Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, an Informal History

Not since the 19th century has anyone attempted such a sweeping history of this city, from the arrival of the first white Americans in 1819 through the Civil War period in which Lawrence was surprisingly central, its struggle to become a city and a major railroad center and more. It can be said that the Civil War really started in Lawrence in the late 1850s, not with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. This book details the founding of Lawrence, the political problems surrounding the admission of Kansas to the Union as a "free" state, the 1856 "Sack of Lawrence" by Sheriff Jones and pro-slavery Missourians, and Quantrill's infamous raid on August 21, 1863. Dary tells of Lawrence's growth during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the origin and development of the University of Kansas and natural phenomena such as floods, tornadoes and earthquakes, even including the city's weather records from 1868 to 1980. Old legends of the Lawrence area are also recalled, including tales of buried treasure. This is more than a political and economic history of a city, it is an intimate description of how its people lived over a period of 126 years. An entire chapter is devoted to entertainment and recreation in early Lawrence. This volume is illustrated with 166 black and white pictures and 3 maps from many sources. Five appendices cover the histories of all known newspapers published in Douglas County, a short history of the Douglas County Historical Society and the Watkins Community Museum, a list of prominent people who have touched Lawrence history, and a reprint of a settlers’ meeting from 1879 listing more than 3,OOO early settlers of Kansas with place and date of birth, place and date of settlement in Kansas, and where the signers were living in 1879. Some of the comments added to the roster are fascinating -- one lady states that she was "the mother of six boys, all Republicans”. A selected bibliography and a 23-page index supplement the volume.