City Life
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Lawrence grew up around a thoroughfare now known as Massachusetts Street. Because of city commercial planning and the renewal project, the street remains the center of life for day-to-day Lawrence.
The area has an atmosphere of continuity, from the very old — reflected by such buildings as the Eidridge Hotel — to very modern lamp posts and store signs.
Wednesday, August 24, 1977
Vol.88,No.1
In 1972, the Lawrence City Commission approved a project to renovate Lawrence's central business district. Ten buildings were resurfaced, Trees, flowers and benches were installed along the sidewalk area, and several old buildings were refaced. The street itself was widened, and all new parking spaces were added for easier parking.
Bowersock Dam has ties with city's history
By JANE PIPER
Staff Writer
The Bowersock Dam and mill are familiar names closely tied to the economic growth of Lawrence. From the dam's troubled beginnings in 1872 to the current dilemma of how to maintain the mill site into a city hall, the dam area has played a large role in the history of Lawrence.
Started in 1872 by Orlando Darling, chairman of the Douglas County Commission, the original dam across the Kansas River proved to be a financial disaster for him as well as a constant drain on the city. In 1880, he and Darling's fortune were lost when an ice jam swept down the river shortly before Christmas 1873.
BOWERSOCK LATER BECAME president of the Lawrence National Bank, the law firm of McCormack & Lawrence Commercial Club. Bowersock was also the mayor of Lawrence from 1881 to 1905.
Although the dam was eventually completed in 1874, it was an unreliable power source, because of structural problems, until Justin D. Bowersock took control in
The dam later washed out and was rebuilt three times, but the original dam lasted until 1885. That was long enough to close the dam in 1906, and there were which had been Lawrence's only power
source for many years, and to consolidate
Douglas Countyour door null and the
address of our residence.
At one time the dam generated enough power to supply the city's electricity and to run the Bowersick Mills, the Consolidated Barbed Wire Co., an iron works, a shirt factory, a corn mill and the Lawrence Journal.
However, the original glory of the mill area has disappeared. In its place now stands a cluster of dilapidated buildings and orrain elevators.
**IRVING HILL.** Bowsersck son-in-law, took control of the dam and a family-owned paper company in 1901. His son and grandson, Justin Hill Sr., and Stephen Hill, West Eighth Street, are now the chief executives of the Power Co. and the Kansas Fireshield, Inc.
The Lawrence City Commission is studying the possibility of converting the present Closeout Carpet, Inc., building, 544 Massachusetts St., into a city hall.
THE CITY GAINED control of more than six acres of Bowersock land last April after signing an agreement that replaced the 165-year-old Daring lease. The contract gave the city the option of maintaining the Bowersock Dam.
Lawrence can also gain ownership of the dam, a maintenance shop and a backyard. Lawrence buoy-owered
the city must decide within six months whether it wants to locate the city hall there. If it does, the price for the land is $1. If not, the cost is $25,000.
Commissioners have envisioned a city hall that would tie into the Riverfront Park. The river, dam and the powerhouse would be visual attractions.
architecture, and his architectural firm,
Design Build, designed a preliminary city
last spring. Gould said he hoped the city
pushed the historic link to the
Kansas River.
Ideals, violence are city's roots
The section of Massachusetts Street adjacent to the Bowersock Mill was the only block in the central business district untouched by a 1972 renewal project.
By DIANE WOLKOW
Robert Gould, assistant professor of
Staff Writer
Today Lawrence is known to most Kansans—and to those other Americans who have heart of it—as the home of the University of Kansas. However, Lawrence is one of the national importance focal point of one of the best bitesstests in U.S. history.
Until the Kansas-Nebrasa act of 1854, Kansas territory was an Indian reservation. Passage of the act meant that the scattered landowners could vote in a popular vote whether to become a slave or free state. At that time, the free and slave states divided but Kansas' decision was a key issuance.
Pro-slavery settlers from the Southern Missouri immediately moved into the Kansas Territory. Within a few weeks, abolitionist supporters in the state began to realize that Kansas was under slavery.
THE NEW ENGLAND Emigrant Aid Society was formed from this earlier group. Its avowed goal was to assist emigration to the Netherlands, by concentrating action, the procurement of cheap transportation, the erection of mills and necessary machinery, the establishment of a press and any other assistance provided to concentration of energy and capital could afford.
