Just don’t call it a celebration.

The Watkins Community Museum of History has plans for this year’s commemoration of William Quantrill’s deadly raid on Lawrence.

The survivors of Quantrill's Aug. 21, 1863, raid on Lawrence.

“There will be some re-enactors, some social events and something for the kids, but it’s not meant to be a celebration – what happened Aug. 21, 1863, isn’t something you want to celebrate,” said museum executive director Rebecca Phipps.

The weeklong commemoration, called “The Civil War on the Western Frontier,” begins Aug. 15. Events include walking tours, movies, a civil war encampment in South Park, a vigil for the raid’s victims and 11 lectures.

Lecture topics include:

• Raid letters finally see print (08-06-05)
• Watkins Musuem planning commemoration events of raid (08-06-05)
• Heritage designation would help tell story (08-06-05)
• 6News video: New accounts of Quantrill’s raid come to light (08-02-05)
• Eyewitness reports of Quantrill’s Raid (.pdf)
• More about Lawrence’s history

¢ “Former Military Posts (and the Women Who Called Them Home),” noon Aug. 19 at Watkins Museum, 1047 Mass.

¢ “Military Trails in Kansas,” 2:15 p.m. Aug. 20 at Lawrence Public Library.

¢ “Battle of Black Jack: Civil War Begins in Kansas,” 11:15 a.m. Aug. 20 at Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.

¢ “The Civil War Through Indian Eyes,” 3 p.m. Aug. 21, Watkins Museum.

“The big event is going to be the Aug. 19 concert at the gazebo in South Park,” Phipps said. “There will be period music by The Free Staters (band), a dance demonstration, some refreshments and then a showing of the documentary, ‘Touched By Fire, Bleeding Kansas,’ that’s aired on PBS.”

The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.

A complete listing of events is available online at www.watkinsmuseum.org.