor to “Famous”. When Truman retired to Independence, the Dixons sent him a container of their chili every year on his birthday. Today, Dixon’s Famous Chili claims to be the longest running family-owned business in Kansas City with the fifth generation of Dixons running the show. While they have relaxed Vergne’s ban on ketchup in the restaurant (although they will charge you for it!), Dixon’s continues to serve up that signature meaty chili. Like the President who put them on the map, Dixon’s Famous Chili Parlor is an Independence icon.
So, What Do I Get? It is tough to beat $9.99 All-You-Can-Eat tacos. However, Truman’s favorite meal at Dixon’s, and the one that made them famous, was “The Spread” - housemade tamales smothered in the signature chili. I personally prefer the “juicy” style of the chili. Garnish to your heart’s content (I go with onions, cheese, and the jalapeno relish) but stay away from the ketchup. It’s what Vergne would have wanted.
The last remaining Dixon’s Famous Chili location is, appropriately, in Truman’s hometown of Independence, Missouri. The original location boasted only six stools at the counter meaning this location’s dining counter alone is larger than the original restaurant that Truman frequented. Also of note, not a single bottle of ketchup to be seen on the diner counter.
The Elms Hotel & Spa
401 Regent Street, Excelsior Springs, Missouri
A popular weekend getaway for several in Missouri and Kansas, the Elms Hotel & Spa in Excelsior Springs, Missouri has a rich history. Originally opened in 1888, the current Elms opened in 1912 and is actually the third iteration of the resort. Among the hotel’s more notable guests were Al Capone, Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey, and of course, President Harry S. Truman. The most significant stay in the hotel’s history came on November 2, 1948.
President Truman discreetly checked into, what is now, Room 300 at The Elms to escape the stress of the downtown Kansas City Democratic headquarters on Election Day of 1948. His security detail occupied an entire wing. He enjoyed a massage, a mineral water bath, and a simple dinner of a ham and cheese sandwich in his room. He went to bed at 9:00pm believing, like much of America, that New York Governor Thomas Dewey would win the election. At 4:00am on November 3, a member of the Secret Service awoke him and told the President, “We’ve got ‘em beat.” A blunder by the Chicago Daily Tribune declaring “Dewey Defeats Truman” is still famous today. After returning to the downtown headquarters on November 3, Truman returned to The Elms in a much more public fashion than he had checked in the day prior. Truman addressed a crowd of journalists and well-wishers before making his way back to Washington. The iconic photo of Truman with the errant headline was snapped on a train platform in St. Louis on his return home to D.C.
The single most famous image of our 33rd President, this iconic moment happened in St. Louis, Missouri. President Truman was staying at The Elms in Excelsior Springs two days prior when he learned that the Chicago Daily Tribune got it wrong. PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images / Frank Cancellare
Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque
1727 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
When Arthur Bryant added molasses to Henry Perry’s, the Father of Kansas City Barbeque, sauce in 1946, he forever defined the style that this city would become known for. Once mixed in giant, five gallon, glass jars, Bryant’s signature sauces, dubbed “The President’s Choice”, are still incredibly popular today. The name is not hyperbole; they actually were THE President’s choice. Self-described as “a meat and potatoes man”, Harry S. Truman was once a regular at Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque. During his presidency and after he retired, Truman frequented this 18th & Brooklyn eatery. Sorghum molasses was the Truman family’s favorite Missouri delicacy and perhaps that same ingredient is what drew Truman to Bryant’s sauce. Truman is not the only US President to have dined here. President Jimmy Carter, President Bill Clinton, and President Barack Obama have also paid Bryant’s a visit. While the restaurant is no longer owned by the Bryant family, the recipes are the same and the dining room has likely not changed much since Truman’s last visit. The debate over which Kansas City barbeque is best is always a fierce one, but only Arthur Bryant’s can claim to be “The President’s Choice”.
So, What Do I Get? Truman was a meat and potatoes man and meat and potatoes is exactly what you should get here. Arthur Bryant’s sliced pork is the city’s best! Often overlooked in barbeque, the white meat turkey slices are thick, moist, and ever so smoky. My recommendation is the Sliced Pork and Turkey Combo Sandwich (with a generous squirt of Bryant’s “Sweet Heat” sauce) with a side of their fantastic hand-cut fries. Once hailed as the “King of Ribs”, a slab of Bryant’s famous pork spare ribs or pork babyback ribs is another great way to go!
