About Us
Our readers turn to The Independent for news about their community and to stay informed and abreast of the myriad of balls, galas and non-profit events that happen in Our Town every year. Our pages are filled with photos of the people who participate in our community through their support of the arts, area cultural institutions, local and national non-profit organizations, and fundraising events. They are the people who leave their mark on the City through their volunteer efforts and their philanthropic support. They give our City its heart and soul.
During our 125th celebratory year, we took a brief look at the history of The Independent broken down into five-year increments, or a Quinquennial. It’s hard to believe that the humble beginnings of a local paper on March 11, 1899 would yield 125 years of chronicling the happenings of Kansas City. While The Independent had political origins, the magazine, its owners, editors, and staff have reinvented the publication many times over - in keeping with the culture and climate of the times. It seems that staying current depends upon our ability to embrace our past and celebrate our traditions. Compiled together for the first time, here are all of the Quinquennial Series to celebrate our 125 years of history.
The Independent Team
Rachel Lewis Falcon
Phone: 816-471-2800 x233
Rachel@kcindependent.com
Publisher
Nancy Sachse
Phone: 816-471-2800 x223
Nancy@kcindependent.com
Editor
Lisa Shea
Art Director
Annie England
Annie@kcindependent.com
director of special projects
Lauren Cashman
Phone: 816-471-2800 x226
Lauren@kcindependent.com
Director of Sales and Production
Paul Horsley
Paul@kcindependent.com
Performing Arts Editor
Anne Potter Russ
Phone: 816-471-2800 x229
Anne@kcindependent.com
director of content
Christin Painter
Phone: 816-471-2800 x218
Christin@kcindependent.com
Director of Program Guide Operations
Laura Gabriel
Phone: 816-471-2800 x202
Laura@kcindependent.com
Office and Circulation Manager
Brittney Young
Brittney@kcindependent.com
Digital Media Strategist
Monica V. Reynolds
monica@kcindependent.com
Feature Writer
Charlie Podrebarac
Cpodrebarac@mac.com
Cartoonist
A Brief History
The Independent was established in 1899 by George Creel, who became a nationally known writer, and Arthur Grissom, founder of Smart Set magazine in New York. Initially, The Independent had a strong political flavor, reflecting Mr. Creel’s opposition to the turn-of-the-century faction led by James Pendergast. Politics discreetly dropped from the Magazine’s pages in 1909 under the new ownership of Katherine Baxter and Clara E. Kellogg of Kellogg- Baxter Printing Company. Mrs. Gleed Gaylord, the former Martha Nichols, acquired the journal in 1939, becoming owner, publisher and editor, as well as president of Creel Publishing Company. She had worked on the editorial staff of the Magazine under Katherine Baxter and Clara E. Kellogg for a decade prior to acquiring it. Mrs. Gaylord sold The Independent to Robert P. Ingram, Jr. in 1983, and Laureen Ingram, Mr. Ingram’s daughter-in-law, purchased the Magazine from him in 1996. The current publisher, Rachel Lewis Falcon, acquired the Magazine in 2017.
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