1889 Map of Lawrence

About this map

Lawrence and Ottawa anchor this late-nineteenth-century landscape, a region defined by its dense network of pioneer rail lines and river valleys. The Union Pacific Railroad and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad traverse the north along the Kansas River, while the Southern Kansas Railroad bisects the county to reach Baldwin City and Ottawa. This survey reveals the early infrastructure of eastern Kansas, from the platting of small villages like Clinton, Eudora, and Pomona to the prominent natural landmark of Blue Mound. The intersection of the Marais Des Cygnes River and multiple rail spurs near Lawrence Junction and Burlington Junction illustrates a peak era of steam-powered transportation. Waterways such as Wakarusa Creek and Eight Mile Creek provide the drainage for the agricultural township grids of Kanwaka, Marion, and Willow Springs.