A Mr. El Thayer of Worcester, Mass., suggested organizing an immigration to Kansas. He had previously organized the group to create a purpose was to create pro-freeedom public opinion by encouraging the settlement of border areas and legal voters in un-decided territories.
Two men were sent ahead to explore the territory and select a suitable site for settlement. On July 17, 1854, a carefully group of 29 men followed the scouts to Kames.
Amos A. Lawrence of Boston was appointed one of three trustees of the society.
The decision to build a city hall hinges on the outcome of a mortgage securitisation suit against the Hills, who were tempted to gain control of the eastern 10 acres for the Hills as individuals instead of homeowners.
A SECOND GROUP of 67 settlers left for Lawrence and arrived instead with 114 people. Lawrence, as an association, was founded.
At that time the town was called Wakarusa, meaning "hip deep," for lack of a better name. Since the association had no body of laws, Maine's state law was adopted. Included in the body of laws was one providing for prohibition.
On the first of October, a town meeting was called to name the town. Several motions were made, and finally one motion passed. A law was made. Amos A. Lawrence, "first to honor Amos A. Lawrence of Boston, both as an individual and officer of the company, and second, because the name sounded well and had no bad odor attached to it in any part of the city."
Massachusetts' land was plotted, and lots were laid out. Land was reserved for a college, schools, state buildings and other services. By the time the second party had gone to court, many residents on the hill. It was known as the Astor House and was a place of considerable contempt.
The first election in Kansas was held in nearby Douglas for a delegate to the U.S. Congress. Foreshadowing events, the town of 50 people turned in 285 votes and a proslavery candidate won with over one-half his supporters coming from Missouri.
By March 1855, Lawrence was a growing and prosperous town of 369 voters.
The second elections, for a state legislature, were also dubious. Missourians in Kansas for the day, and many of the legislators elected were from that state. The
THE MOTION CARRIED by a large majority, and the name Lawrence was inserted in the blank on the town council's $10,000 for establishing a state university.
FOLLOWING THE outcome of the trial.
owned land in 50 years if the city wants to buy it.
the river. One of the men in the raid was Douglas County Sheriff Samuel Jones, who fired a cannon into the Free State Hotel, burning it to the ground.
In July 1857, a city charter was adopted to define the county town and ordinances. The governor was tasked with reasonable and placed the town under marital law. Troops were dispatched to the town.
FREE-STATE KANSANS held their own meeting in Topeka and set up their own legislature. They elected two free-states to the state legislature, but refused to recognize the earlier election.
governor could do little about it without endangering his life, so the legislature held him in a prison cell. The Missouri statutes, which provided that anyone who by word or deed aided in the escape of a slave should die. This also meant that any person convicted on pro-slavery stance was subject to a full test.
Tension between free and slave state supporters mounted, and subsequent series of events led to a raid on Lawrence by proslavery sympathizers. The town was pillaged, the three free-state newspapers were ransacked and their presses thrown in
A retaliatory raid on Jones's men was lead by abolitionist John Brown. Later the free-staters gained the political lead in the state.
In 1857, Lawrence welled with a rush of new immigrants. A few were pro-slavers anxious to swing the vote back their way; most were free-slaters.
See IDEALS page 12
Water work
Staff photo by RICK PADDEN
This cable car, suspend alongside the Bowersock dam south of Sixth and Massachusetts streets, is used to reach panels that
restrict water flow through the dam. Water collects behind the panels during low river stages to provide part of the city's water supply.
William Clarke Quantrill dressed in the uniform of a Confederate officer. (photograph courtesy of the Kansas State Historical Society).
Quantrill wrote history in blood
August 21, 1863 . . . just before dawn . . . The guerrillas surprised the town . . .
They stayed only four hours . . . "The dead lay along the street . . . some could
not be recognized . . ."
By KEVIN KIOUS
Staff Writers
and
LYNN BONNEY KIRKMAN
Staff Waiters
William Clarke Quantrill and his band of raiders sacked Lawrence early on the morning of August 21, 1863, burning most of the buildings, pillaging the rest and killing 143 men and boys.
Last Sunday marked the 114th anniversary of Quantrill's raid on Lawrence—a bloody chapter in the war. A few months later, he died.
Because Lawrence had been the center for free state activity in Kansas, it aroused the enmity of pro-slavery activists. Riding parties from the Lawrence area to the rural communities towns, and these attacks brought pro-repugnance action.
Lawrence was attacked in 1856 by pro-slavery
patriarcher who cooted him and burned the Friese
later in the latter.
