Section B · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Fridav. May 1. 1998
Johnny's Tavern is one of the oldest buildings in North Lawrence. Built in 1917, the building held a grocery store and a farm implement store before it became a bar. Photo by Augustus Anthony Piazza/KANSAN
Foundations repaired to preserve history
By Rannie Wachter
wachter@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Lawrence is noted for its abundance of buildings with area historical significance. Many of them reside in the downtown area, while others are hidden in less conspicuous places.
Between 1870 and 1940, Lawrence experienced a slump in population growth, and a corresponding slump in economic growth, said Steve Jansen, director of the Watkins Community Museum, 1047 Massachusetts St. According to Jansen, this slump was crucial in the preservation of Lawrence's older buildings.
One of the most historic of Lawrence's buildings is Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St. Several different structures, serving several different purposes, have been erected at the corner of Seventh and Massachusetts streets. Fires, raiders and property sales have each played a role in the destruction and reconstruction of the buildings there.
Its story, along with many others, was told in "100 years of Lawrence Theaters," a 1979 book written by Emory Scott Frank, a historian of the area.
The first version of Liberty Hall was created in 1856, and lasted until 1882. It was damaged by fire several times, including two attacks by pro-slavery raiders.
When University of Kansas stu
dents walk inside Liberty Hall, they probably do not know the building at 642 Massachusetts St. is relatively young, compared to others in Lawrence.
The Granada Theater, 1020 Massachusetts St., was constructed in 1943, and has not needed to be reconstructed since.
In the 1950s, the owners shifted its emphasis to motion pictures, to help it maintain its popularity.
"We have people come in all the time and say 'I went on my first date to The Granada,'" said Jenne Moore, manager.
The Granada also served as a dance hall on the weekend, which it has returned to for its primary attraction today.
But Jansen said the oldest buildings were away from downtown.
"You can go into old Lawrence, North Lawrence particularly, and find places that haven't changed in 100 years," he said.
One of those older buildings is Johnny's Tavern, Jansen said. Built in 1917, it is among the oldest buildings used as a business still standing in Lawrence today.
The building originally housed a grocery store, which was converted to a farm implement store in the 1940s, then became Johnny's in 1951.
But according to owner Rick Renfro, the building was used as a bar long before it got its license.
"During Prohibition, they used to sneak a few bottles of whiskey in there," he said.
Celebrities called Lawrence home
By Laura Roddy
Irodody@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Langton Hughes, James Naismith and William S. Burroughs are all well-known names that have a Lawrence connection.
Steve Jansen, director of the Watkins Community Museum of History, 1047 Massachusetts St., said the number of prominent people in Lawrence throughout the years was unusual, although not unique to other cities.
Jansen said political roots, the founding of the University of Kansas and the founding of the Haskell Institute played an important role in Lawrence's attraction of well-known people.
One of Lawrence's most recent prominent citizens was Beat Generation poet and novelist William S. Burrowes, who died Aug. 2.
Burroughs moved to Lawrence from New York City in 1981.
David Ohle, Lawrence resident,
knew Burroughs well. Ohio
cooked dinner for Burroughs and his guests every Thursday night during the last six or seven years of Burroughs' life.
o h l e
described Bur-
roughs as a
avoracious
reader who
loved his cats.
Burroughs:made Lawrence his home for many years
"He was a really interesting, clever, smart man," Ohle said. "He always had people around him."
good conversation, target shooting, writing and painting.
Ohl said a film was in the works for 1988 based on an autobiography of Burroughs' life. Ohle wrote the screenplay, and actor Steve Buscemi will direct it and play Burroughs. Buscemi spent a couple of days in Lawrence with Burroughs six weeks before he died.
Burroughs was just one of m a n y Lawrence residents famous outside the state of K an s a s, Jansen said.
John Brown,
the abolitionist who took
over Harper's
Ferry in 1859,
had Lawrence
Allen: basketball legend lived in lawrence
connections. Jansen said although John Brown never lived in Lawrence, he was frequently seen on the town's streets.
Langston Hughes, an African-American poet and playwright, lived in Lawrence from 1905 to 1913, when he was about 5 to 13 years old. Hughes' book *Not Without Laughter* was a fictional account of his childhood in Lawrence.
George "Nash" Walker, a vaudeville entertainer, was born and buried in Lawrence, Walker and his partner, Bert Williams, were African-American theatrical pioneers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Walker wrote in *The Theatre Magazine* in 1906 that, "In those days, black-faced white comedians were more numerous and very popular. They billed themselves as 'coons.' Bert and I watched the white 'coons' and were often much amused at seeing white men with black faces trying to imitate black folks."
