For the past 50 or so years, the home of George Collamore — mayor during William Quantrill's 1863 raid on Lawrence — was believed to be located near the intersection of Seventh and Louisiana streets, says Tom Arnold, a volunteer at the Watkins Museum of History. But after Arnold was given the task of uploading old documents into an electronic database, he discovered that the house was actually a block to the north at 516 W. Sixth St.

The night of Aug. 21, 1863, William Clarke Quantrill and his band of 300 to 400 pro-Confederacy guerrillas descended upon the sleeping abolitionist town of Lawrence.

During the historic raid, which lasted about four hours, around 180 men and boys were killed and more than 200 buildings were burned to the ground. Lawrence’s fate was forever changed.

In the 152 years since that deadly day most aspects of the raid have been reported, analyzed, dissected and taught, but recently new details have come to light — including the actual location of where the town’s mayor died.

For the past 50 or so years, the home of George Collamore — mayor during William Quantrill's 1863 raid on Lawrence — was believed to be located near the intersection of Seventh and Louisiana streets, says Tom Arnold, a volunteer at the Watkins Museum of History. But after Arnold was given the task of uploading old documents into an electronic database, he discovered that the house was actually a block to the north at 516 W. Sixth St.

While the raid was meant to wreak general havoc upon Lawrence, Quantrill’s band likely had several specific targets as well, selected for their political beliefs and actions, said Katie Armitage, a Lawrence historian. Among them were the Rev. Richard Cordley, Charles Robinson, the first governor of Kansas, and John Speer, who ran a newspaper.

“The raiders supposedly had a list of leaders they were trying to get and Mayor (George) Collamore would certainly have been on it,” Armitage said.

While Cordley, Robinson and Speer all escaped the deadly raiders, Collamore did not, Armitage said. Seeking a hiding place, he scrambled into his well as his home was burned to the ground. And there he died.

“He was overcome by the bad air, the fumes,” Armitage said. “Of course his great friend Joseph Lowe tried to go down and see about him, but fell from a rope and drowned. And then another helper. Three men died in that well.”

For the past 50 or so years, Collamore’s home was believed to be located near the intersection of Seventh and Louisiana streets, said Tom Arnold, a volunteer at the Watkins Museum of History. But after Arnold was given the task of uploading old documents into an electronic database, he discovered that the house was actually a block to the north.

“Going through all of (the museum’s) Quantrill’s Raid files document by document, I came across some survivors’ accounts that appeared to conflict with the collective wisdom that the home was at 646 Louisiana,” Arnold said.

For years, the house at 646 Louisiana St. was thought to be the home of former Mayor George Collamore and the location of his death during Quantrill's Raid. It was later discovered by Tom Arnold that Collamore's home was actually found a block to the north.

After confirming his suspicions with old property records and long-buried pieces of information, Arnold said he’s confident Collamore’s home was actually on the northeast corner of Sixth and Louisiana streets.

“The house at 646 Louisiana that everybody thinks is the location he died never had any association with Collamore,” Arnold said. “He may have been the only Lawrence mayor to die in office, certainly the only one to be killed under violent circumstances, and we can at least memorialize him by getting the right location where he died.”

After taking a look at Arnold’s findings, Armitage gave the new information her seal of approval, she said.

While local architectural historian and scholar Dennis Domer said he doesn’t feel Quantrill’s Raid is at all the most significant piece of Lawrence history, its impact is undeniable and it can be seen by taking a simple walk down Massachusetts Street.

So much of the town was burned down during the raid that it changed the face of Lawrence, Domer said. Instead of using timber to build they began looking to iron.

The Quantrill's Raid Monument in Oak Hill Cemetery was erected in 1895 as a memorial to the men and boys who lost their life during William Quantrill's of August 21, 1863. The remains of most of Quantrill's victims have been moved to this area of Oak Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is 150 years old this year.

“It was a turning point in Lawrence’s history,” he said. “A rebuilding point especially. Since all those buildings were gone, burned down, most people had to resort to different architecture.”

One of the many reasons why it’s important to remember Quantrill’s Raid, Armitage said, is because of its historical significance, especially with respect to the nation’s Civil War and the great inner turmoil that shaped the country.

“We try to learn a little bit,” she said. “We hope to learn about how these terrible things happened. And it would be great if we could avoid them in the future.”

Arnold added that Lawrence’s ability to survive the deadly raid — and to thrive afterward — is another thing to keep in mind on the anniversary.

“I think it’s a significant part of the town’s crest, a phoenix rising from the ashes,” he said. “For the town to have survived and come back is a point of pride related to the city’s heritage.”