QUANTRILLE WAS A confederate captain, notorious as the leader of a band of conquered guerrillas. A warrior, he is known for his bravery.
The state became known as "Bleeding Kansas."
A New York City artist's idea of a scene from Quantrill's sound on Lawrence, August 21, 1983. This
drawing appeared in Leslie's on September 12,
1835. Illustration of the Kansas State
Beehive, topoed.
swear that he would destroy the town in retaliation for the attacks on Missouri by free-state raiders.
Residents of Lawrence had heard of Quannill's boast, but they felt sure that ample warning of any impending attack would be given before pro-slavery leaders sent the 40 miles from the Missouri border to the town.
Quantrill began to gather his forces on August 15,
1863. He intended to make his word good.
On the afternoon of August 20, 1863, Quantrill and a
团 of about 300 men crossed the line on a map.
The pro-slavery regiment regiment Lawrence just before dawn. Approaching from the east, they stopped inside a building.
WORD OF THE 'RAIDERS' movements reached the U.S. Army headquarters in Kansas City about 9 that evening, and 250 U.S. troops were dispatched to overtake Quantillii's group.
Quantrill and his men moved unhurtly toward a treemesh, killing suspected free-stater supporters at farm
The men assembled and then charged their horses northwest toward the downtown area. They killed 17 members of a 24-man company of Kansas 14th Reiment recruits who were camped near the city.
When the raiders were in front of the Eldridge Hotel, they stopped firing. Although they had expected the townpeople to defend themselves, not one shot had been fired in retaliation.
NEAR 11TH AND Rhode Island street, Quantrill ordered some of his men to surround the central portion of town. The rest of the band rode west to Massachusetts Street, where they turned north toward the river. The men on horseback rode through downtown, firing at every man they saw.
Quantrill's plan apparently defined the Eldridge Hotel as the clubbed venue and called for the raiders to set up a rink and build a wading pool.
An eastern newspaperman who was a guest at the hotel waved a white flag of surrender from a window. The guests in the hotel asked for safety in return for surrendering the building.
Quantrill agreed.
BY THIS TIME, most of the Lawrence residents were aware that the raid was going on. Many reside assumed they would remain unharmed because they had not been involved in the anti-slavery movement.
This raid was to be different.
The standard procedure in a such a raid was to loot and burn a few buildings and kill a small number of
Quantrill's objective on this raid was to kill every male citizen of the town.
The Eldridge guests were marched to the city hotel near the river.
In the meantime, one group of raiders moved down Massachusetts Street, systematically robbing and looting the stores, killing the owners and equipping themselves with new clothing and supplies.
TWO OTHER GROUPS covered the areas east and west of Massachusetts Street. The groups were further divided into regiments of six to eight men. Each of these smaller groups had assigned tasks and carried out a hurdle.
The raiders generally killed all the men and boys they found in the city, although some were snared.
Businesses were burned, houses were looted and women were robbed of their jewelry.
Smoke and flames rose from an area of town from New Hampshire Street west to Kentucky Street and
Rocky Mountain Road.
WITHIN THAT AREA of town, 150 houses were destroyed. Fifty others were partially damaged. Many downtown buildings had been destroyed. Property loss was estimated at $1.5 million.
Quantrill and his men loaded their body on their horses and the wounded city.
They had killed 143 men and boys. Twenty more were wounded.
The guests at the Eldridge had not been harmed, although the hotel was burned by Quantrill's men.
although the hotel was burned by Quinn's men.
Survivors began to emerge from their hiding places.
Survive begins. One on the other recorded the scene: "The dead lay all along the street, some of them so charred that they could not be recognized and could scarcely be taken up. Here and there among the embs could be seen the bones of those who perished in the buildings; the sickening odor of burning flesh was oppressive."
It was 9 o'clock in the morning.
Quantrill's own story came to end in battle
Thirty-five men who survived Quantrill's raid on Lawrence formed a posse to pursue the guerrilla band. As they reached Quantrill's troops they were joined by part of the U.S. forces, commanded by Maj. Preston B.
The Lawrence group returned to town while the soldiers regrouped and continued their pursuit of the
Quantrill and his men managed to evade most of the forces that were pursuing him. There was a small skirmish at Paola but Quantrill made his way back to Missouri.
On May 10, 1865, Quantrill wounded in a battle with Union guerrillas at Wakefield in Spencer County,
He was taken to Louisville where he died June 6, 1865.