THE GREAT DOUGLAS COUNTY HISTORY HUNT
Use this arrow to learn more at each stop.
Note: This tour launched summer 2020.
The Great Douglas County History Hunt allows you to experience a collection of sites throughout Douglas County that share some of the remarkable histories of the community. Each site has outdoor elements and signs that you can visit safely and socially-distance.
The Great Douglas County History Hunt is a cooperative effort between Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and the organizations focused on each of the sites. We hope you will enjoy programs such as the “Hunt!” Help support programs such as the “Hunt” by clicking the “Donate” button below.
DONATEThe Great Douglas County History Hunt is a combined project between eight different heritage organizations — all working to preserve the amazing stories of Douglas County history.
Scroll down to begin the tour.
Stop 1
Baker Wetlands
1365 N 1250 Rd. Lawrence, KS
DIRECTIONSBaker Wetlands
1365 N 1250 Rd. Lawrence, KS
The Baker Wetlands is stunning. But don’t just take our word for it: Check out what HouseBeautiful magazine said when it declared the Wetlands the most beautiful place in Kansas.
One of the most diverse habitats in Kansas, the Baker Wetlands encompasses 927 acres of rich, natural wildlife. Students, faculty, and nature lovers have identified 278 species of birds, 98 other vertebrate species, and 487 plant species at the Wetlands—and these counts grow with each adventure. This exceptional environment gives students the unique opportunity for increased exploration and education about biological and ecological processes.
The Baker Wetlands and Discovery Center is paradise for our student biologists, ecologists, biochemists, and pre-health professionals. But our students aren’t the only beneficiaries of the stunning 927-acre natural habitat. Stargazers, bird watchers, and exercise enthusiasts are always bustling around the area, which is open to the public. Located just 10 miles north of the Baldwin City Campus, the Baker Wetlands is a true distinction for the university in its region.
The Wakarusa and Kansas River floodplains have developed since the Pre-Illinoian Glacial Period ended more than 300,000 years ago. Learn more about their development and how the mitigation has helped the Wetlands grow to where they are at today.
More than 11 miles of trails are open from dawn to dusk so you can hike the Wetlands to your heart’s content.
More than 11 miles of trails are open from dawn to dusk so you can hike the Wetlands to your heart’s content.
Wetlands Rules
- The area is open dawn to dusk (daylight hours).
- Dogs must be on a leash to protect others on the trail and the wildlife.
- No boating, including canoes and kayaks, allowed.
- Take only pictures; leave only footprints.
Stop 2
Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park
163 E 2000 Rd. Wellsville, KS
DIRECTIONSBlack Jack Battlefield and Nature Park
163 E 2000 Rd. Wellsville, KS
At dawn on June 2, 1856, the abolitionist John Brown and Captain Shore led a Free-State militia in an attack on the camp of a pro-southern militia led by Henry Clay Pate. Pate and his men had been scouring the countryside looking for Brown after he and his men committed the bloody Pottawatomie Creek Massacre and a warrant was issued for his arrest after murdering five men and boys.
The battle occurred at a popular camping ground along the Santa Fe Trail near Black Jack Creek in southeastern Douglas County, Kansas Territory known as the Black Jack Campground. Although Pate’s forces held the superior position and outnumbered those of Brown, he was forced to surrender after three hours of intense fighting, thereby ended what John Brown later called “the first regular battle fought between Free-State and Pro-Slavery forces in Kansas.”
Because Kansas saw the first armed conflict over slavery, and because John Brown identified the Battle of Black Jack as the first such battle in Kansas, many consider it to be the first battle of the American Civil War. The battlefield is now a National Historic Landmark.
In addition to the site of the Battle of Black Jack, the Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park includes the historic Robert Hall Pearson House and Farmstead. Pearson fought alongside of John Brown toward the end of the battle, eventually purchasing the land and building his house overlooking the Battlefield in 1890. His descendants lived in the house until the property was purchased by the Trust in 2003.
The Park also contains the Black Jack Nature Trail and prairie restoration area, and is adjacent to the Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve.
Self-Guided Tour brochures available in front of the Robert Hall Pearson Farmhouse. Pearson Farmhouse is open seasonally or by appointment.
WEBSITESelf-Guided Tour brochures available in front of the Robert Hall Pearson Farmhouse. Pearson Farmhouse is open seasonally or by appointment.
Stop 3
Constitution Hall State Historic Site
319 Elmore St. Lecompton, KS
DIRECTIONSConstitution Hall State Historic Site
319 Elmore St. Lecompton, KS
Learn about the dramatic events surrounding the drafting of the Lecompton Constitution at Constitution Hall State Historic Site and how Lecompton was affected at the Territorial Capital Museum.
