This view of the Sands building, on the eastern side of Massachusetts Street, was taken in what is now the 700 block. The address of the Sands saddle and harness store in the center was 72 Massachusetts, later 722 Massachusetts.

Mr. Sands came to Lawrence and established his business in 1855, and in fact the Sands Saddelry and Harness store was cleaned out by raiding parties in 1856 and again in 1863. Mr. Sands also was an active participant in fighting against slavery in the border conflicts of the era.

The store to the left, with the large gun model on the roof of the porch, is the F. W. Jaedicke gun shop, and the store to the right is the Barteldes grocery, provision, and seed store. Teams of horses hitched to wagons of various kinds can be seen on the street, and also visible is a team of yoked oxen, a saddle horse, and a cow or two. The sidewalk is wooden and is covered by wooden porches of varying designs. A pile of rubble at the left of the Sands building could remain from Quantrill's raid.

This item was donated to the Watkins Community Museum collection by Harold W. Boener, and is currently available for viewing at the Spencer Research Library at The University of Kansas.