Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the
U.S. StateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
KansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of
Douglas CountyDouglas County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 110,826...
. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County. Located 25 miles east of
Topeka, KansasTopeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, and 41 miles west of
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, it is situated along the banks of the
KansasThe Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
and
WakarusaThe Wakarusa River is a tributary of the Kansas River, approximately long, in eastern Kansas in the United States. It drains an agricultural area of rolling limestone hills south of Topeka and Lawrence.-Description:...
Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 87,643. Lawrence is a
college townA college town or university town is a community which is dominated by its university population...
and is the home to the
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
and
Haskell Indian Nations UniversityHaskell Indian Nations University is a tribal university located in Lawrence, Kansas, for members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States...
.
Lawrence has been named one of the best places to retire by
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
and one of America's 10 best college towns by Parents & Colleges.
History
Lawrence, was founded in 1854 for the New England Emigrant Aid Company by
Charles RobinsonCharles Lawrence Robinson was the first Governor of Kansas. He was also the first governor of a US state to be impeached, although he was not convicted or removed from office. To date he is the only governor of Kansas to be impeached...
, who later served as governor of Kansas. The city was named after
Amos Adams LawrenceAmos Adams Lawrence , the son of famed philanthropist Amos Lawrence, was a key figure in the United States abolition movement in the years leading up to the Civil War, and instrumental in the establishment of the University of Kansas and Lawrence University in Appleton,...
, a prominent politician and antislavery partisan and the son of famed philanthropist
Amos LawrenceAmos Lawrence, was an American merchant and philanthropist.-Biography:...
. Lawrence was Robinson's cousin and a major source of funds and support for the new settlement.
In the
Bleeding KansasBleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events, involving anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery "Border Ruffian" elements, that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of the U.S. state of Missouri roughly between 1854 and 1858...
era, Lawrence was a center of anti-
slaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
sentiment and "the headquarters of the free-state forces in the territory." On May 21, 1856, a pro-
slaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
possePosse may refer to:* Posse comitatus , a group of men assembled to assist in law enforcement* Posse , starring Kirk Douglas* Posse , starring Mario van Peebles...
led by Sheriff Samuel J. Jones burned the Free-State Hotel, destroyed the equipment of two anti-
slaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
newspapers, and looted several other businesses in an attack known as the
sack of LawrenceIn the northern spring of 1856, the Sacking of Lawrence helped ratchet up the guerrilla war in Kansas Territory that became known as Bleeding Kansas.-Background:...
; one man was killed, struck dead by a stone falling from the burning hotel. The abolitionist
John BrownJohn Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
led the nearby
Pottawatomie MassacreThe Pottawatomie Massacre occurred during the night of May 24 and the morning of May 25, 1856. In reaction to the sacking of Lawrence by pro-slavery forces, John Brown and a band of abolitionist settlers killed five settlers north of Pottawatomie Creek in Franklin County, Kansas...
, which was believed to be retaliation for the sack of the town. It continued as a magnet for conflict during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
On August 21, 1863, during the war,
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
guerrillasQuantrill's Raiders were a loosely organized force of pro-Confederate Partisan rangers, "bushwhackers", who fought in the American Civil War under the leadership of William Clarke Quantrill...
led by
William QuantrillWilliam Clarke Quantrill was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. After leading a Confederate bushwhacker unit along the Missouri-Kansas border in the early 1860s, which included the infamous raid and sacking of Lawrence, Kansas in 1863, Quantrill eventually ended up in...
burned most of the houses and commercial buildings in Lawrence and killed 150 to 200 of the men they found, in what became known as the Lawrence Massacre.
The
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
was founded in Lawrence in 1865 by the citizens of Lawrence under a charter granted by the
Kansas LegislatureThe Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, composed of 125 Representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 Senators...
, with the donation of 40 acres (160,000 m²) of land on Mount Oread by former
Kansas GovernorThe Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
Charles RobinsonCharles Lawrence Robinson was the first Governor of Kansas. He was also the first governor of a US state to be impeached, although he was not convicted or removed from office. To date he is the only governor of Kansas to be impeached...
and his wife, Sara, and a small monetary gift from
Amos Adams LawrenceAmos Adams Lawrence , the son of famed philanthropist Amos Lawrence, was a key figure in the United States abolition movement in the years leading up to the Civil War, and instrumental in the establishment of the University of Kansas and Lawrence University in Appleton,...
. Of historical importance is the
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
's
Pioneer Cemetery, perhaps best known for being the final resting place of
Thomas BarberBarber County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,861. Its county seat and most populous city is Medicine Lodge...
, a free-state settler, and
Elmer McCollumElmer Verner McCollum was an American biochemist known for his work on the influence of diet on health.-Life and education:McCollum was born on a farm near Fort Scott, Kansas, where he spent his first seventeen years...
, KU alumnus who is credited with discovering
Vitamin AVitamin A is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is necessary for both low-light and color vision...
.
James NaismithThe first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
, the inventor of basketball, is buried in East Lawrence in Memorial Park Cemetery.