Jansen also cited William Clarke Quantrill, who is known for his raid on Lawrence; James Naismith, founder of basketball and the University's first basketball coach; Forrest "Phog" Allen, another of the University's basketball coaches, as well-known figures associated with Lawrence.
"We are the cradle of basketball here, but we are also the symbolic birthplace of the Civil War," Jansen said.
By Lisa Stevens John
Kansan staff writer
A marker on Highway 56 several miles outside of Baldwin tells the story of what was known as the Battle of Black Jack.
Though much less well-known than some of the other border wars, including Quantrill's 1863 Raid on Lawrence, the 1856 Battle of Black Jack has its story to tell. And a Baldwin man has plans to share the story with the public once more.
In 1969, Don Mueller, a former professor at Baker University, wrote a historical musical, The Ballad of Black Jack.
deaths at the Battle of Black Jack.
Mueller said there were no
"If you have to have a battle, that's the kind to have for a musical comedy." Mueller said.
Mueller said he wrote the play after members of the Baldwin community asked him to write something to be performed during the annual Maple Leaf Festival in November.
While looking through a used bookstore, Mueller said he found an old textbook of Kansas history.
"It was providential," Mueller said. "I opened the book and there was the Battle of Black Jack, the whole play just waiting to be written."
After extensive research, Mueller wrote the play including songs and lyrics.
From 1969 to 1982, the play was performed in Baldwin. In 1983, the last showing, the 80-member cast performed at Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St.
Now for the first time since 1983, Mueller has plans to resurrect The Ballad of Black Jack. He is working to find a location to hold performances during the 1998 Maple Leaf Festival. Steve Jansen, director of Watkins Community Museum of History, 1047 Massachusetts St., said he was glad to hear "The Ballad of Black Jack" might be presented this year.
"I greatly admire what Don Mueller has done," Jansen said. "It takes people with theatrical talent to craft these things. I, as
a local historian, I will read the books and I'll try to convey them to the public, but if you can add drama and music and the sense of theater, it obviously adds to the appeal of the story."
"Some people point to November 1855. There was a shot fired in anger when a pro-slavery man was taking a free-state man into prison," Jansen said. "Some people have said that was the first shot of the Civil War because of what followed."
Jansen said the Battle of Black Jack is memorable as being the first pitched battle in which the free-state men were engaged.
Jansen said the Battle of Black Jack occurred seven months later on June 2, 1856.
Museum offers taste of old Lawrence
By Nathan Willis
Special to the Kansan
Watkins is a familiar name to KU students. One downtown building, sharing the namesake with a scholarship hall and health center, chronicles the history of Lawrence.
Watkins Community Museum of History, 1047 Massachusetts St., was established in 1933 and moved to its current location in 1975. It offers students a unique chance to understand the community in which they live.
"When I attended KU, I insulated myself from the Lawrence community like a lot of students today," said Steve Jansen, museum director. "But students should get to know the community, since they're going to spend so much time here. And we help students do that."
The museum has collected more
than 11,300 artifacts relating to Douglas County history. Jansen said some of the museum's most prominent exhibits included historical information about the Kaw River Valley, artifacts and letters relating to Quantrill's Raid and for the thousands of basketball fans in Lawrence, a James Naismith exhibit.
And then there's the building itself, which was built and later given to the city by Elizabeth Watkins.
to look at that."
"The building itself is our major exhibit," Janssen said. "The building was built in 1888 for $100,000, and it would cost $15 million to replace it today."
Alexis Radil, Lawrence graduate student and intern at the museum, said the museum was worth seeing.
"I would encourage people to make the visit simply for the beauty of the building," she said. "It's worth it just
The museum also offers something for students more interested in round ball than Romanesque architecture. In addition to the Naismith exhibit, an exhibit dedicated to legendary basketball coach Phog Allen is scheduled to open soon.
"There tend to be two things that stand out in Lawrence's history: the Civil War heritage and the cradle of basketball that the town is," Jansen said. "We find the largest interest in those topics, and so we focus on those."
Despite the wealth of information, the number of students who visit the museum relatively is low. Out of about 230 visitors each week, Radil estimated about 25 to 30 are KU students.
COMMUNITY MUSEUM
"A lot of students don't know about the research possibilities down here
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday
The museum is closed Mondays and holidays.
Admission: Free; donations are appreciated.
■ Current exhibits: James Naismith, Kaw River Valley during the Civil War and Quantum's Raid
with photographs and archives that could be helpful to projects," Radil said.
Jansen estimates between 25 and 50 students use the facility for research purposes every semester. He also said he thought the museum was probably the best resource for research about history of the area.
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