Explore our Fiery History
August 15-19, 2019
Lawrence was founded in the 1850’s as the state’s center of resistance to the expansion of slavery. And it paid the price. Targeted, pillaged and burned to the ground during the Civil War, the community rebuilt with a commitment to education, civility, and the future. It’s quite a legacy to live up to… but we try. Add some fiery history to your visit by sampling our past.
Historical agencies throughout Douglas County will present programs that explore Quantrill’s Raid and highlight our area’s territorial and Civil War history for Civil War on the Western Frontier.
From the blog: It wasn’t called Bleeding Kansas for nothing>
2019 Schedule
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15
Talk by Dawson Ballard
Mary Surrat and Her Role in Lincoln’s Assassination
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Watkins Museum of History
FREE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16
8th Kansas Living History Encampment
6:00 – 8:00 PM
South Park
FREE
Oak Hill Cemetery Tour
Guided by Watkins Museum Curator, Brittany Keegan
Register: Lawrence Parks & Recreation: (785) 832-7920
8:00 – 9:30 PM
Oak Hill Cemetery
$18
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
Quantrill’s Raid Bus Tour
Guided by Michelle Montour
Register Here
8:00 – 9:30 AM
Begins at Watkins Museum
$30/$15 members
Quantrill’s Raid Walking Tour
Guided by John Jewell
Register Here
8:30 – 10:00 AM
Begins at Watkins Museum
$30/$15 members
Quantrill’s Raid Victims Memorial Service and Living History
Presentation by 8th Kansas Reenactors
10:00 – 11:30 AM
Watkins Museum
FREE
Quantrill’s Raid Bus Tour
Guided by Michelle Montour
Register Here
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Begins at Watkins Museum
$30/$15 members
Interactive History Walking Tour
Guided by Cole Finley and Amanda Burkhart
Register Here
12:00 – 2:00 PM
Begins at Watkins Museum
$30/$15 members
National History day award-winning website about Quantrill’s Raid
Student Presentation
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Watkins Museum
FREE
Underground Railroad Bus Tour
Guided by Judy Sweets & Kerry Altenbernd
Register Here
3:00 – 4:30 PM
Begins at Watkins Museum
$30/$15 members
Women of Early Lawrence Bus Tour
Guided by Sarah Bell
Register Here
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Begins at Watkins Museum
$30/$15 members
Burroughs Creek Trail & Free State Brewing Co Bicycle Tour
Register Here
6:00 – 7:30 PM
$30/$15 members
Rebuilding of Lawrence Walking Tour
Guided by John Jewell
Register Here
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Begins at Watkins Museum
$30/$15 members
Keynote address: Order Number 11
Tom Rafiner, Historian, Author
7:00 – 7:45 PM
Lawrence Arts Center
For Union & Freedom: Songs of the Civil War
Performed by Lawrence Opera Theatre
8:00 – 9:00 PM
Lawrence Arts Center
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18
Kids Camp: Step Back Into History at Clinton Lake
1:00 – 4:00 PM
Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum
FREE
Black Jack Battlefield Guided Tour
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park
FREE
ONGOING PROGRAMS
Eudora and the Civil War
This exhibit explores Eudora and the Civil War. To schedule a tour, call 785-690-7900 or email EudoraHistory@gmail.com.
Tuesday – Saturday; 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Eudora Community Museum
FREE
Underground Railroad & Freedom Rings
The area was a key region for the Underground Railroad and a hotbed of abolitionism and had strong community and family histories for Free State Kansas. Many slaves were safely led through the Wakarusa Valley and on their way to freedom by these noble men. Besides an exhibit about the Underground Railroad, you can also visit the “Freedom Rings”, a large-scale outdoor sculpture which serves as a beacon of light and symbol of freedom to represent the history of the region and the Underground Railroad.
Saturday & Sunday; 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum
FREE