In 1943, the federal government transported German and Italian prisoners of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to Kansas and other Midwest states to work on farms and help solve the labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war effort. Large
internmentInternment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
camps were established in Kansas:
Camp ConcordiaCamp Concordia was a Prisoner-of-war camp that operated from 1943-1945. Its location is two miles north and one mile east of Concordia, Kansas...
, Camp Funston (at
Fort RileyFort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
), Camp Phillips (at
SalinaSalina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
under
Fort RileyFort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
).
Fort RileyFort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
established 12 smaller branch camps, including Lawrence.
As a college town, Lawrence is known for its liberal philosophy and distinctive culture. In 1989, when the
Free State Brewing CompanyThe Free State Brewing Company is a microbrewery based in Lawrence, Kansas. It opened in 1989 as the first legal brewery in Kansas in over 100 years. In 2010, the brewery announced plans to expand to distribute to vendors in Kansas and Missouri, and as far east as St. Louis. On May 21, 2010 Free...
opened in Lawrence, it was the first legal brewery in Kansas in more than 100 years. The restaurant is in a renovated inter-urban trolley station in downtown Lawrence. The city is home to the state's only commercial
hydro-electricHydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
plant.
In the early 1980s, Lawrence grabbed national and later world attention because of the television movie
The Day AfterThe Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
. The TV movie first appeared on
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
but was later shown in movie theaters around the world. The movie depicted what would happen to average Americans, particularly those living in Lawrence and surrounding communities, if the United States was destroyed in a
nuclear warNuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
. The movie was filmed in Lawrence with help from many people in the community.
Geography
Downtown Lawrence is located at 38°58′18"N 95°14′7"W (38.959902, -95.253199) at an elevation of 866 feet (264 m). The city lies on the
Kansas RiverThe Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
on the southern edge of the
Dissected Till PlainsThe Dissected Till Plains are physiographic sections of the Central Lowlands province, which in turn is part of the Interior Plains physiographic division of the United States, located in southern and western Iowa, northeastern Kansas, the southwestern corner of Minnesota, northern Missouri,...
, bordering the
Osage PlainsThe Osage Plains are a physiographic section of the larger Central Lowland province, which in turn is part of the larger Interior Plains physiographic division. The area is sometimes called the Lower Plains, North Central Plains, and the Rolling Plains...
to the south. Mount Oread, the site of the
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
campus, is at the center of the city, rising to an elevation of over 1020 ft (310.9 m).
The Kansas River flows windingly east-southeast through the northeast corner of the city, joined along its course by two small tributaries, Baldwin Creek and Burroughs Creek. Baldwin Creek runs northeast along the northwestern edge of the city; Burroughs Creek flows north then east through the eastern part of the city. Bounding Lawrence to the south is the
Wakarusa RiverThe Wakarusa River is a tributary of the Kansas River, approximately long, in eastern Kansas in the United States. It drains an agricultural area of rolling limestone hills south of Topeka and Lawrence.-Description:...
, another tributary of the Kansas River, which has been dammed immediately southwest of the city to form a reservoir,
Clinton LakeClinton Lake is a reservoir on the southwestern edge of Lawrence, Kansas. The lake was created by the construction of the Clinton Dam, and the 35 square miles of land and water is maintained by the U.S...
. Yankee Tank Creek, a tributary of the Wakarusa, runs southeast through the southwestern part of the city and has been dammed to form to a small reservoir, Lake Alvamar. A small lake, Potter Lake, is located on the University of Kansas campus.
Located in northeastern Kansas at the intersection of
Interstate 70Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
and
U.S. Route 59U.S. Route 59 is a north–south United States highway . A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, U.S. 59 is now a border-to-border route, Part of NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels U.S. Route 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest...
, Lawrence is 23 miles (37 km) east of
TopekaTopeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, 39 miles (62.8 km) west of
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, and 143 miles (230.1 km) northeast of
WichitaWichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 28.7 square miles (74.3 km²) of which 28.1 square miles (72.8 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), or 2.06%, is water.
Climate
Lying in the transition zone between North America's
humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa)A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
and
humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa)A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
, Lawrence experiences hot, humid summers and cold winters with precipitation year round. Over the course of a year, temperatures in Lawrence range from an average low of almost 20 °F (-6.7 °C) in January to an average high above 90 °F (32.2 °C) in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F (32.2 °C) an average of 49 days a year and reaches or exceeds 100 °F (37.8 °C) on average of five days a year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point 32 °F (0 °C) on average of 96 days a year. Typically, the first fall freeze occurs between mid-October and the second week of November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the last week of March and the third week of April. The city receives nearly 40 inches (1,016 mm) of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received in May and June; the period from April to June averages 32 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year, the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 27 to 58 inches (1,473.2 mm). There are, on average, 100 days of measurable precipitation each year. Winter snowfall averages almost 18 inches, but the median is less than 10 inches (25.4 cm). Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 10 days a year with at least an inch of snow being received on six of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 18 days a year. On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and June is the wettest month. Extremes range from −21 °F in 1989 and 1954, respectively.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 80,098 people, 31,388 households, and 15,725 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,849.4 people per square mile (1,100.2/km²). There were 32,761 housing units at an average density of 1,165.4 per square mile (450.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.80% White, 5.09% African American, 2.93% Native American, 3.78% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.65% of the population. 23.8% were of German, 10.6%
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 10.1%
IrishThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 7.1%
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.0% spoke
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 2.9%
SpanishSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and 1.0%
ChineseThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
or
MandarinStandard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
as their first language.