Built in 1856, Constitution Hall is the oldest wood frame building in Kansas still standing in its original location. Its native cottonwood floor planks and black walnut lap siding boards were installed at the time of construction. The building witnessed the early history of Kansas Territory, and visitors can stand where that history happened. The first land office in Kansas Territory was located here, and the Kansas Supreme Court met on the second floor. The territorial legislature also met upstairs, and pro-slavery delegates wrote the Lecompton Constitution with the intent of bringing Kansas into the Union as a slave state.
Group tours are available, but the site requests two weeks prior notice for groups of 10 or more.
WEBSITE
The question of whether Kansas would enter the union free or slave, was finally decided in 1859, when the Wyandotte Constitution was ratified by the United States Congress on January 29, 1861. Kansas finally entered the Union, free of slavery.
Stop 4
Dole Institute of Politics/Dole Archives
2350 Petefish Dr. Lawrence, KS
DIRECTIONSDole Institute of Politics/Dole Archives
2350 Petefish Dr. Lawrence, KS
The Robert J. Dole Archive & Special Collections is one of the largest Congressional archives in the United States, with materials on a wide range of topics important to 20th-century American social and political history. Explore manuscripts, photographs, film, objects and other unique materials from Senator Dole’s life as well as his family, former staff, and associates. Visit the Dole Archives website to search and learn about Senator Dole’s collections.
In addition to resource materials and objects, the Archives offers educational opportunities for all levels of academics, curriculum supplements, group tours, and research travel grants and fellowships. Museum gallery features include the world’s largest stained-glass American flag, Kansas veterans WWII memory wall and World Trade Center beams. It is home to the Robert J. Dole Archive & Special Collections, which includes over 35 years of congressional papers, as well as objects and materials from the Senator’s entire life.
The center looks forward to aiding you in your research using the Dole Archives collections.
“In America we take pride in the past, but we live for the future. To the young people who will come here for inspiration as well as information, may you never stop reaching for the stars – whatever the difficulties.”
– Senator Bob Dole, July 22, 2003, Dole Institute dedication
WEBSITE– Senator Bob Dole, July 22, 2003, Dole Institute dedication
Stop 5
Eudora Community Museum
720 Main St. Eudora, KS
DIRECTIONSEudora Community Museum
720 Main St. Eudora, KS
The Eudora Area Historical Society operates the Eudora Community Museum. The Museum displays numerous exhibits devoted to Eudora’s history. Themes explored in the museum include Shawnee Indians, Western Expansion, the Oregon Trail, Eudora and the Civil War, Eudora as it developed in the late 19th Century, Eudora’s African-American Community and the Sunflower Ammunition Plant.
The Eudora Area Historical Society preserves and maintains the history of the city and township of Eudora and the surrounding communities of Clearfield, Fall Leaf, Hesper, Prairie Center and Weaver.
The EAHS also maintains an extensive archival collection. The Archives are open to the public during the standard hours of operation. Collections within the Archives include virtually all Eudora based newspapers since the 1890s, thousands of photographs, yearbooks, correspondence, genealogy and books relating to Eudora and Kansas history.
Call 785-690-7900 or email [email protected] to schedule a tour.
WEBSITEStop 6
Lawrence Public Library
707 Vermont St. Lawrence, KS
DIRECTIONSLawrence Public Library
707 Vermont St. Lawrence, KS
Located on the lower level of the library, the Helen Osma Local History Room houses historical materials relating to Lawrence and Douglas County, as well as resources for genealogical research.
Helen Osma Local History Room houses historical materials relating to Lawrence and Douglas County, as well as resources for genealogical research. If you need help using these materials or getting started with your research, stop by the Ask Desk, call 785-843-3833, or visit our website for information on how to email the reference staff, open a live chat session, or Book a Librarian.
Local History/Genealogy Drop-Ins are regularly held in the Osma Room. Get help using the library’s resources to research your family history or answer your local history questions. The library’s Sound + Vision Studio is also open to provide information on recording oral histories.
The library's collections include databases and other digital resources, some of which are only accessible at the library, and others accessible anywhere.
Access a variety of Lawrence and Douglas County photographs and documents; oral histories; cemetery records; military records (including Civil War, both Union and Confederate); birth and death records, census information; immigration records; a core of primary source documents for the study of Kansas history, including state and regional histories, travel guides, biographies, speeches and more; U.S. Indian Census Rolls, slave schedules and Freedman’s Bank records, mortality schedules, agricultural and industrial schedules, and a variety of published family and local histories; a rich collection of oral history interviews with African Americans in Lawrence and Douglas County, Kansas; newspapers; and Kansas Memory, a broad, statewide selection of digitized Kansas maps, photographs, and other primary documents from the collections of the Kansas State Historical Society.
