The Watkins Museum’s annual Civil War on the Border series of local history programming is set to kick off next week with a focus on religion of the era.
Though it’s tricky to pinpoint the exact start date of the history commemoration that Lawrence now knows as Civil War on the Border, best estimates put it at 30 years.
Will Haynes, the deputy director for engagement and learning at the Watkins, says that they’ve found documentation such as flyers and notes from the organizers going back to at least 1997.
“It was a group of local people that came together and were trying to find a way to commemorate the most important events in the city’s history and that foundational story in Lawrence, and make it a communitywide celebration,” Haynes says. “It was really ambitious.”
Eventually, the event series came under the museum’s purview and grew to be a fundraising opportunity for the institution, which offers many free services to the area.
Civil War on the Border has now become a subject of historical curiosity in its own right. Paul Stuewe, who took part in launching the events in the 1990s, is on this year’s docket to present on the origins of this community commemoration.
At least one element of the event has remained the same over the decades: the goal of engaging locals in the area’s history. The Watkins has created themes for the last many years to facilitate unique conversations, and this year’s ecclesiastical focus is inspired by the museum’s current exhibit on early Christian churches in the area.
Haynes figures that many people imagine Civil War-era communities as more unquestioningly devout than our increasingly secular societies. The research he did to prepare for this year’s events complicated that notion.
As we see today, Haynes says debates about politics at the pulpit reigned supreme. Citizens would push back on their religious leaders for not criticizing slavery enough. In other cases, parishioners didn’t want to hear church leaders speak out against slavery, claiming that the critical issue was separate from their faith.
For Haynes, it’s a chance to take what he’s learned as a public historian past the walls of a museum, and to share it with the community.
“If I’m doing a talk with the author online, then we could have a discussion which the public can tune in to and learn about it on their own,” he says. “And maybe that encourages people to get the book and read it for themselves and, you know, not to get too corny, but add a wrinkle to their brain.”
Join the festivities
Civil War on the Border runs from Aug. 21-24 at various sites across town.
Folks can buy tickets and register for free events at this link. A dollar of each ticket purchase will go to the Lawrence Indian United Methodist Church Food Pantry and Clothing Giveaway.
People can also enter to win a reproduction of an 1882 print of Bismarck Grove, which was located in current-day North Lawrence, framed with antique wood from the museum. Entry tickets can be purchased here, costing $5 for one or $10 for 3.
Exhibits at the museum, such as “Foundations of Faith,” are always free and open to the public.
Walking and bus tours
The annual Quantrill’s Raid walking tours take place every day of programming from 8 to 9:30 a.m. A new early churches walking tour will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, and Sunday, Aug. 24.
Tickets for the walking tours are $25 for museum members and $30 for the general public.
Quantrill’s Raid bus tours will run from noon to 2 p.m. and again from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24. They cost $30 for museum members and $35 for the general public.
More events
Here are the other main events planned for Civil War on the Border, according to the Watkins’ schedule. Online events will livestream on the Watkins’ Facebook and YouTube pages.
• Thursday, August 21, an online talk on religion during the Civil War with author and historian George C. Rable will take place from 7 to 8 p.m.
• Friday, August 22, the “Americans” exhibit will open with a 6 to 8 p.m. reception. The traveling Smithsonian show “explores how American Indians have been part of the nation’s identity since before the country began,” according to the Watkins.
• Saturday, August 23, a Quantrill’s raid memorial, followed by Derrick Doty’s performance of 19th-century Kansas music, will take place at Plymouth Congregational Church from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Then, an online talk with historian Richard Carwardine will explore Abraham Lincoln’s faith from 1 to 2 p.m.
More in-person events will start up at 2:30 p.m. with a guided tour of the “Americans” exhibit, followed by a history talk at St. Luka AME church from 3:30 to 5 p.m. A presentation from Paul Stuewe will look at origins of Civil War on the Border, and Dorthy Pennington will discuss Black churches in Lawrence.
• Sunday, August 24, will wrap up Civil War on the Border with a second guided tour of “Americans” starting at 1 p.m.
The final online event, a discussion with historian James P. Byrd on the bible during the war, will take place at 7 p.m.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
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