Day Trips: Douglas County epicenter of Border War history

Most history textbooks will tell you the Civil War began with an attack at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. But, arguably, the real beginning happened in Douglas County, Kan.

In the mid-1850s, the county was the center of the free-state, pro-slavery conflict.

Some of the bitterness left behind by the era of the “Border War” can still be felt during athletic events between the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri.

By visiting a plethora of sites between Kansas and Missouri one can gain a historical understanding of the raids, battles and arguments that led to the full-fledged war. Many of the sites related to “Bleeding Kansas” are found in Douglas County.

To begin exploring the origins of the Civil War, start in Lecompton, Kan., located between Topeka and Lawrence on Highway 40.

Lecompton is sometimes called the Territorial Capital of Kansas. It was here that political arguments between those who wanted Kansas to be a free state and those who supported slavery made leaders on a national scale take notice. Visit Constitution Hall to see where the first Kansas Territorial Government gathered. This is where a pro-slavery constitution was drafted in 1857. Tim Rues, site administrator, called that the “flashpoint” that led free-staters to band together and work toward gaining control. The building is now 153 years old and is likely the oldest civilian-built wood structure in Kansas, Rues said. The hall has served Lecompton as a courtroom, a meeting room, a dry goods store, an undertaker parlor and a school room.   

The Territorial Capital Museum, once Lane University, houses pre-Civil War artifacts and is where President Eisenhower’s parents married.

By 1861, Kansas would become a free state and Topeka would be the capital.

“I tell children who visit that if Lecompton became the capital, Lecompton would look like Topeka and Topeka would look like Lecompton,” Rues said.

A 20-minute trip south on Highway 40 will take you toward Lawrence. By the 1860s, Lawrence was known as a “free state fortress.” Slavery proponent William Quantrill gathered 400 men in Missouri and on Aug. 21, 1863, attacked Lawrence. That day, 200 men died and 185 houses burned.

The routes of Quantrill’s raid can be traced today. Maps detailing a self-guided tour by car are available in Lawrence’s Watkins Museum, 1047 Massachusetts St. The museum provides a timeline of the settlement of Douglas County and contains artifacts saved from the fiery raid on Lawrence. Children may enjoy the top-floor play room, miniature house full of child-size furniture, toys and books to explore. The museum also contains exhibits about basketball innovator James Naismith and poet Langston Hughes.

For a bite to eat, visit the Free State Brewing Company. The company began in the 1880s and was the first legal brewery in the state. The restaurant was recently named one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas Cuisine by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

The menu includes black bean quesadillas, stewed chicken with a dark brown roux and Cajun crawfish tail.

Another option is the Eldridge Hotel at 701 Massachusetts for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks. The Eldridge House originally at the site burned in Quantrill’s raid.

From Lawrence, travel to Baldwin City by taking U.S. Highway 59 to U.S. Highway 56.

A few miles outside of the city on Highway 56, visit the Black Jack Battlefield. This is where legendary and controversial abolitionist John Brown raided a camp site that held pro-slavery forces. A self-guided tour will take you through the site of what some call the first battle of the Civil War. Wagon ruts at the site are remnants of Santa Fe Trail pioneers.

Back in Baldwin City, visit the Midland Railway Depot on High Street, and take a train ride. A list of schedules and fares is available at www.midland-ry.org. Baldwin is also home to Baker University, the first four-year university in Kansas. The campus has a historical Bible collection and a chapel brought over from Sproxton, England, and rebuilt stone by stone.

The Lumberyard Art Center, 718 High St., offers a summer art walk, community band concerts and ice cream socials.

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