Kansas River Valley History - Lawrence Area

nice overview from founding to 2000ish

critical compilation of information

I think the print document was produced in 1961....

    * treaty w/ Delaware - sept 24, 1829
    * kansas-nebraska act - may 13, 1854
    * Baldwin & Stearns stake Lawrence townsite - may 26, 1854
    * New England Emigrant Aid Soc arrives Aug 1, 1854
    * 1855 Baldwin got charter for S/N Lawrence flatboat ferry

supplies came to town via wagon train out of Leavenworth, north of Kaw

river was shallow enough to be forded by wagon;  crossed ice in winter

    * sheriff jones sacking of Lawrence 1856

    * aug 22, 1860 Sarcoxie given 320 acres (most of north lawrence)
    * nov 1861 land sold to charles robinson, et al
    * 1862 post office  sited - called north lawrence, "Jefferson"; it was in Jefferson County.
    * bridge across kaw started spring 1863
    * quantrill august 1863
    * telegraph completed sept 1863
    * railroad lines were being laid north of kaw
    * 1864 Robinson moved to land northeast of town
    * dec 1864 normal train operations began
*1865 grant township is created & rolled into Douglas County
*bowersock dam built 1865?? document doesn't specify
*Plymouth Congregation built in 1865
*Methodist church formed 1865, building wasn't started until 1866
*Chief Sarcoxie & his family lived on the hill north of the Lawson station at Mud Creek.  His two daughters attended Woodlawn in north Lawrence,  The site of his home was almost identical with the present location of the house now standing.
*North Lawrence chartered june 7 1867; city of lawrence tried to annex north lawrence june 11 1867
*north lawrence consolidated wih city of lawrence march 17, 1870
*$100,000 bonds to Union Pacific RR for building general repair shops at bismark grove - dec 6 1870

>references seveal places that are now in the river

The Snyder residence, which still stands at the northwest corner of North Fifth and Walnut Streets (it was numbered "101 Pennsylvania Street") was built prior to 1870. Soon after its construction it was converted from a residence into a semi-resort hotel operating under the name of "Edlewilde," and was so used for more than 30 years until purchased by A. N. Dunakin, a North Lawrence grocer.

Although Sarcoxie, the Delaware chief, asserted that in 1844 he had paddled his canoe from the bluffs in the Delaware Reservation to Blue Mound, his statement is not supported by the government records relating to the flood of that year. However, there is no record of any overflow or flooding in North Lawrence or adjacent lands from 1844 until after the close of the century.

Delaware Tribe Chief Sarcoxie sold acreage to Union Pacific at $1.25/acre in 1860; tribe moved to Indian Territory in 1867 - only 200 remaining members; not sure if the photo shown as Charles Journeycake is the same person as Chief Sarcoxie...

 by elfrieda fisher rowe - pub 1952; a few subtle variations from what I've read in other places... heyday for the grounds would have been in 1879; also, it's odd that she totally skipped any reference to quantril in 1863 even though the telegraph line is referenced as having gone in in sept '63 - the irony is too thick to have not made the connection with how hard other parties were working to alert Lawrence before Quantril arrived.

Page break error? - where discussion about the origin of "Bismark" is discussed : buffalo named bismark?? or german general??  buffalo in woodland?  the name-sake of a german general  being retained through wwI & II seems a stretch...especially given the german pow camp on the other side of the kaw in weaver bottoms.

north lawrence newspaper?? where was crandall house?

interesting speculations re: white/native exchanges

Competition for this parcel of land seems pretty likely but I'll have to think about the bio-geography a bit more...  I think the potential for one long continguous stand of woodland from the north side of the Kaw clear up beyond the Jefferson Hill seems inconsistent with the spareness repeatedly described for the south side clear to the riparian margin of the wakie.  Sarah Robinson described saw grass in the valley below her home - consistent w/ an ox-bow wetland. 

The location & timing info about Chief Sarcoxie & Fall Leaf are a little off based on Linwood community historical records.

delaware tribe no longer federally recognized - 2005

Nice river history; Bismark is just west of the juncture of Mud Creek w/ the Kaw; The area is also framed by a nearly silted ox-bow on the north and the Kaw to the south.  Dolly Graber had a "lake" and park-type venue immediately north of the Bismark house.  The railroad line runs E/W through the area and into north Lawrence. I-70 now cuts across what would have been part of the fairgrounds.  Dolly Graber's "lake" can be seen looking south from I-70 & is now referred to as the sand pit area. The Lawrence airport is between I-70 & Mud Creek.  This whole area is wetland - every amphibian found in Douglas County can be found here.  The Kaw Valley floodplain margin rises up just beyond Mud Creek.  The valley is steep enough here that there's sand along the ridge lines.  The Kaw & Mud Creek are now both confined by levees.  The Kaw makes nearly a 90 degree turn at the Mud Creek juncture - flowing from almost straight N to due E. Mountain bike trails zig-zag the riparian area between the levee and the river.  Wildlife is diverse & relatively abundant.  

images

this is a web version of the paper I did in 1986 for the kansas history competition

listing of villages along the kansas river

via "A collaborative presentation of the history of Johnson County, Kansas from the Johnson County museum and partners."

The state of Missouri and the Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission are taking
this opportunity during the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to strengthen and
re-establish relationships and communications with the various tribal governments and officials
who have interests in our state. One key effort to promote that objective was to create an
American Indian Resource Handbook for Missouri.
This handbook is an attempt to present the backgrounds of the tribes who occupied territory
within the boundaries of present-day Missouri during the Lewis and Clark period. We have also
identified other tribes who have interests in our state and her lands. The tribes that occupied
territory in Missouri during the Lewis and Clark period, or who were mentioned as being contacted
during this period, were contacted and asked to present us with a background on their
tribe. These backgrounds are included. In addition, we have listed the contact information for
other tribes that we know have current interest in Missouri lands, policies and agencies.
The handbook also includes educational information we thought was important to know, such
as how to respectfully interact with these tribes and tribal members during celebrations, events
and educational opportunities. We are also listing the public lands and historic resources
where these tribal histories are presented and where their ancestors occupied villages within
the state.

Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-): Vol. 28, Jan. 14, 1916 - Jan. 13, 1917 (Jan. 14, 1916 - Jan. 13, 1917), pp. 33-47