Underground Railroad Museum proposal in Lawrence
Friday, March 10, 2006

The Underground Railroad Association of Douglas County, Kansas propose to transform the existing Grover Barn/Fire Station #4 in Lawrence Kansas, into The Grover Barn Underground Railroad Interpretive Center/Abolition Museum.

The museum will house the Underground Railroad history of this structure and the Kansas Underground Railroad as well as educate schoolchildren, tourists, historical researchers and others about the broader issue of the continuing struggle for freedom.

This vision for use of the barn is inspired by the fact that historically the barn was a major station on the Underground Railroad soon after it was built in 1857-58 by abolitionist, Joel Grover.

For more information, please contact the Friends of Grover Barn
friendsofgroverbarn@sunflower.com

Click to see the proposal online at City of Lawrence website

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Dr. John Doy Homestead

The Underground Railroad Association is working on preserving and documenting the homestead location of one of the founders of Lawrence, Kansas, abolitionist  Dr. John Doy.  A 13'x16' foundation and well have been found in the Deer creek area south of the I-70 turnpike. The area was surveyed by an archeologist in 2001. The structures were found to be consistent with the Territorial early/Statehood period style. The structure location also matched the location of the house on maps of the period. F.R. Gagne Jr. in the archeological report states that: "The house and its relationship with the documented Underground Railroad activities may make it eligible for the National Register despite its state of disrepair."

We are currently trying to arrange another survey and possible excavation of the site. It has been suggested from evidence acquired from the last survey, that if excavated, the site should produce substantial data on the territorial period and early statehood years.

For more information please contact Association Vice President Judith Sweets 


PROJECTS of our Association and its Members:

We are currently working on saving the John Doy site and other Douglas County Underground Railroad sites. Our goals are to save the sites, get them known publicly, and have them historically marked.

This summer we have secured a Network to freedom presentation of Doy site certificate. This will help us to protect
the site temporarily, until we can attain more backing.

With the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, we are working to
attain applications for Underground Railroad sites to be officially listed.

We partnered with the Lawrence Preservation Society, and the City of Lawrence to write a grant to have the John Doy land surveyed by archaeologist, F.R. Gagne Jr.  Preliminary work revealed the rock foundation and well are the only structures on the land, and indicated that the rock foundation is indeed, that of John Doy's.  Additional archaeological work is desired.

A street on John Doy's land was named "John Doy Court" in honor of Dr. Doy. It is an appropriate name, since John Doy was put in jail, and faced a court, for attempting, like John Brown, to drive 12 "freedom seekers"  to freedom in Canada. Brown succeeded in his mission, and was to have driven with John Doy originally. Doy was captured, put in prison, went to trial, and rescued by ten Lawrence Abolitionist.  They are photographed in the photo titled at the time, THE IMMORTAL TEN. Doy is shown seated, still weak from his imprisonment.  He wrote a book of his experience, "The Kansas Narrative" which is now available!).

Underground Railroad Bus tours -  during "Civil War on the Western Frontier" -- Will be offered again this year. These have been given by members Judy Sweets, Wayne Wildcat and Tolly Wildcat.  A percentage of proceeds, after bus rental fees, goes to the Underground Railroad Association. There are a variety of tours possible, and reservations can be made for small groups.  Call 842.3154 or email
[email protected] or [email protected]


Future Plans

A published brochure of Douglas County Underground Railroad sites. 

Brits Visit Historical Homesite
Family traces roots to Lawrence abolitionist (Dr. John Doy). -The Lawrence Journal-World

Quantrill's Raid Tour Photos
Members of our UGRR group, Dr. Tolly Smith Wildcat and local artist Wayne Wildcat, had hosted an annual tour of Quantrill's Raid last August 25th in Lawrence. The two hour comprehensive tour included raid sites in many areas of Lawrence, and Douglas County. Site's visited included the Old Miller House, the location of Reverend Snyder's shooting, the Dix home, and Blanton's Bridge. The tour also visited the Oak Hill cemetery, where many of the raid victims are buried.