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THE FREE STATE HOTELAddress bv \V. E. Connelley, Secretarv of the Kansas State Historicalm . ■ w * WSociety,atthe Laying of the Cornerstone of the NewKldridge IfritcC August -1, 1925The Free-S e Hot 1 was erect-j would throw open the doors of1 theed by the Emigrant Aid Company, I hotel for the reception of guests,^ VIt stood at the southwest c rner of the first day of May, 1856.* WinthropMassachusetts and \\ intnr«p In the Wakarusa War and the. streets, fronting fifty feet on Mass-j e*Cge Lawrence, the unfinished' achusetts street and running bac*‘hotel was used as a fort, and the i seventy feet on \\ irr.hr* p street. Hj United States flag floated over it.was commenced in April, 1855. The j| %va? the headquarters of the j cellar was exdavated, the founda-j Kansas Legion and the Committee tion put hi, the walF completed, Safety, Charles Robinson and the timbers for the inside parti- james h. Lanetions put up, and toe i ■ *. jut on. Commanders in Chief.during the summer and • ail Ql j 1^5(5 The hotel was the strong-beingappointedNovember18. 5. I ke Wakaru -n war came o ' j hold of the Free-State militia, andnd about the J wagin the fall if 18.5 aoccupied then by the officers !last of November, 1^5 ), work was ,and rnon, with their ammunitionsuspended on the Hotel. It wasof Lawrencesuspenraid by the people that the benefit it rendered Free-State cause even in itstheun-j finished condition whensurrounded and the• cityii VOS ofthei was* the inhabitants threatened bv• Border-iuifian mob, could not be estimated in dollars and cents. Theand supplies, cooked food beingbrought in by the women of Law-Barberdcred by Pro-Slaver.* men Decern-*her 6, 1855. His dead bodv was laidut in the Hotel, and his funeralheld there on Satur-}illt; raidreel savs that it wasto this structure the people intend -‘treat if driven from lt;veryservice wasday, December 15, 1855. The sermon was hy Rev. Dennis; addresses by Robinson and Lane. He had Leon buried temporarily before this time and his bodv was not inI ed to rlt;other position, gather around them I hotel at the time of these finalmd I services.♦Vih o u s e h old t re a s u res,• ir.aKe a last desperate effort in the defense of their lives and liberties.rAt this hotel, Governor Wilsonarranged.. his treaty of ji In the spring of 1856 work on the j peace on December 8. 1855 it was I!^ «• «k v. - ” vj h' tei was resumed. It was finished signed on December 9, and /on Mon-i ( t the 12th u.iy of A ril, Fv-8. D | day night, December 10, a banquet:containedf i 11 v v r * \ t *X i 1 l V *? v. y# i a l k*W ' m -nents ai.d i a i a ha.. «•*. w. flour.basement was divided intobanqin his honor.ri* I Vt h i' r eroomsi •- 5 f '( alt;aiart~! and hall were givenThe banquet was served by the! prominent women of Lawrence andI1 QJLofeet square, were to be used as*tnesepastry and meat k *chons, tin* oth-*. or as a store F-um 1 litv\ *first storyof tne hotel wasita-■from floor10 ceiling. It \\ai V* *Iroomsfc(liningtoled.*» V-- VA.t 418 feetinto ninewide bywas attended by both Free-State I and Pro-Slavery men. Charles Robinson had invited Sheriff Samuel J. , .rones, who destroyed the hotel theyear after, but he stayed away, aft- i er ~lt;-ent.ret long; hall 9Is feet wide thebuilding:iof t he! gentler, .ends parlor. IS feet square;20 tmm-of the fiery objections of |Lane to his attendance.Some of the militia stayed in the! hotel during the winter of 1855-the Lawrencea a*mrlor 18f ing roomtv n n* f * i fD V'Mm/Ft-tectStubbs being one of its organizations. This mil-syuarc; sitting Jitia occupation and the fact that ) ’read-
Newspaper Details
Lawrence Daily Journal World
Lawrence, Kansas, US
Sat, Aug 22, 1925
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Lawrence P.
KS, USA 06 Mar 2022
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