There is a non-circulating Kansas Collection of books dealing specifically with Lawrence and Douglas County history and citizens.
The Lawrence Public Library also partners with the Douglas County Historical Society and the Watkins Museum of History, both of which can assist you with historical research.
WEBSITEThe Lawrence Public Library also partners with the Douglas County Historical Society and the Watkins Museum of History, both of which can assist you with historical research.
Stop 7
Lawrence Visitors Center
812 Massachusetts St. Lawrence, KS
DIRECTIONSLawrence Visitors Center
812 Massachusetts St. Lawrence, KS
Experience the Civil War on the Western Frontier! The Lawrence CVB, Historic Lecompton, Watkins Museum, Lawrence Parks, Lawrence Public Library, & Black Jack Battlefield invite you to Douglas County, KS for a month of Civil War programming. Download the full schedule below.
WEBSITEStop 8
Oak Hill Cemetery
1605 Oak Hill Ave. Lawrence, KS
DIRECTIONSOak Hill Cemetery
1605 Oak Hill Ave. Lawrence, KS
Following the devastation of Quantrill’s Raid in 1863, Lawrence survivors searched for ways to memorialize those killed in the attack. In 1864, the mayor urged the city to build a new cemetery since most raid victims were buried in Pioneer Cemetery which was far from town and difficult to maintain. A local newspaper editor helped gain public support for the project when he wrote that raid victims buried at Pioneer Cemetery were forgotten and their graves left unmarked.
Early in 1865, the city purchased land for a new cemetery. Instead of a simple, open cemetery, Lawrence’s city commissioners selected a rural cemetery design, with rolling hills, trees, and curving carriage paths which was the popular trend at the time. The new cemetery created a park-like space for the public. Oak Hill Cemetery soon became an important place to commemorate that terrible day in August 1863.For many years, citizens sponsored elaborate Decoration Day observances at Oak Hill, and by 1895, a local committee had raised funds to erect a large monument to honor the raid victims. The city continued to improve the cemetery through the late 1890’s by bringing city water to the site, constructing a receiving vault, and building a sidewalk from the downtown area.
There are so many individuals buried in Oak Hill who were influential during territorial days and the state's formation that William Allen White once call the cemetery, "The Kansas Arlington."
WEBSITEStop 9
Old Castle Museum at Baker University
511 Fifth St. Baldwin City, KS
DIRECTIONSOld Castle Museum at Baker University
511 Fifth St. Baldwin City, KS
The Old Castle Museum Complex on the Baker University Campus in Baldwin City, Kansas, is home to a museum and three historically significant buildings: Old Castle, the Palmyra Post Office, and the Kibbee Cabin.
As the first home of Baker, Old Castle was once known as "The College Building," because at that time it was the first and only college building in the state. Now as a museum, The Old Castle houses artifacts from early Kansas, Methodist, and Baker history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The town of Palmyra formed in 1855 as a wagon repair stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The Post Office is the last remaining building from the town, which merged with nearby Baldwin City. Moved to its current location in the 1960s, the Palmyra Post Office is one of only ten wood-frame structures associated with the Trail left in Kansas. It was added to the Register of Historic Kansas Places in 2017.
Next to Old Castle is the Kibbee Cabin. The cabin played an intricate role in the creation of Baker University when a group of Methodist ministers gathered to form a college in the town of Palmyra, now Baldwin City. While Kibbee Cabin is a replica, it is still a direct part of Baker's history, as is the Palmyra Post Office.
The Old Castle Complex can be found just east of the main campus.
WEBSITEStop 10
Black Jack Ruts/Ivan Boyd Prairie
2011 N 200 Rd. Wellsville, KS
DIRECTIONSBlack Jack Ruts/Ivan Boyd Prairie
2011 N 200 Rd. Wellsville, KS
Located three miles east of Baldwin City just south of a US Highway 56 roadside park, this site showcases one of the best examples of ruts or swales through which wagons passed in both directions on the Trail. The ruts or swales are nearly as deep as a tall man. Ox-drawn wagons that plied the Trail carved the ruts into the hillside of this ground. Wagons made their way along this Trail from 1821 through the 18702. The 18 acre site is named for Ivan L. Boyd in honor of the late Baker University professor. It is an excellent example of a prairie ground. This site offers parking and an interpretive trail to learn the story of the Santa Fe Trail.
