Old Hometown

Local writer Sarah St. John pulls from the Journal-World archives to compile reports of what it was like to be in Lawrence decades ago.

100 years ago: City issues annual plea for ‘safe, sane’ Fourth of July

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 3, 1915:"City officials do not anticipate any difficulty from breaking of the city sane Fourth ordinance, either tomorrow or Monday but they do intend to enforce that ordinance to the letter and to see to it that all people and visitors are ...

100 years ago: Early Fourth celebrations ‘making nights hideous with noise’

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 2, 1915:"People who live in the business district along Massachusetts street, are complaining that boys with a premature idea of when to celebrate July 4, are making night hideous with noise. One woman said that last night she was kept awake by ...

100 years ago: 13-year-old boy drowns in Kansas River

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 1, 1915:"John Weidman, 13 years old, son of Wm. E. Weidman, a laborer employed by Graeber brothers and living at 167 Lake street, was drowned in the Kaw below the Bowersock dam last night between 6 and 7 o’clock. He could not swim.... Weidman and ...

100 years ago: Lawrence thieves stealing ‘all manner of useless things’

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for June 30, 1915:"The wet weather seems to be affecting the minds of the light fingered gentry throughout the country according to local observers and the thieves are stealing all manner of useless things. Yesterday a Lawrence colored man stole a ladies ...

100 years ago: Coin toss suggested for city commission term limits

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for June 29, 1915:"The most interesting features of the meeting of the board of city commissioners came after adjournment today when Commissioner of Finance Holyfield suggested to Commissioner of Utilities Cleland that they decide which of them should fill ...