Of the 31,388 households, 25.1% included children under the age of 18, 38.0% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 30.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 15.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,669, and the median income for a family was $51,545. Males had a median income of $33,481 versus $27,436 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,378. About 7.3% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. However, traditional statistics of income and poverty can be misleading when applied to cities with high student populations, such as Lawrence.
Cost of Living
City-Data.com compiled cost of living statistics for Lawrence and the surrounding communities. Household income has grown 12% in Lawrence since 2000. Housing costs have increased 52% during the same time.
Estimated median household income in 2009: $39,496 (it was $34,669 in 2000)
Lawrence: $39,826 /
Topeka: $39,109 /
Olathe: $75,009 /
Kansas: $47,817
Estimated median house or condo value in 2009: $125,500 (it was $112,800 in 2000)
Lawrence: $172,500 /
Topeka: $95,400 /
Olathe: $194,800 /
Kansas: $125,500
Mean prices in 2007: All housing units: $202,400; Detached houses: $218,655; Townhouses or other attached units: $139,429; In 2-unit structures: $209,848; In 3-to4-unit structures: $122,636; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $75,000; Mobile homes: $19,003
Median gross rent in 2007: $711.
Lawrence: $711 /
Topeka: $581 /
Olathe: $767
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2007: 20.7%
Lawrence: 20.7% /
Topeka: 15.3% /
Olathe: 4.3%
Primary and secondary education
The
Unified School District 497Lawrence Unified School District 497, commonly referred to as Lawrence USD 497 or Lawrence Public Schools, is the governing body of the Lawrence, Kansas public school system...
includes fifteen public grade schools, four
junior highMiddle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
schools: Central, West, South, and Southwest, and two high schools:
Lawrence High SchoolLawrence High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Lawrence, Kansas, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of the two public high schools located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,260 students in the 2007-2008 school year...
and
Lawrence Free State High SchoolLawrence Free State High School is a fully accredited public high school, serving students in grades 9–12, located in Lawrence, Kansas. The current principal is Edward West....
. The athletic teams of the former are nicknamed the Chesty Lions, and those of the latter are the Firebirds. Both schools are Class 6A in enrollment size, and Lawrence High School leads the State of Kansas in most state championships won, with 103 championships. The Lawrence High School football team also leads the nation with most undefeated seasons at 31, though all of these occurred before Free State High School came into existence. Private high schools include
Bishop Seabury AcademyBishop Seabury Academy is a private, co-educational, Episcopal middle school and high school in Lawrence, Kansas. The school is accredited by ISACS and is a member of KSHSAA. It is named for Samuel Seabury, first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States...
, which is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and
Veritas Christian School. There is also
St. John Catholic School, which teaches grades Pre-K through 6 and is funded by the Catholic communities of Lawrence and Corpus Christi Catholic School.
Raintree Montessori School is a secular private school which teaches preschool through grade 6. The
Prairie Moon School is a Waldorf school near Lawrence. The city has 15 public schools: Langston Hughes Elementary, which is named after
Langston HughesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
; Quail Run Elementary, Broken Arrow Elementary, Cordley Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Kennedy (pre-K-6), Pinckney Elementary, Prairie Park Elementary, New York Elementary, Schwelger Elementary, Sunflower Elementary, Sunset Hill Elementary, Sunset Hill Elementary, Wakarusa Valley Elementary, Woodlawn Elementary
Colleges and universities
The
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
is the largest public
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the state, with a total enrollment of just over 30,000 students (including approximately 3,000 students at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, KS). It has over 170 fields of study and the nationally known
Kansas JayhawksThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
athletics programs.
Haskell Indian Nations UniversityHaskell Indian Nations University is a tribal university located in Lawrence, Kansas, for members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States...
offers free tuition to members of registered Native American tribes. However, students are required to pay semester fees similar to many other colleges in the United States. It has an average enrollment of more than 1,000 students representing all 50 states and 150 tribes. Haskell is the home of the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame and the Haskell Cultural Center.
In 2010, Lawrence was named one of America's 10 best college towns by Parents & Colleges. Lawrence also was included in lists of top college towns in 2010 by the American Institute for Economic Research, MSN and MSNBC.
In September 2011, the town of
Osceola, MissouriOsceola is a city in St. Clair County, Missouri, United States. The population was 835 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of St. Clair County.-History:...
, asked KU to drop the
JayhawkThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
mascot because of its association with Jayhawkers'
burning of OsceolaThe Sacking of Osceola was a Union Jayhawker initiative on September 23, 1861, to push out pro-Southern elements at Osceola, Missouri. It was not authorized by Union military authorities but was the work of an informal group of Kansas pro-Union "Jayhawkers"...
in 1861 shortly after the start of the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Transportation
Interstate 70Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
, as the
Kansas TurnpikeThe Kansas Turnpike is a freeway-standard toll road that lies entirely within the U.S. state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest-northeast direction from the Oklahoma border, and passes through several major Kansas cities, including Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City...
