Historical Attractions
The seed behind the undying spirit and pride of Lawrence citizens can be
found by looking to the past.
The Kansas Territory was opened to settlement in May of 1854. According to
the concept of "popular sovereignty," settlers could decide whether to admit
their territory as a slave or free state. Soon after the territory was opened,
abolitionists from New England rushed to the area in an effort to keep the
territory from becoming pro-slavery. It is said that Lawrence is one of the few
cities founded purely for political reasons. The group named the town after the
financier of their expedition, Amos Lawrence.
Lawrence also acted as an important stop on the Underground Railroad, helping
escaped slaves reach freedom safely. Anti-slavery Jayhawkers from Kansas
frequently clashed with pro-slavery Bushwhackers from the neighboring slave
state of Missouri. The conflict grew in 1861 after war broke out and Kansas
chose to become a free state. Lawrence, the headquarters of the Jayhawkers, was
the scene of several bloody encounters.
The worst of these occurred in 1863, when William Quantrill assembled a group
of 400 men in Missouri and rode into Lawrence. Early on August 21, the raiders
entered the city "to burn every house and kill every man." The raiders sacked
the town for four hours before escaping to the south.
The resilient citizens of Lawrence banded together to bury their dead and
rebuild their city. Many of the homes and buildings constructed after the raid
are still in use today. Lawrence's motto, "From Ashes to Immortality," is
inspired by the efforts of these settlers.
Even before the Kansas Territory was opened to settlers, it was well known to
travelers of both the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails. Lawrence is located between
the two trails, which run through Lawrence and Douglas County. Traders headed
west along the wagon trails beginning in the 1820s. Settlers also followed the
Oregon Trail to take up free land in Oregon. For these later travelers, Lawrence
offered important services and supplies.
After the Civil War ended in 1865, railroads rapidly pushed across the Great
Plains and wagon trails became obsolete. Although most physical traces of the
trails have been erased, a few wagon ruts are still visible around Lawrence.
You don't have to look to the Civil War era to uncover important history in
Lawrence. Lawrence is where the game of basketball "came of age," and no other
city can claim a rich basketball tradition. Dr. James Naismith brought
basketball to the University of Kansas in 1898, a mere seven years after he
invented the game. In the years since, KU has developed a strong and
tradition-rich program.
Lawrence is also home to Haskell Indian Nations University, the premier
Native American educational institution in the country. Haskell was founded in
1884. Its history is as rich and diverse as its students, who represent more
than 150 tribes throughout the United States.
Basketball History
No other city in the United States can boast its array of basketball history
like Lawrence. Although the game was invented in Springfield, Mass., Lawrence is
where the game of basketball "came of age." KU has the only college basketball
program to be founded by the inventor of the game. With 13 Hall of Famers, 12
Olympians, 11 Final Four visits and three NCAA National Championship teams, it's
safe to say that Lawrence is embedded in basketball history.
Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball on December 21, 1891 to
fill the need for an indoor winter sport. In 1898, he brought the sport to the
University of Kansas, becoming the school's first basketball coach.
Incidentally, Naismith is the only coach in the school's history with a losing
record.
Forrest C. "Phog" Allen became KU's second basketball coach when he replaced
Naismith in 1908. Allen served for 39 seasons at KU, and to date is the fourth
most successful coach in the history of college basketball. In addition, Allen
is KU's winningest coach of all time. He was instrumental in the movement to
bring basketball to the Olympic games. While Naismith is often called "the
father of basketball," he reportedly coined Allen the "father of basketball
coaching."
Today, Naismith and Allen's presence can be felt each time one enters Allen
Fieldhouse, where KU plays its games. Students and fans alike come alive as the
"Rock Chalk Jayhawk" chant resonates in the air. In 1996, USA Today called the
university's basketball program the best of all time, citing its lengthy
history.
There are several historical markers in Lawrence that commemorate the city's
basketball history. A marker on the Douglas County Bank grounds at 807 Kentucky
indicates the location of the first KU home basketball game on February 10,
1899. An exhibit at the Watkins Community Museum of History, "The Basketball
Man: James Naismith", recounts Naismith's life in Lawrence. A memorial to
Naismith is located at the Naismith Memorial Gardens, 1517 E. 15th Street. The
KU sports Hall of Fame, located on the first floor of Allen Fieldhouse,
commemorates former KU players and coaches.
Lawrence's Historic Trails
Before the Kansas Territory was open to settlers and before Lawrence became a
growing frontier city, Native Americans populated the area. Traders and
explorers pushed across the rolling prairie along trails like the Oregon and
Santa Fe. Native Americans had followed paths between camping and hunting sites,
and the paths were later used and expanded by these explorers, trappers,
traders, soldiers and settlers.
Lawrence is situated between the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. The Oregon Trail
ran through what is now the city and University of Kansas campus, while the
Santa Fe Trail ran just south of the city, along what are now county roads and
farmland. Founded in 1854, Lawrence offered various services and supplies to
trail travelers.
Not long after the discovery of America, Spanish explorers traveled the route
that became the Santa Fe Trail. Coronado and his men, seeking gold, were
probably first in 1541. French and Spanish traders continued to use the routes
through the next centuries. William Becknell, leading a party of American
traders, took the first wagons over the route from Missouri to Santa Fe in 1821.
