Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and the Corps of Discovery reached Kansas in June 0f 1804 and it was largely that exploratory mission that led to increased American westward expansion beyond the previously established western Missouri border. The Kansas/Missouri area became the natural starting point for travelers because it afforded the last access to western water routes and western trails began. Prior to the explosion of pioneers Kansas was deemed Indian Territory, a new “homeland” for natives forcibly displaced from other regions. #VisitKansas
Settlers came from many previously settled regions, bringing with them their ideas on the government and political stance in the new territories. These conflicting ideas led to the Kansas/Missouri border wars. Congress passed the Kansas/Nebraska Act in 1854. Kansas and Nebraska became territories with the understanding that upon joining the Union they would each vote whether to enter as a slave or a free state.
Kansas, bordered by a slave state, became the focal point of the controversy and possible power shift. People moved into Kansas in anticipation of the vote, fighting broke out on both sides and the area became known as “Bleeding Kansas”. This intense conflict, especially events that occurred in Lawrence, Kansas, is considered one of the factors leading directly to the Civil War. #UnmistakablyLawrence
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area, Inc. (FFNHA), in eastern Kansas and western Missouri, preserves and presents the Border Wars, frontier history and the enduring struggle for freedom. A tour of the national heritage area should begin in Lawrence with the Kansas-Nebraska Act Exhibit created by Central Plains Region of the National Archives. The exhibit interprets all of the major events and individuals involved through pictures and documents. www.FreedomsFrontier.org
The New England Emigrant Aid Company was formed in 1854 to settle ant-slavery immigrants in Kansas. In Lawrence in 1855 they constructed the Free State Hotel as temporary housing for the settlers. It was originally 3-stories tall with a roof promenade and a 50 horse stable. On May 21, 1856 a pro-slavery faction burned it down. Shalor Eldridge renamed and rebuilt it and it stood until August 21, 1863 when Quantrill’s raiders attacked the town and again burned it down.
Lawrence has developed a 10-site Quantrill’s Raid Tour that encompasses the sites connected with the infamous attack. U.S. Senator James Lane, leader of a Jayhawker military troop that conducted raids into Missouri, resided in Lawrence and is believed to have been the primary target. On August 21, 1863 approximately 400 guerrillas, including Frank James, dressed in Union uniforms, rode into town. They looted, robbed, murdered as many as 200 men and boys and burned down the Eldridge Hotel. Oddly there were two documented African Americans who rode with Quantrill. One of them, John Noland, is said to have scouted the town. @eXploreLawrence
The current Eldridge Hotel is a prestigious 48-room hotel with a menu of luxury amenities, fine dining and plush public spaces. It is a member of the noted Historic Hotels of America. In 1932 Bonnie and Clyde booked a room in order to watch the activities in the bank across the street. They robbed the bank and fled the town. The hotel is said to be haunted and is a portal to the spirit world. Ghosts are often reported on the 5th floor and certain rooms must be booked far in advance for a possible encounter. Eldridgehotel.com
Watkins Museum of History, housed in a Romanesque former 1888 bank, is an outstanding introduction to all aspects of Lawrence. The museum is filled with artifacts, memorabilia and interactive experiences. Unique highlights include Civil War objects, a Langston Hughes display and Basketball history gallery.
Langston Hughes attended grades 2 and 3 in the city and later worked in the Eldridge Hotel. He lived with his grandmother, Mary Leary Langston, widow of Harpers Ferry participant Lewis S. Leary. Mary was a free abolitionist who strongly influenced Langston. The museum exhibits family photographs and a sculpture of a boyhood Hughes.
Grover Barn UGRR station is documented as a site where John Brown stopped. On this site in
January 1859 he met 12 enslaved and guided them on a 3-month journey to freedom in Canada.
In 1891 a Springfield, MA physical education professor, James Naismith, recognized a need for his students to have a winter sport. With a peach basket, a soccer ball and thirteen rules, he invented the game of basketball. The first Kansas University (KU) game took place in 1899. Wilt Chamberlain was recruited and while at KU, a segregated city, he refused to participate in segregation. As a result restaurants and stores began to breakdown the color line realizing he was an economic benefit to the city.
The 1862 Morrill Land Grant College Act set aside federal lands to establish agricultural and mechanical arts colleges in each state. Grants were 30,000-acres each and greater than 10-million acres were confiscated tribal lands. The first college with land grant status was KU. A second Morrill Act was enacted in 1890 because people of color did not have equal access the earlier educational institutions.
In 1830 the Delaware were the first tribe to be given Kansas territorial land by treaty but the state was home to a numerous Native tribes. In 1884 twenty-two American Indian children, grades one to five and as young as 3, were enrolled in the United States Indian Industrial Training School in Lawrence. The emphasis was on teaching students to assimilate into the larger culture and to that end students attended 10 years without seeing their parents. The institution has developed into Haskell Indian Nations University, attended by American Indians and Alaska Natives, where a robust academic program blends with indigenous culture.
The university offers a walking tour that includes the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum. Museum exhibits include memorabilia from the early years of the school, the Frank A. Rinehart Collection of photographs of Native American leaders in late 1800s and information on Haskell’s legendary sports program. Until the 1930s their football program was known as the “Powerhouse of the West”. Both Billy Mills and Jim Thorpe attended Haskell.
Lawrence’s main thoroughfare, Massachusetts Street, named by early New England abolitionists, has been designated “one of the most beautiful main streets in America”. It, and the surrounding area, is filled with unique shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
African American Quilt Museum and Textile Academy is the home of Marla Quilts Inc. Historical events and individuals serve as inspiration for her designs. Her textiles have been exhibited nationally and internationally including the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Leeway Franks & Butcher is Native American Owned and has twice been awarded Minority Owned Retail Enterprise of the Year by the Kansas Department of Commerce and is a finalist for the Kansas Governor’s Award of Excellence.
Gold Medal BBQ is owned and operated by Olympic Gold medalist Kyle Clemons and his wife Christina. They use freshly sourced ingredients to create memorable dishes.
Lawrence is a surprising destination any time of year but it excels during the holidays. The 29th Lawrence Old Fashioned Christmas Parade is one-of-a-kind. The parade consists of authentic horse-drawn carriages decorated for the season. The route passes the historic Eldridge Hotel in a nod to its history on December 3, 2022.
The city lights up the nights with an annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony and Santa Rescue. On November 25 the countdown begins at 5:45 PM Downtown. Immediately following the ceremony Santa appears on the rooftop of Weaver’s Department Store. He is sleighless but never fear, the Lawrence Douglas County Fire & Medical Service appear to rescue him with their ladder fire truck.
Seek the exceptional in Lawrence, Kansas.
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