, runs east-west along the northern edge of the city, interchanging with
U.S. Route 59U.S. Route 59 is a north–south United States highway . A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, U.S. 59 is now a border-to-border route, Part of NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels U.S. Route 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest...
which runs north-south. Another east–west route,
U.S. Route 40U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
, runs through northern Lawrence roughly 2 miles south of I-70. Entering the city from the west, U.S. 40 runs concurrently east-west with U.S. 59 for approximately 1 mile, and then the two routes turn north before crossing I-70. One half mile north of I-70, U.S. 40 splits from U.S. 59 and turns east, exiting the city.
K-10K-10 is a 38 mile state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. It was originally designated in 1929. It is mostly a controlled-access freeway, linking Lawrence to Lenexa. It provides an important toll-free alternate route to Interstate 70...
, an east-west
state highwayState highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
, enters the city from the east, then turns south, running concurrently with U.S. 59 for 1.5 miles before splitting off and continuing west and finally north around western Lawrence as a
bypassA bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
, terminating at an interchange with I-70 northwest of the city.
Two bus systems operate in the city.
Lawrence TransitThe Lawrence Transit System is the municipal public transportation agency in Lawrence, Kansas. They operate 8 fixed-route bus lines, on a two bus per hour schedule from 6:00AM to 8:00PM on most routes....
, known locally as "The T", is a public bus system operated by the city, and KU on Wheels is operated by the University of Kansas. Together, the two systems operate 17 bus routes in the city. Both systems are free to KU students, faculty, and staff.
Greyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
provides intercity bus service with a stop in Lawrence.
Lawrence Municipal AirportLawrence Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles north of the central business district of Lawrence, a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
is located northeast of the city, immediately north of U.S. 40. Publicly owned, it has two runways and is used for
general aviationGeneral aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
. The nearest airport with commercial airline service is
Kansas City International AirportKansas City International Airport , originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles northwest of the central business district of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 passengers used the airport...
.
Two
Class I railroadA Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s,
BNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
and
Union Pacific Railroad (UP)The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, have lines which pass through Lawrence. The BNSF line enters the city from the east and exits to the north, roughly following the course of the Kansas River. The UP line does the same on the north side of the river, running through the city's northeast corner. Using the BNSF trackage,
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
provides passenger rail service on its
Southwest ChiefThe Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
line between
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and
Los AngelesLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Amtrak's
Lawrence stationThe Lawrence Amtrak station is a train station near downtown Lawrence, Kansas, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system...
is located a few blocks east of downtown.
The
K-10 South Lawrence Trafficway is a project with the goal to connect K-10 and the Kansas Turnpike. Currently, to transfer between K-10 and the Kansas Turnpike, drivers must use Lawrence city streets. The K-10 South Lawrence Trafficway, already partially built, was proposed as a solution to traffic, air quality, and safety concerns. However, the project has received criticism and been the subject of many protests for more than a decade because of opposition to the trafficway being built through the
Haskell-Baker WetlandsThe Haskell-Baker Wetlands span approximately on the south side of Lawrence, Kansas, United States.Joint owners Baker University, Haskell Indian Nations University, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the University of Kansas hold 573, 27, 20, and , respectively, of this scenic and...
. More recently, it appears completion of the project is underway. In June 2011, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced it would provide $192 million to complete the trafficway.
Print
- The University Daily Kansan
The University Daily Kansan is an editorially and financially independent student newspaper serving the University of Kansas. It was founded in 1904....
, the independent student newspaper of the University of Kansas
- The Lawrence Journal-World, the local daily newspaper
- Change of Heart
Change of Heart is a quarterly street newspaper produced and sold in Lawrence, Kansas. It was founded by Craig Sweets in late 1996, who says the idea of starting a street newspaper was given to him by Michael Stoops, the director of the National Coalition for the Homeless...
, a street newspaperStreet newspapers are newspapers or magazines sold by homeless or poor individuals and produced mainly to support these populations. Most such newspapers primarily provide coverage about homelessness and poverty-related issues, and seek to strengthen social networks within homeless communities...
sold by homeless vendors
- Kaw Valley Senior Monthly, monthly newspaper for seniors
Radio
The following radio stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from Lawrence:
AM
align=bottom |
| Frequency |
Callsign |
Format |
City of License A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
|
Notes |
| 1320 |
KLWN KLWN is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Lawrence, Kansas, USA. The station is currently owned by Great Plains Media, Inc...
|
News News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/TalkTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
|
Lawrence, Kansas |
FM
align=bottom |
| Frequency |
Callsign |
Format |
City of License A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
|
Notes |
| 90.7 |
KJHKKJHK 90.7 FM is a campus radio station, located in Lawrence, Kansas at the University of Kansas. On December 3, 1994, the station became one of the first radio stations to broadcast a live and continuous stream over internet radio. It currently broadcasts at 2600 watts, with a broadcast area...
