Local history
LatesT
Lawrence board signs off on markers to honor teens killed by police in 1970
A city board has finally approved historic markers to pay tribute to Rick “Tiger” Dowdell and Nick Rice, teens who were shot and killed by Lawrence police officers in 1970, though the board wants the shooters named on both markers.
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Stan Herd’s earthwork revering John Brown to be unveiled Saturday in Osawatomie
Lawrence artist Stan Herd has created an earthwork portrait of Kansas abolitionist John Brown for the City of Osawatomie. The first-of-its-kind tribute to Brown is set to be unveiled on Saturday.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Margaret ‘Sis’ Vinegar memorialized with community gathering, historical marker in Lawrence
Margaret ”Sis” Vinegar, like countless other Black girls and women of her day and beyond, never saw justice during her short life. But she is now memorialized in Lawrence’s history with a marker, dedicated in her honor Saturday evening.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Haskell Cultural Center and Museum reopens after being closed for years
The Haskell Cultural Center and Museum reopened Friday after years of being mostly closed to the public. It will resume normal hours starting next week.
Historical marker acknowledging Margaret ‘Sis’ Vinegar to be formally dedicated at Lawrence ceremony
A formal dedication is set this weekend in Lawrence for a historical marker acknowledging a young Black woman who died in prison in 1889 after being wrongly convicted of murdering the white man who raped her.
Maya Hodison/Lawrence Times
June tours, workshops to focus on Sacred Red Rock before park closes ahead of move
Four guided tours and interactive workshops this month will aim to educate participants about the Sacred Red Rock before it is returned to the Kaw Nation, and to foster ideas for the future of the park where it’s currently on display.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Native American Student Services honors graduating seniors; history made with eagle feather dedication
Lawrence High School senior Inila Brave is set to give a speech at her school’s commencement ceremony next week, an honor that she said the Lawrence school district’s support program for Native American students helped prepare her for.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Attorney Ron Kuby reflects on free speech violations at KU, changing ‘marketplace of ideas’
Civil rights attorney Ron Kuby came to Lawrence for the first time in a decade this weekend — he had an arrest reunion to get to.
He spoke about free speech violations on KU’s campus and why he’s now questioning his previous position as a First Amendment absolutist.
Defense attorney and local activist to team up for events highlighting resistance in Lawrence
Attorney Ron Kuby will team up with longtime Lawrence activist Tim Miller on Sunday for two public events that will highlight free speech and activism past and present.
Lawrence City Commission approves marker honoring Margaret ‘Sis’ Vinegar
The Lawrence City Commission voted Tuesday to approve a plan to place a historical marker in honor of Margaret “Sis” Vinegar, a young Black woman who, at age 14 in 1882, survived a sexual assault by a white man but died in prison at age 20 after being wrongly convicted of the man’s murder.
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