Stop 11
Territorial Capital Museum
640 E Woodson Ave. Lecompton, KS
DIRECTIONSTerritorial Capital Museum
640 E Woodson Ave. Lecompton, KS
Discover the history of Lecompton, Kansas, from Bleeding Kansas to today.
Lecompton was founded in 1854 and platted on a bluff on the south bank of the Kansas River. It was originally called “Bald Eagle,” but then later changed to Lecompton in honor of Samuel D. Lecompte, the chief justice of the territorial supreme court.
In 1855, the town became the permanent and only official capital of the Kansas Territory. Presidents Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, Democrats, appointed territorial Kansas governors and officials to establish government offices in Lecompton, and construction began on an elegant capitol building.
In 1855, the town became the permanent and only official capital of the Kansas Territory. Presidents Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, Democrats, appointed territorial Kansas governors and officials to establish government offices in Lecompton, and construction began on an elegant capitol building.
In the fall of 1857 a convention met in Constitution Hall and drafted the famous Lecompton Constitution, which would have admitted Kansas as a slave state. The constitution was rejected after intense national debate and was one of the prime topics of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Illinois U.S. Senate debates. The controversy contributed to the growing dispute soon to erupt in civil war. The Lecompton Constitution failed, in part, because the antislavery party won control of the territorial legislature in the election of 1857. The new legislature met at Constitution Hall and immediately began to abolish the pro-slavery laws. The victorious free-state leaders chose Topeka as capital when Kansas became a state in 1861.
The 1857 proslavery Lecompton Constitution written inside Constitution Hall caused much bitter and acrimonious debate in Kansas Territory, in the country and in the U.S. Congress when a brawl broke out in the U.S. House chamber late one evening as this constitution was being debated. The Lecompton Constitution paralyzed the country, the Congress and the presidency of James Buchanan. Buchanan’s Democratic Party would eventually splinter into southern and northern wings over this constitution and the Democratic Party would field three candidates in the 1860 presidential campaign while the new, united, northern Republican Party and its single candidate Abraham Lincoln would capture the presidency with just 39% of the popular vote. The election of Lincoln, the secession of the southern states opened the door for Kansas’ admission as a free state on January 29, 1861 and hastened the country toward civil war.
The happenings in the Kansas Territory and in Constitution Hall caused a rupture in the relations of the North and South. There was constant conflict between the pro-slavery and free-state factions. Lecompton was considered the center of the pro-slavery movement, which of course was unsuccessful. Kansas entered the Union on January 29, 1861, as a free state, and the Civil War began.
Lecompton has put aside its turbulent past and is now a delightfully quiet, pretty place and the people are proud of their part in the history of Kansas and the nation.
You're invited to take a step back in time, to look at the rich heritage that led to the formation of Lecompton and the State of Kansas. Come visit the community's two museums: Constitution Hall and the Territorial Capital Museum, plus more historic sites, restaurants, shops, and scenic views.
WEBSITEYou're invited to take a step back in time, to look at the rich heritage that led to the formation of Lecompton and the State of Kansas. Come visit the community's two museums: Constitution Hall and the Territorial Capital Museum, plus more historic sites, restaurants, shops, and scenic views.
Stop 12
Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum
716 N 1190 Rd. Lawrence, KS
DIRECTIONSWakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum
716 N 1190 Rd. Lawrence, KS
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 brought settlers to the Wakarusa River Valley, where fertile land stretched west of Lawrence and east of Topeka. The Oregon and Santa Fe Trails were the "highway" thoroughfares stretching East to West.
Many communities were established in the Wakarusa River Valley in those early days just west of Lawrence and usually with a strong point-of-view on pro or anti-slavery beliefs. During the Bleeding Kansas Era, this area was rife with conflict between abolitionists and pro-slavery residents.
Many communities were established in the Wakarusa River Valley in those early days just west of Lawrence and usually with a strong point-of-view on pro or anti-slavery beliefs. During the Bleeding Kansas Era, this area was rife with conflict between abolitionists and pro-slavery residents.
The Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum pays tribute to the communities and the founding settlers for their perseverance of defending their staunch beliefs in difficult times. The two permanent exhibits showcase the area's unique local history. "Angels of Freedom, Heros Along the Underground Railroad in the Wakarusa River Valley" showcases the people who fought for their own freedom and those who took a stand for other's. "The Wakarusa Valley Communities - The First 20 Years, 1854-1874" tells the history of the 10 main communities that dotted the valley. Each year a featured exhibit delves deeper into the history of one of these communities or an aspect of settler life.