|
Variety |
Lawrence, Kansas |
KUThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
college radioCampus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
|
| 91.5 |
KANUKANU is the flagship station of Kansas Public Radio , a seven-station network based in Lawrence at the University of Kansas. In addition to KANU , KPR also operates KANH in Emporia , KANV in Olsburg , K210CR in Atchison , K258BT and K250AY in Manhattan, and KANQ in Chanute KANU is the flagship...
|
Variety |
Lawrence, Kansas |
NPR |
| 92.9 |
KMXN KMXN is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Osage City, Kansas, USA, the station serves the Topeka and Lawrence areas. The station is currently owned by Great Plains Media and broadcasts in HD Radio.-History:...
|
CountryCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
|
Osage City, Kansas Osage City is a city in Osage County, Kansas, United States. The population was 3,034 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Osage City is located at...
|
Broadcasts from Lawrence |
| 96.1 |
K241AR |
Christian Contemporary Christian CHR is a radio format that is common in the United States and Australia focusing on playing current and recent music as determined by the Christian Top 40....
|
Lawrence, Kansas |
Air 1Air1 is a Christian music radio network in the United States, operated by the non-profit organization EMF Broadcasting. Air 1 is essentially a Top-40 station with Christian Music - so many of the rules that commercial Top-40 stations use for musical rotation apply.-History:In 1986, KLRD began...
|
| 103.7 |
KCIU-LP KCIU-LP is a radio station broadcasting a religious broadcasting format. Licensed to Lawrence, Kansas, USA. The station is currently owned by Lawrence Chinese Evangelical Church....
|
Religious Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
|
Lawrence, Kansas |
| 105.9 |
KLZR KLZR is a radio station in Lawrence, Kansas, broadcasting to the Topeka and Kansas City areas on 105.9 FM.KLZR-FM airs a hot adult contemporary music format branded as "Lazer 105.9".-History:...
|
Hot Adult Contemporary |
Lawrence, Kansas |
Television
Lawrence is in the
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
television
marketA media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
. The following television stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from Lawrence:
align=bottom |
| Digital Channel |
Digital Subchannel |
Analog Channel |
Callsign |
Network |
City of License A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
|
Notes |
| - |
| 14 |
KUJH-LPKUJH-LP channel 14, is an independent television station owned and operated by the University of Kansas. The Student television station broadcasts predominantly public affairs programs....
|
| Lawrence, Kansas |
KUThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
student stationA student television station is a television station run by university, high or middle school students that primarily airs school/university news and in many cases, student-produced soap operas, entertainment shows, and other programming....
|
| 38 (Virtual In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
); 41 |
38.1 |
| KMCI-TV |
| Lawrence, Kansas |
Broadcasts from Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
|
Online
Arts and music
The city is known for a thriving music and art scene.
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
named Lawrence one of the "best lil' college towns" in the country in its August 11, 2005, issue. They had previously named the local commercial radio station,
KLZRKLZR is a radio station in Lawrence, Kansas, broadcasting to the Topeka and Kansas City areas on 105.9 FM.KLZR-FM airs a hot adult contemporary music format branded as "Lazer 105.9".-History:...
105.9 FM, as one of a top ten "Stations that Don't Suck" in 1998. The station, which was independently owned at that time, was soon after sold to corporate buyers and the format changed to Top 40.
KJHKKJHK 90.7 FM is a campus radio station, located in Lawrence, Kansas at the University of Kansas. On December 3, 1994, the station became one of the first radio stations to broadcast a live and continuous stream over internet radio. It currently broadcasts at 2600 watts, with a broadcast area...
90.7 FM, the University of Kansas's student-run radio station, is a staple of the local music scene. It won a CMJ award in 2006 for "most improved station" and was nominated for a Plug Award for best college radio station in 2007.
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said Lawrence had "the most vital music scene between Chicago and Denver" in a travel column on February 25, 2005. Locally owned bar and music venue
The Replay Lounge was named one of Esquire magazines top 25 bars/venues in the country in 2007. The Replay is known to locals for pinball machines, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, music and a heated outside smoking area, one of the largest in the city (indoor smoking is banned in the city).
Lawrence is home to many bands and record labels.
Range Life Records, operated out of Lawrence and
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, features many artists, such as Fourth of July and White Flight.
The AnniversaryThe Anniversary was an American band formed in Lawrence, Kansas in 1997 by Josh Berwanger, James David, Christian Jankowski, Adrianne Verhoeven and Justin Roelofs. The Anniversary was the solidification of a line-up that had been in flux for a year...
,
Minus StoryMinus Story is an indie rock based in Lawrence, Kansas. The core members of the band met growing up in Boonville, Missouri and are known for their off-kilter, sunny melodies and quirky instrumentation that forms the "wall of crap" sound....
,
The Appleseed CastThe Appleseed Cast is an American emo/post-rock band based in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, composed of singer/guitarist Christopher Crisci , guitarist Aaron Pillar, bassist Nathan Whitman and drummer John Momberg...
, and
The Get Up KidsThe Get Up Kids are an American alternative rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music...
originated in Lawrence or its surrounding areas.