The Trail became the first national highway in the West after the government
surveyed it in 1825. During the next several decades, large wagons carried
freight along the route and commerce flourished.
Traders were the first to open the Oregon Trail. In 1830, William L. Sublette
led the first wagon train to blaze the path. The 81 men planned to rendezvous
with fur traders in Wyoming. They followed the Santa Fe Trail, but then turned
northward toward what is now Topeka, crossing the Kansas River and continuing
westward.
After 1840 settlers traveled the Oregon Trail, crossing the Rocky Mountains,
to take up free land in Oregon. In 1841, Bidwell and Bartelson led 60 men, women
and children in 13 wagons. Larger groups followed. Unlike the Santa Fe Trail,
this was one-way traffic with lighter wagons that could more easily be pulled
over the longer, more rugged route. Government explorers and surveyors, as well
as trapping and trading caravans, joined the migrants.
The Oregon and Santa Fe Trails were two among a network of trails that led
west. Routes varied to follow the easiest, rather than the most direct, routes.
Mules and oxen pulling the heavy wagons fared better on the relatively flat
upland, even though the actual distance they had to travel was greater.
Trail traffic declined after the Civil War ended in 1865, and railroads
rapidly rolled across the Plains. By the 1870s, the wagon trails had become
obsolete. Although modern developments have obliterated most physical traces of
the trails, wagon ruts are still visible in several locations around Lawrence.
Follow both of the trails through Lawrence and Douglas County with an
award-winning self-guided tour brochure available at the Lawrence Visitor
Information Center, North Second and Locust Streets.
Black Jack Battlefield
Near the intersection of E 2000th Road and N 175th Road, adjacent to the
Robert Hall Pearson Park
Baldwin City, KS
The Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park is being developed on the site of
the Battle of Black Jack, June 2, 1856. The goal is to protect it from the
suburban growth that threatens to destroy the very land where John Brown and
Henry Clay Pate fought the first battle in the conflict that was the American
Civil War.
Contact Information
Email: info@blackjackbattlefield.org
Website: www.blackjackbattlefield.org/
Hours of Operation
Public Hours for June 9 – Oct. 28:
Monday – Friday – Closed
Saturday – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Access at times other than Public Hours is by appointment only. Please
contact us at info@blackjackbattlefield.org for more information.
Booth Family Hall of Athletics
Allen Field House
Lawrence, KS 66044
The Booth Family Hall of Athletics is a 26,000-square-foot museum adjacent to
the east side of Allen Fieldhouse. This facility opened in January 2006 and is
open year-round, allowing Jayhawk fans everywhere to experience the history and
tradition of Kansas Athletics. The Hall honors KU's historic athletics programs,
its coaches and student-athletes, past and present.
Contact Information
Website: kuathletics.collegesports.com/facilities/kan-booth-hall.html
Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday
Closed
On home basketball game days we will close 3 hours before tip-off and re-open
90 minutes before game time.
Hobbs Park Memorial
Located in historic Old East Lawrence, the Hobbs Park Memorial is a new
public monument that builds upon the community's abolitionist roots. The
monument is comprised of an 1860s masonry dwelling constructed in the
"rebuilding" period in the city's history, after the 1863 sacking, burning and
massacre at the hands of William Quantrill. The house, which could not be
preserved at its original site, was recently moved to a public park, which was
the home site of an important Lawrence founder, John Speer. Speer was a leader
of the rebuilding efforts after the raid. The memorial is the first in more than
70 years paying tribute to the vision, perseverance and sacrifices of Lawrence's
founders and early residents. Located in Hobbs Park at 11th and Delaware
streets.
Contact Information
Website:
www.hobbsparkmemorial.org/
Midland Railway
High Street
Baldwin City, KS 66006
The Midland Railway operates excursion trains on a line originally
constructed in 1867. Trains cover a 20-mile round trip from Baldwin City via
Norwood to Ottawa Junction, Kan., traveling through scenic eastern Kansas
farmland and woods using vintage railway equipment. The Midland Railway is a
completely volunteer-staffed, non-profit, common carrier railroad operated to
preserve and display transportation history as an educational demonstration
railroad.
The Railway sponsors several special events throughout the year to cater to
both families and railroad memorabilia aficionados. Special group tours and
Scouting activities can be arranged as well.
Contact Information
Phone: 800-651-0388
Email: jashaw@birch.net
Website: www.midland-ry.org/
Hours of Operation
Operates May 29-October 30 each year.
Schedule:
Thurs., Sat., Sun. and summer holidays
Special Friday runs available in April, May, September and October by
reservation only
Old West Lawrence
Historically, the Old West Lawrence neighborhood was home to society's elite,
making it a target for Quantrill's raiders in 1863. Most of the homes were
destroyed and few remained after the massacre. Today, Old West Lawrence is one
of the few neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places and
was a finalist in the "America's Prettiest Painted Places" competition. The
neighborhood is located just two blocks west of downtown Lawrence between
Tennessee and Indiana streets (east to west) and Sixth and Eight streets (north
to south). For a self-guided tour of the neighborhood, stop by the Lawrence
Visitor Information Center at North Second and Locust streets, just north of
downtown across the Kansas River.