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The mellow town of
LAWRENCE
lies on the Kansas River, roughly halfway between Kansas City and Topeka, around thirty miles from either. Tree-lined streets, a welcoming historic downtown and an aura of old-hippie artsiness make it an appealing destination, with a cultural energy owed in part to the University of Kansas (home of the Jayhawk, the mythical bird which is the emblem of its sports teams), and a long liberal and intellectual history. Founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company in 1854, and a center of Free State activities, Lawrence was the site of a violent Civil War skirmish in 1863, when Missourian Confederate guerrilla Quantrill led about 300 men on the town, killing over 150, wounding hundreds more and setting the place alight. Rebuilding was quick, however, as evidenced by the limestone and brick buildings of today's downtown, centered on Massachusetts Street, and the State University campus, which stands on a steep, tree-covered grassy bank known as Mount Oread.
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