Events
The
Wakarusa Music and Camping FestivalWakarusa Music and Camping Festival is a four-day music festival held in early June at Mulberry Mountain near Ozark, Arkansas. The festival has been held annually since 2004....
was a four-day-long weekend
music festivalA music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
held annually in early June just outside Lawrence, at
Clinton State ParkClinton State Park is a state park in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, located west of Lawrence.The park lies on the north shore of Clinton Lake, known for its clear water and good fishing of channel catfish, walleye, and crappie fishing....
. After its inception in 2004, the festival had grown dramatically by 2006, with almost 60,000 tickets sold, while developing a nationwide following that accounted for 80% of ticket sales. The festival featured an eclectic mix of music, with artists like
The Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
,
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
,
STS9Sound Tribe Sector 9 is an instrumental band known for their live performances. The band’s genre-blending sound is based heavily on instrumental rock and electronic music crossed with elements of funk, jazz, drum and bass, psychedelia, and hip hop...
, Medeski, Martin and Wood,
Neko CaseNeko Case is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
, and
Widespread PanicWidespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
taking the stage. The event is kept smaller than other festivals such as Bonnaroo by an agreement with the state. Activities other than music include
disc golfDisc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
,
yogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
,
hikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, and swimming in
Clinton LakeClinton Lake is a reservoir on the southwestern edge of Lawrence, Kansas. The lake was created by the construction of the Clinton Dam, and the 35 square miles of land and water is maintained by the U.S...
. The festival was relocated to Mulberry Mountain due to a dispute between the organizers and the
Kansas Department of Wildlife and ParksThe Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is a state cabinet-level agency led by a Secretary of Wildlife and Parks appointed by the Governor of Kansas. The Office of the Secretary is located in Topeka, the state capital of Kansas...
over limiting attendees and over rent payment.
Each May, the city hosts the Art in the Park festival in South Park in downtown Lawrence.
The Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale is held the third Thursday of each July. Stores open early, offer deep discounts, and feature their merchandise on the sidewalk, creating a busy and lively atmosphere all day long. Customers are known to camp out on Massachusetts Street as early as 4 a.m. to wait for stores to open and get deals.
The
Lawrence Busker Fest is held each August in downtown Lawrence. Street performers, such as acrobats and jugglers, provide entertainment. Governor
Sam BrownbackSamuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
's decision to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission in 2011 resulted in funding loss for the festival and left its future up in the air. However, the festival has been able to continue.
Final Fridays is a celebration of the arts on the last Friday of each month. It includes special exhibits, performances, and demonstrations in downtown Lawrence.
Each fall,
KJHKKJHK 90.7 FM is a campus radio station, located in Lawrence, Kansas at the University of Kansas. On December 3, 1994, the station became one of the first radio stations to broadcast a live and continuous stream over internet radio. It currently broadcasts at 2600 watts, with a broadcast area...
hosts a local battle of the bands called Farmer's Ball. The competition is spread out over two to three days. Past winners have included Katlyn Conroy and The Will Nots.
Points of interest
Downtown Lawrence, in particular Massachusetts Street, has a lively atmosphere and is filled with restaurants, bars, galleries, shops and music venues.
The
Bowersock Dam on the
Kansas RiverThe Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
provides
hydropowerHydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
to riverfront businesses like the
Lawrence Journal-WorldThe Lawrence Journal-World is a daily newspaper published in Lawrence, Kansas by The World Company.-History:Though the Journal-World title only came into existence in 1911, according to the volume number of the current masthead of the paper, the paper dates itself back to 1858.The Simons family...
. The city is also home to the Free State Brewery.
The
Lawrence Public LibraryThe Lawrence Public Library is a public library located in Lawrence, Kansas. It serves the City of Lawrence, and, through its membership in the Northeast Kansas Library System , all of the citizens of the NEKLS multi-county regional library system...
is located in downtown Lawrence.
The University of Kansas campus is home to many museums, including the KU Natural History Museum and the
Spencer Museum of ArtThe Spencer Museum of Art, or SMA, is an art museum on the campus of University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. While admission is free, donations are accepted. Also located inside the Spencer Museum of Art are the Kress Foundation Department of Art History, and the Murphy Library of Art &...
. The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics houses various artifacts from the life of the former Kansas Senator.
Another site of interest is the
Lawrence Arts CenterThe Lawrence Arts Center was established in Lawrence, Kansas in May 1974 to support the visual and performing arts. The founder and first Executive Director was Ann Evans, who retired at the end of 2007. In 2002, the Center opened a new facility that included studios, gallery space, a performance...
. It has daytime activities, organized plays and acts, and an art gallery filled with artwork created by the townspeople.
The Watkins Community Museum of History explains local history through lectures, events, and tours. It contains exhibits telling the stories of
Langston HughesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
and
James NaismithThe first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
. The museum building was originally built as a bank between 1885 and 1888, and was considered one of the most magnificent buildings west of the Mississippi River at the time of its construction. The Watkins Museum opened at this location in 1975.