Every bottle of Arthur Bryant’s sauce carries the moniker “The President’s Choice” as a reminder that this was once the preferred barbeque of Kansas City’s only US President.
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum
500 West US Highway 24, Independence, Missouri
As early as 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt donated many of his papers and manuscripts to the National Archives and pledged a portion of his Hyde Park, New York estate for a library to house these documents and artifacts related to his presidency. FDR maintained that the presidency, and Presidents themselves, were a key component of the American identity and as a result, their stories should be accessible to the public. This was a notable deviation, as prior Presidents had insisted their papers were their own private property when they left office. In 1950, President Harry S. Truman, following the lead of his predecessor, made a similar pledge and took an additional step - he pushed for congressional action to ensure the preservation of the legacies of all US Presidents. In 1955, the United States Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act which established a system of private financed, but federally maintained, Presidential Libraries. The first such library that was constructed was the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence, Missouri.
While the incredibly humble Truman did not like the idea of a museum dedicated to himself, he did feel an obligation to preserve the history of the office. He took it upon himself to raise funds for the library and archive his papers and other artifacts, a practice replicated by nearly every US President since. As a result, Truman’s presidency is considered to be one of the best documented and most well-preserved. After the Truman family refused to allow the construction of the library on the family farm, the current site was donated by the city of Independence. As has become the case with the majority of Presidents since Herbert Hoover, President Harry S. Truman and First Lady Bess Truman are interred at the Presidential Library, in the courtyard. In normal times, thousands flock to the Library and Museum (and the home of Harry and Bess Truman less than a mile away) to pay their respects to the man who hoped to be remembered as “The People’s President”.
This is not simply a recreation of Truman’s office, Harry S. Truman actually did office out of the Library in his retirement. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed The Medicare Act into law in this very office and gifted Harry S. Truman and Bess Truman the first two Medicare cards ever issued in recognition of Truman’s longtime campaign for government healthcare.
The Savoy
219 West 9th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
When the Hotel Savoy and the Savoy Grill closed in 2014, there was cause for alarm. The Savoy Grill was the oldest remaining restaurant in Kansas City and the Hotel Savoy was the oldest continually operating hotel west of the Mississippi River. Thankfully, the closure was only temporary as the new owners were willing to make the multi-million dollar investment needed to preserve the historic landmark while introducing more modern elements. When The Savoy at 21c reopened its doors in 2018, many concerns were alleviated. Edward Holstag’s pioneer murals dating back to 1903 still adorn the walls. The iconic stained glass windows still shower sunlight into the dining room. Most importantly, to many, at The Savoy’s bar, “The President’s Booth” is still exactly where it belongs. Truman was a regular patron at The Savoy dating back to his days as a Jackson County Judge. Booth #4 was the regular table of Harry S. Truman at The Savoy in his later years. In the hallway of The Savoy, hangs the framed job application of a young Harry S. Truman when he applied for a job as a server there.
Aside from President Truman, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan all ate at the historic restaurant. The latter two actually sat in Truman’s booth. New York Yankees Hall of Fame Catcher Yogi Berra frequented The Savoy when his team traveled to Kansas City. Political Boss Tom Pendergast, John D. Rockefeller (America’s first billionaire), and Lee Iacocca (the famed Chrysler CEO) dined at The Savoy. In the 1990s, when David McCullough was researching Truman for his biography that would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize, he reserved Truman’s booth every day for months. Over the decades, many historic figures and celebrities have dropped into The Savoy but only one of them has had a booth reserved for the better part of a century.
So, What Do I Get? Modernization of course means The Savoy is no longer serving the same menu that President Truman would have once enjoyed. It is hard to go wrong with anything on the elevated menu. In Truman’s day, The Savoy was primarily known for their steaks. With an excellent selection of cocktails, the Old Fashioned may be your best way to conjure Truman’s aura back to The Savoy. It should be noted that while the Old Fashioned was Truman’s preferred cocktail, he reportedly joked that he enjoyed it best when it was made without bitters, sugar, citrus, and cherry.