While the valley's history is monumental, a commitment to preserve it may not have come to fruition until the Clinton Reservoir and Dam began construction. Community members realized stories may never be preserved once generational families were displaced and artifacts disappeared or were destroyed. The Clinton Lake Historical Society, a non-profit organization, was organized solely for the purpose of documenting community and family histories through stories, photos and documents in the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum.
The museum is located inside Bloomington Park on the west side of Clinton Lake. The sculpture, Freedom Rings by Stephen Johnson, greets visitors at the entrance. The scenic museum grounds look over the western shores of Clinton Lake and are surrounded by parkland. Old Kansas Avenue, that ran to Lawrence, crosses the grounds and is the background for the butterfly garden and the Bidinger Bluebird Sanctuary. Community events and picnics are held on the courtyard and stage.
Feel free to visit the museum during operating hours to learn more. We are open to the public from May through October, Saturday & Sunday 1-5pm. Please call for research information or tours.
WEBSITEThe Angels of Freedom exhibit at the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum shares narratives of the heroic men and women of the Wakarusa Valley who showed extraordinary courage and commitment to freedom for all. Many who settled in the area were avid anti-slavery supporters, therefore it comes as no surprise that the transport of freedom seekers passed through the area via the Underground Railroad.
Stop 13
Watkins Museum of History
1047 Massachusetts St. Lawrence, KS
DIRECTIONSWatkins Museum of History
1047 Massachusetts St. Lawrence, KS
Discover stories of the settlement of Lawrence, Kansas, and the development of Douglas County in an 1888 building that housed the headquarters of a successful land mortgage and banking business that helped finance settlement of the west.
The Museum hosts exhibits and programs exploring the cultural heritage of Douglas County from its settlement in the "Bleeding Kansas" period through the Civil War, reconstruction, westward expansion, and Civil Rights eras.
The Watkins Museum of History is housed in a building commissioned by Lawrence financier Jabez Bunting ("J.B.") Watkins. The future Land Mortgage Company and Watkins National Bank was constructed between 1885 and 1888.
The Watkins Museum of History is housed in a building commissioned by Lawrence financier Jabez Bunting ("J.B.") Watkins. The future Land Mortgage Company and Watkins National Bank was constructed between 1885 and 1888.
A classic example of the Richardsonian Romanesque influence on Kansas’s architecture, it was considered one of the most magnificent buildings west of the Mississippi River at the time of its construction.
The third floor of the building served as the home office of the J.B. Watkins Land Mortgage Company, which solicited funds from the east to lend to farmers in the Midwest. The Company, one of the largest of its kind, had branch offices in London, New York City, Dallas and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The third floor of the building served as the home office of the J.B. Watkins Land Mortgage Company, which solicited funds from the east to lend to farmers in the Midwest. The Company, one of the largest of its kind, had branch offices in London, New York City, Dallas and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
In 1888 the Watkins National Bank was established on the ground floor of the building. The original cost of the building was $100,000; however, replacement cost today would be over $20,000,000.
J. B.’s wife, Elizabeth Miller Watkins, donated the building to the city in 1929, and it was used as City Hall until 1970. After restoration, it became the home of the Elizabeth M. Watkins Museum in April 1975. Approximately five years ago the name was changed to the Watkins Museum of History to clarify the Museum’s focus.
J. B.’s wife, Elizabeth Miller Watkins, donated the building to the city in 1929, and it was used as City Hall until 1970. After restoration, it became the home of the Elizabeth M. Watkins Museum in April 1975. Approximately five years ago the name was changed to the Watkins Museum of History to clarify the Museum’s focus.
As you tour the building notice the architectural details. Doors have brass dressing plates, keyhole covers and ornamental hinges. Floors, walls, and ceilings have intricate finishings. There are three stained-glass windows may have been salvaged from the former Methodist church (owned by J. B. Watkins) that was located on the southwest corner of 10th and Massachusetts streets.
Some exhibits change on a regular basis, but you will always find information about the August 21, 1863 Quantrill's Raid that left nearly all of Lawrence burned to ashes, and more than 180 men and boys dead. Other exhibits and displays include an antique car on an upper level of the museum, and a life-size, furnished Victorian playhouse that children can enter.
WEBSITESome exhibits change on a regular basis, but you will always find information about the August 21, 1863 Quantrill's Raid that left nearly all of Lawrence burned to ashes, and more than 180 men and boys dead. Other exhibits and displays include an antique car on an upper level of the museum, and a life-size, furnished Victorian playhouse that children can enter.