The historic Union Pacific Depot, 402 North Second, was opened on November 13, 1889. Designed by noted American architect, Henry Van Brunt, the depot continued in service as a passenger station until 1971. The depot survived the devastaing floods of 1903 and 1951. The building was saved for posterity and the newly renovated depot opened in 1996. The building houses the Lawrence Visitors Information Center, an important source for information on the area and other cultural and historic attractions throughout the state of Kansas. The depot also has a display of artifacts found during the renovation, as well as a display featuring the history of the depot and local transportation. It is opened to the public.
The
Japanese Friendship Garden, on the 1000 block of Massachusetts Street, is an oasis in the middle of downtown Lawrence. It was built to honor the 10-year anniversary of Lawrence's relationship with its sister city Hiratsuka, Japan.
The
Lawrence Farmers' Market, the oldest in Kansas, is held each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday — each at a different location. The season is from April to November.
Bonnie and ClydeBonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
robbed First National Bank in downtown Lawrence in 1932. The bank is now
Teller's Restaurant and Bar.
Allen FieldhouseAllen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena, named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, who coached the university's men's basketball team for 39 years, is one of college basketball's most historically significant and prestigious buildings...
, on the
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
campus, is one of college basketball’s most well-known and historical buildings. In 2010, ESPN The Magazine named Allen Fieldhouse the loudest arena in the country.
The
James NaismithThe first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
Memorial, where Naismith, the inventor of
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and the
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
’ first basketball coach, is buried, is in Lawrence Memorial Park, just south of Oak Park Cemetery.
Lawrence also features many characteristics of a college town, such as a
radical library and infoshop, two
microbreweriesA microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
, and a half dozen locally owned coffeehouses.
Politics
While
KansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
is a heavily Republican state, Lawrence is reliably Democratic. Douglas County, where Lawrence is situated, was one of only two counties in Kansas whose majority voted for
John KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in the
2004 presidential electionThe United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
and one of only three that voted for
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the 2008 election. Douglas County has supported the Democratic candidate the past five presidential elections. Currently, Lawrence is served by both the
2ndKansas's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kansas covering most of the eastern part of the state, except for the core of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The district encompasses less than a quarter of the state...
and
3rdKansas's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in eastern Kansas, the district encompasses Wyandotte and Johnson counties, which include the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, and portions of Douglas County, which includes part of the college town...
U.S. Congressional Districts of Kansas. Before reapportionment in 2002, Lawrence sat entirely within the third district.
Lawrence is the only city in the state of Kansas with an ordinance (enacted in 1995, after a campaign called
Simply EqualSimply Equal is a grassroots coalition that formed to petition the city of Lawrence, Kansas to add the words "sexual orientation" to its Human Relations Ordinance...
) prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Douglas County, in which Lawrence is located, was the only county in the state to reject the amendment to the Kansas Constitution prohibiting both gay marriage and civil unions in April 2005. The vote against the amendment was primarily in the city of Lawrence; outside the city, the amendment carried in the rest of Douglas County. Lawrence has an active chapter of the
Kansas Equality CoalitionThe Kansas Equality Coalition is a statewide LGBT rights organization whose mission is to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression...
, which persuaded the city commission to approve a domestic partner registry on May 22, 2007. The registry, which took effect Aug. 1, 2007, provides unmarried couples—both same-sex and other-sex—some recognition by the city for legal purposes.
Sports
Lawrence is also the home of the
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
athletic teams. The perennially highly-ranked (and 1952, 1988, 2008 NCAA Champions)
Kansas JayhawksThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
basketball team is closely followed by many residents during the winter.
Massachusetts StreetMassachusetts Street is a main thoroughfare through the central business district of downtown Lawrence, Kansas. It begins just south of the Kansas River at Sixth Street and continues south until reaching Haskell Indian Nations University...
, the primary street of downtown Lawrence, flooded with fans in 2002, 2003, and 2008 after both KU's victories and defeats in the final rounds of the NCAA tournaments those years.
The school's football team has reached bowl eligibility in four of the past five years, including a 12-1 record in the 2007 season (the best in school history) and a victory in the Orange Bowl.
The city honored the university's mascot, the
JayhawkThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
, in 2003 when 30 statues of Jayhawks were commissioned by the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau; these can be seen throughout the city as part of an art installation called "Jayhawks on Parade."
The local
Kaw Valley Kickball League hosts games and a tournament every summer in Lawrence. Most of the teams revolve around downtown businesses and their employees, but the league is open to anyone.
In popular culture and the arts
In the 1983 TV movie
The Day AfterThe Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
, Lawrence was ravaged by fallout from detonations of nearby Soviet
nuclear bombA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s, including one which destroyed
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The TV movie was shot on location in and around Lawrence, and many locals were used to play small roles or perform as extras.
The protagonist brothers of the 2005 TV show
SupernaturalSupernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
hail from Lawrence, and the city's significance has been referenced numerous times throughout the show's history.
Lawrence was also destroyed in the 2006 TV Series
JerichoJericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
: In the seventh episode of the series, it is mentioned that Lawrence was destroyed by a nuclear blast. Some exterior shots for the CBS series
JerichoJericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
were filmed in Lawrence.
Lawrence was the town the Diffy's in Disney's
Phil of the FuturePhil of the Future is an American situation comedy that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006 for a total of two seasons. The series was created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber and produced by 2121 Productions, a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment...
claimed to have come from (when trying to hide that they were really from the future).
