The city of Independence hosts its 50th SantaCaliGon Days Festival commemorating its role as the starting point of three historical trails–the California, Oregon and Santa Fe. The event continues today and serves as an unofficial end to summer, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Photo credit: Ruger, A. Bird’s eye view of the city of Independence, Jackson Co., Missouri. [N.P, 1868] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/73693478/.