After a multi-million dollar renovation and change in ownership, The Savoy is no longer the same restaurant that Truman once enjoyed, but the most historic elements, including his Booth #4, are still in place.
The Pendergast Club at The Majestic
931 Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri
DISCLAIMER: It should be noted that this final entry is purely speculative. Unlike every other place listed, there is no documented proof of Harry S. Truman ever visiting The Pendergast Club but regardless, it is an important aspect of President Truman’s and Kansas City’s story.
No matter how many times you walk into The Majestic on Broadway, you never notice the door until someone points out to you. Located immediately to the right when you walk in, and innocently tucked behind the host stand, is a white door that seamlessly blends into the white wall around him. Easily disregarded as a closet, the door actually opens to a stairwell that will take you to the top floor of the building to the private, members only Pendergast Club.
It is impossible to talk about Harry S. Truman, from a Kansas City perspective, without making mention of Boss Tom Pendergast. While there are conflicting accounts of the relationship between the two men, there is no mistaking the Boss Tom’s political machine did help to fuel the political ascension of Harry S. Truman. Pendergast frequented The Fitzpatrick Saloon in the same space that The Majestic now occupies. Boss Tom officed out of the apartment that became the private club that now bears his name. As Pendergast ran the city’s Democratic machine, it is a near certainty that Truman would have visited Fitzpatrick’s Saloon and it seems likely he would have met with Pendergast in the penthouse office.
With a collection of hundreds of whiskeys, The Pendergast maintains that it is the only indoor bar in the city where you can enjoy a cigar. While The Pendergast Club is an open secret around KC, it is truly private. The only way to get in is to either be a member or have a member bring you as their guest. The latter is more likely as there is a wait list to join. If you ever have the opportunity to go, as I fortunately did in February 2018, do not miss the opportunity!
So, What Do I Get? Well first, you have to get in. It is a cigar club so the occasion definitely calls for one if that’s your thing. And if it’s not, be warned that the room will be thick with cigar smoke. Visitors can purchase cigars in the club but many of the members keep their own stock in The Pendergast’s walk-in humidor. My one piece of advice? Go to the bar and order what Harry would have likely ordered - Old Grand Dad or Wild Turkey bourbon neat, with a splash of water.
Still beloved in Kansas City today, in 2017, the Swope Park Rangers (now Sporting Kansas City II) of the USL (United Soccer League) partnered with the Truman Library on a bobblehead of the President and First Lady that commemorated the famed 1948 “Whistle Stop Campaign”.
Only forty five men have held the office of President of the United States. While it is easy to take for granted, we are fortunate that one of them called the Kansas City metro home. Harry S. Truman is still beloved in Kansas City. Here, a highly-traveled thoroughfare, Jackson County’s courthouse, a major medical center, a concert venue, and the sports complex that is home to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are among the places that bear his name. There are multiple likenesses and statues of our nation’s 33rd President scattered throughout the metro.
“Washington is a very easy city to forget where you came from and why you got there in the first place.”
Just as importantly, Kansas City was beloved by Harry and Bess Truman. The Trumans never forgot the place they came from. They could not wait to return to their home in Independence when Truman’s second term came to an end. The farm that Truman was raised on is in Grandview. Truman campaigned tirelessly to raise the funds to build his Presidential Library in Independence. In retirement, Truman was a mainstay in Independence and Kansas City where he often reminisced about his career with interested journalists and citizens. Harry & Bess are both interred in their beloved hometown. No matter how far they went, there hearts were always in Independence.
That’s what makes the Trumans so special. As loved as they were, and are, in Kansas City, that feeling was fully reciprocated. They were proud to represent this area and our city.
President Harry S. Truman once remarked that, “There is nothing new in the world except the history that you don’t know.” While all of the aforementioned places have been around for decades, it is likely that, at least, a few of them are new to you. Exactly seventy six years after Harry S. Truman became the only Kansas Citian to assume the presidency, you have the opportunity to retrace his footsteps and discover the history and the parts of this city that you don’t know.
Are there notable Harry hangouts that I missed? Have you been to these places and have your own experience to share? Tell me about it in the comments!
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