There is a song entitled
Lawrence KS on the 2002 album
Golden Age of RadioGolden Age of Radio is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Josh Ritter. It was Ritter's first album to be released nationally after he was signed to Signature Sounds. According to , Golden Age of Radio was originally self-released in 2001 and passed out at shows...
by American folk singer
Josh RitterJosh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
From 1947 until 1981, Lawrence was the location of the
Centron CorporationCentron Corporation was an industrial and educational film production company. Founded in 1947 in Lawrence, Kansas by Arthur H. Wolf and Russell A. Mosser, Centron would come to the forefront of the industrial and educational film companies in the United States. Centron competed with large...
, one of the major industrial and educational film production companies in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the time. The studio was founded by two
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
graduates and employed university students and faculty members as advisers and actors. Also, many talented local and area filmmakers were given their first chances to make movies with Centron, and some stayed for decades. Others went on to successful careers in Hollywood. One of these local residents,
Herk HarveyHarold Arnold "Herk" Harvey was an American film director, actor, and film producer.-Early life:Harvey was born in Windsor, Colorado, the son of Everett and Minnie R. Prewitt Harvey. He grew up in Fort Collins and was a graduate of Fort Collins High School before serving in the U.S...
, was employed by Centron as a director for 35 years and in the middle of his tenure there he made a full-length theatrical film,
Carnival of SoulsCarnival of Souls is a 1962 independent horror film starring Candace Hilligoss. Produced and directed by Herk Harvey for an estimated $33,000, the film did not gain widespread attention when originally released, as a B film; today, however, it is a cult classic...
, a
horrorHorror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
cult filmA cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
shot mostly in Lawrence and released in 1962. The Centron Corporation soundstage and residing building is now called Oldfather Studios and houses the University of Kansas film program.
Lawrence and the
JayhawksThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
have been spotted several times on
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, including a sketch with
Jack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
set at The Wheel (a popular student bar). These appearances are the handiwork of
Jason SudeikisDaniel Jason Sudeikis is an American actor and comedian currently starring as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Sudeikis was born Daniel Jason Sudeikis in Fairfax, Virginia, the son of Kathryn , a travel agent who was president of the American Society of Travel Agents, and Dan...
, SNL writer and performer, an Overland Park, KS native.
Lawrence is the setting for a number of science fiction writer
James Gunn- Further reading :James E. Gunn The Listeners, BenBella Books, ISBN 1-932100-12-1 -External links:*...
's novels, including
The Immortals (1964), basis for the ABC television movie and TV series "
The ImmortalThe Immortal is an American television series, which aired on ABC from September 1970 to January 1971. The series is based on a pilot movie of the same name, which aired in September 1969. The pilot is based on the science fiction novel The Immortals, by James Gunn. Although the series was canceled...
" (1969–1971). Gunn teaches at the University of Kansas.
United States of Tara, a TV show set in
Overland Park, Kansas-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, features an episode where characters visit Lawrence.
Older versions of
Google EarthGoogle Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
, software that allows the user to "fly" over the surface of the earth, mapped with satellite photography and topographical data, has a default position that, when the program launches, is centered exactly on the city of Lawrence (specifically on Meadowbrook Apartments, lying between Compton Square and Regency Place). This may be verified by running the software and zooming in from the default start position without rotating the virtual globe at all. This location was set by
Brian McClendonBrian McClendon is an American software designer, developer and engineer. He was a co-founder and angel investor in Keyhole, a geospatial data visualization tool; the start-up was purchased by Google in 2004 and later came to be known as Google Earth...
, a 1986 graduate of the
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
and director of engineering for Google Earth. Newer versions of the program center on Lawrence on the initial run, but center on the user's own location on subsequent launches.
Notable people
Sister cities
Lawrence has three sister cities through
Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
:
EutinEutin is the district capital of Eastern Holstein located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As of 2005, it had some 17,000 inhabitants....
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- 1989 Hiratsuka,
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- 1990 Iniades,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
- 2009
Lawrence has one unofficial sister city through
US-El Salvador Sister Cities El Papaturro,
El SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
See also
- Jayhawker
Jayhawkers is a term that came to prominence just before the American Civil War in Bleeding Kansas, where it was adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause. These bands, known as "Jayhawkers", were guerrilla fighters who often clashed with pro-slavery groups from Missouri known...
- List of people from Lawrence, Kansas
- Micro-urban
Micro-urban is an informal term for smaller cities of 250,000 or less with certain urban characteristics normally found in large metropolitan centers...
- Mount Oread Civil War posts
Lawrence, Kansas was not well defended in the early part of the Civil War. That ended with William Quantrill's devastating guerrilla raid August 21, 1863. By early 1864 Union soldiers were permanently camped on the top and slopes of Mount Oread, then to Lawrence's southwest. It seems the camp...
- Great Flood of 1951
In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River and other surrounding areas. Flooding resulted in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 exceeded $935 million dollars in an area covering eastern Kansas and...
Further reading
Lawrence
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Kansas
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
Maps