"History never looks like history when you are living through it."

John W. Gardner (1912 - ), quoted by Bill Moyers

 

 

You are creating history every moment of your life. Each generation needs to record its "moment in time" so that future generations can understand and build upon their heritage.

We have been studying the history of Lawrence and are fortunate to live in such a historically rich community. This is also the 150th anniversary of our town. I want to challenge you to look not only at the Lawrence's past, but to also look at Lawrence today, and create a of record of our town's "recent" history.

You are to select one of the project options below. You may work with a partner if you wish, but no groups this time. We will spend the next two weeks in the library, researching and writing "reports." Several exceptional projects will be selected for publishing online at West's Community Connections web site. (We will discuss requirements for online publishing as needed.)

1. Create a "typical" Lawrence teenager in 1854, 1904, 1954, 2004. You will use both text and pictures. (The information may be gathered within 10 years or so of these dates. Some categories of information will be specific to Lawrence, other may be found in more "general" books of the periods.)


2. Transform and analyze the information found at the Community Connections web site http://history.lawrence.com/project/community/business/1860.html into more "readable" tables. Create information for 2004 by using telephone books and add it to the existing site. Also, take several occupations per time period (or all occupations) and chart how the number has changed, disappeared, or is new.

3. Pick one topic to research from when it first existed in Lawrence to the present day. Create a map of Lawrence for each time period (roughly every 50 years since 1854), indicating where places were/are located.

 

Resources:
    1. http://www.history.lawrence.com This site was created by West teachers, Watkins Museum, Spencer Research Library, and the Journal World.

      2. If you click on primary resources, you will find information on:

      Arts and Entertainment, Business and Industry, Education, Ethnic Groups, Health, News and Media, Organizations, People, Places, Politics and Government, Recreation and Sports, Religion, Significant Events, Society and Culture, Transportation

      If you click on special interest collections, you will find information on:

      Business and Transportation: Survey of Lawrence Business, Public Transportation in Lawrence, Ks. 1197

      Social Changes Over Time: Little Pamphlets on Etiquette , Werner's Reading & Recitations, 1961 Social Guide for Junior High Students

      African-American Heritage in Lawrence: Langston Hughes, Census information, Churches, Schools

      Native American Heritage: Early History of Haskell, Indian Lands, Haskell Institute

      Arts, Entertainment, Culture: Lawrence City Band, History of Lawrence Theaters
    2. http://www.kancoll.org/books/rowe/index.html A book titled "Wonderful Old Lawrence" is found at this site. Elfrieda Rowe published articles for the Journal World which tell about the following topics in Lawrence during the early 1900's.

The Old Fire Bell
Changes in Entertaining
First Lawrence City Directory
Home Remedies
Telephone Numbers
The Plymouth Congregational Church Tiffany Windows
Street Cars
School 60 Years Ago
Watkins Bank Building
Lawrence Bridges
Lawrence Bands
Old Homes in Lawrence
Our First Overland Trip to Colorado
Spring-Gardens
Changing Times and Customs
Trains
Robinson Gymnsdium
The Campus on Mount Oread
North Lawrence and Bismark
Lawrence's Only and Oldest Team Whist Club
KU Freshmen 50 Years Ago
Swimming
Beauty Shops
Lawrence in Summertime
Liquor in the Prohibition Era
Lawrence Histsory
97 Years of Rushing at KU
Christmas
Wiedemann's
Long Hairs Not New on Lawrence Horizon
War Nerves Blight German Role
Christmas Vacation Times
Lawrence the Beautiful

 

3. http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/yearpast/yp_index.html At "Years Past in Lawrence" you will find information on:

Beautiful Bismarck Grove
The Great Flood of 1903
Massachusetts Street in the 1800's
The University Comes to Mount Oread
The Windmill

4. http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/index.shtml This is the Lawrence Cybervillage site of current Lawrence information.

5. http://www.lawrenceks.org/infosystems/maps.shtml This site is an interactive map of Lawrence.

6. http://www.kancoll.org/books/north_lawrence/text.html This contains a brief history of North Lawrence.

7. http://www.haskell.edu/archive/haskell_archive.htm Haskell information

8. http://www.kancoll.org/books/cordley_history/ A history of Lawrence by Rev. Cordley

9. http://www.territorialkansasonline.org/cgiwrap/imlskto/index.php Kansas State Historical Society

10.http://www.watkinsmuseum.org/ Watkins Museum

11. http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/ Spencer Research Library

12. http://ljworld.com/ The Journal World Archives is an excellent resource for local events and people.

13. http://www.kuathletics.com/general_history/halloffame/index.html KU Athletic Hall of Fame