place

Stewart's Fort

1859 establishments in Kansas TerritoryBuildings and structures in Douglas County, KansasForts in Kansas

Rev. John E. Stewart, a free stater, moved about four miles southeast of Lawrence, Kansas, about 1859. Stewart made a land claim on the south side of the Wakarusa River, at a horseshoe bend. Here he built a fortress home, which became known as Stewart's Fort. Not much is known about the fort, other than it was surrounded by brush and was secluded and it had some sort of defensive walls surrounding it.Stewart, sometimes known to his fellow free staters as the "Fighting Preacher," used his fort as a station on the Underground Railroad. Many freed slaves passed through on their journeys to northern locations out of harm's way. Kansas Territory then was a battleground between those desiring it to be a free state and those wanting it to embrace slavery and become aligned with the nation's south. Because of Stewart's work to free slaves, his involvement with stolen livestock being kept at his fort was overlooked.William C. Quantrill befriended Stewart, although Stewart never completely trusted Quantrill. In summer 1860 a number of freed slaves were at Stewart's fort, waiting to travel further north and to safer territory. Quantrill discovered this and he and seven accomplices plotted to take the slaves, by force, if necessary and probably sell them or demand rewards before turning them over to their former owners. Quantrill remained in the background when the group arrived at Stewart's fort. Quantrill did this to keep his involvement in the plot from Stewart. The other seven demanded the surrender of the former slaves, which Stewart refused. Stewart had armed the slaves and a battle erupted, which lasted through the night. Only one former slave was captured and possibly several were wounded. Most or all left Stewart's Underground Railroad stop as scheduled and Stewart never discovered Quantrill's involvement in the scheme to retake the blacks.It is unknown how long Stewart used his fortress home for defense or as an Underground Railroad station. He probably lived in it until at least 1862.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Stewart's Fort (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Stewart's Fort
North 1175 Road,

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Stewart's FortContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 38.9105 ° E -95.2187 °
placeShow on map

Address

North 1175 Road 1551
66046
Kansas, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Share experience

Nearby Places

Haskell Indian Nations University
Haskell Indian Nations University

Haskell Indian Nations University is a public tribal land-grant university in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1884 as a residential boarding school for Native American children, the school has developed into a university operated by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs that offers both associate and baccalaureate degrees. The college was founded to serve members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States. It is the oldest continually operating federal school for American Indians.Approximately 140 Tribal nations and Alaska Native communities are represented at Haskell, which is funded directly by the Bureau of Indian Education as a U.S. Trust Responsibility to Native American Tribes. While the school does not charge tuition, students are responsible for paying yearly fees.Twelve campus buildings have been designated as U.S. National Historic Landmarks. Haskell is home to the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum, the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame, the Indian Leader, the oldest Native American student newspaper in the country; and numerous student clubs and organizations. Faculty and students built the Haskell Medicine Wheel Earthwork in 1992, and the Haskell-Baker Wetlands are important for migrating birds. The renowned Rinehart Collection is housed in the Haskell Cultural Center. Numerous sculptures and murals are located throughout the campus. Haskell also is a member of the American Council on Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Higher Learning Commission, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.The university hosts cultural and academic events that attract visitors (both Native American and non-Native) from across the country and abroad. Such events include the annual Haskell Indian Art Market, the Stories-n-Motion Film Festival, and the Haskell Commencement and Pow-Wow. These public events are held along with numerous educational conferences, workshops, and presentations.

Lawrence High School (Kansas)

Lawrence High School (LHS) is a public secondary school in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, operated by Lawrence USD 497 school district, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. The school is one of the two public high schools located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,575 students in the 2020–2021 school year. The school colors are red and black and the mascot is the "Chesty Lion". Lawrence High School was established in 1857 in order to help educate the growing population of Lawrence. The first classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian Church. Three years later, the school was relocated to 9th and Kentucky Streets. In 1923, a new high school was built at 14th and Massachusetts Streets and named Liberty Memorial High School while the 9th and Kentucky Street became Lawrence Junior High School. In 1930, the Lion was introduced as the school symbol and in 1946, it made its official debut as the school mascot. Lawrence High moved to its current location on Louisiana Street in 1954, and the Junior High moved in to 14th and Massachusetts Street, now Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Lawrence High has been added on to and remodeled over the years, including a major bond issue remodel completed in 2021, bringing the 1950s building up to 21st century standards. Lawrence is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in Class 6A and are known as the "Chesty Lions". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. Throughout its history, Lawrence High has won more state championships in athletics than any other high school in the state of Kansas.