1986.127.003i A home destroyed by the tornado in April 11, 1911. Two boys and a man look over the damage to a home.
Watkins Museum of History/Douglas County Historical Society
1986.127.003J A photo of overturned buildings damaged during the April 11, 1911 tornado.
1994.077.001 A photograph of a storm cloud with a tornadic funnel extending toward the ground but not touching it. The tornado may have touched down earlier as the air around it seems to be full of dust. The foreground of the photo is very dark and the only visible landmark is a row of trees on the horizon.
1994.077.002 A tornado photograph with a very thin funnel curving to the ground from a very dark cloud. The foreground contains a row of one and two story frame houses on the edge of a town which have not been touched by the tornado yet. The cloud and funnel may have been retouched.
1999.037.030B Postcard photographs of Locations in Lawrence which were damaged by the 1911 tornado. Downtown from about 7th and Massachusetts looking south.
Original Postcard Photograph 3.5" x 5.5"
1976.714 Tornado Scene - Sullivan home. 638 Illinois St. in Lawrence.
Photograph Copy Negative Image (Neg. #601.26)
A concert poster for Toughies, designed by Tanner Spreer, a graphic design artist, Lawrence local, and band member of Psychic Heat. This poster was printed on a risograph, an alternative to silk-screen printing that allows designers to create complex, multilayered designs. Spreer became familiarized with risograph printing through a workshop with Oddities Prints in Kansas City. This poster was displayed throughout downtown Lawrence and on the University of Kansas campus.
Transfer of Library to the City of Lawrence, 1871
Lawrence Public Library (Lawrence, Kan.)
An article in the Lawrence Daily Journal reporting that the library has passed from the privately-controled Lawrence Library Association to the City of Lawrence. The article names some changes that will ensue, including the opening of the reading to the public and lowering of subscription prices
We believe that this item has no known US copyright restrictions. The item may be subject to rights of privacy, rights of publicity and other restrictions. We encourage anyone who may have more information about our items to contact us at custserv@lawrencepubliclibrary.org.
A photograph of a display by the front desk of the library of a reproduced triceratops skull. On the right of the picture, a young girl reaches out to touch it.
Lawrence Public Library Historical Records
This work is the intellectual property of the Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, Kansas. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
Pamphlet featuring short stories, aphorisms, and jokes, as well as illustrations of a bald man in a coat.
We believe that this item has no known US copyright restrictions. The item may be subject to rights of privacy, rights of publicity, and other restrictions. We encourage anyone who has more information about our items to contact us at custserv@lawrencepubliclibrary.org.
A concert poster for Two Ton Strap, designed by Tanner Spreer, a graphic design artist, Lawrence local, and band member of Psychic Heat. This poster was printed on a risograph, an alternative to silk-screen printing that allows designers to create complex, multilayered designs. Spreer became familiarized with risograph printing through a workshop with Oddities Prints in Kansas City. This poster was displayed throughout downtown Lawrence and on the University of Kansas campus.
Typewritten Draft of the History of the Lawrence Public Library, later published in Connelley's History of Kansas
A typewritten draft of the history of the Lawrence Public Library, which was later published in 1917 edition of Connelley's Standard History of Kansas.
A USS Vammen hat worn by a neighbor of Anne Tangeman's. This neighbor always sat on the front porch with his wife and watched the Barker neighborhood Memorial Day parade, which included almost the entire neighborhood: kids with streamers and decorations on their bikes, adults in patriotic outfits, and pets in costume. Anne doesn't remember the name of the neighbor who wore this hat, but remembers his enthusiasm for the parade and for all Barker community events. Anne purchased his hat at their garage sale when they moved away from the neighborhood. The USS Vammen was a Naval destroyer used in World War II, Okinawa, the Korean War, and other mobilizations.
Mexican Americans -- Housing -- Kansas -- Lawrence
Mexican Americans -- History -- Kansas -- Lawrence
Mexican Americans -- Social conditions -- Kansas -- Lawrence
Valentin Romero was interviewed by Helen Krische in 2006 as part of an oral history project to document the La Yarda and Mexican-American communities in Lawrence, Kansas. La Yarda was a neighborhood of worker housing provided by the Santa Fe Railroad for Mexican-American railroad workers; located near the Kansas (Kaw) River, the neighborhood was largely destroyed by a major flood in 1951. Valentin lived with his parents and siblings in Lawrence's La Yarda neighborhood, and then in East Lawrence. Valentin describes his family's migration from Mexico to Lawrence, his father's work for the railroad, and his school experiences. Valentin discusses his work history, and describes how he met his wife. He describes the living conditions in the La Yarda neighborhood, childhood pasttimes, and social activities of the Mexican-American community in Lawrence and other Kansas towns. Valentin discusses experiences of discrimination and segregation encountered by Mexican-American community members. Valentin also describes the impact of the 1951 flood on the La Yarda neighborhood.
Watkins Community Museum (Lawrence, Kan.)
Published with the permission of Elizabeth Romero, on behalf of Valentin Romero. This work is the intellectual property of the Watkins Museum of History, Lawrence, Kansas. The public may freely copy, modify, and share this Item for noncommercial purposes if they include the original source information. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
To access the video and audio recordings of this interview, go to https://archive.org/details/20-vromero-2006.
The Watkins Museum of History also holds items related to this collection.
Additional research on the La Yarda community is held at the Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas.
20a-VRomero-2006.mp3 (audio) and 20a-VRomero-2006.pdf (transcription)
20b-VRomero-2006.mp3 (audio) and 20b-VRomero-2006.pdf (transcription)
World War, 1939-1945 -- Veterans -- Interviews.
Valentin Romero served in the United States Army from 1945 to 1946 in the 78th Division, 310th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Regiment. Interviewed by Brian Grubbs on October 11, 2006, Romero talked about his military experiences during the Second World War. Romero was born on February 14, 1927. He joined the Army after graduating high school in 1945. He received basic training at Fort Hood in Texas. He then went to Berlin, Germany, where he worked with a regimental help headquarters company. After returning home in 1946, Romero worked at the post office for twenty-seven years. He passed away on December 2, 2014.
Kansas Veterans of World War II Oral History Project / Lawrence Remembers: The World War II Years Project
The original copy of this video is available through the Lawrence Public Library. The Watkins Museum of History and the Kansas State Historical Society also have interviews associated with this project, which was funded through a grant program passed by the Kansas State Legislature in 2005. Researchers are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for uses other than educational or scholarly research. Contact the Watkins Museum of History for additional information: https://www.watkinsmuseum.org/
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/romero-val-wwii-interview
Obituary: https://obituaries.ljworld.com/obituaries/ljworld/obituary.aspx?n=valentin-elmo-romero&pid=173419567&fhid=24990
Transcripts for this project are available through the Kansas Memory Digital Collection: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/211751
Other resources for interviews with World War II veterans are available through the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project: https://www.loc.gov/vets/vets-home.htm
View from the Circulation Desk, August 1972
A photograph taken from the circulation desk at the Carnegie building on the last day of service.
United States. Army Nurse Corps -- History.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Women -- United States.
Virginia Visser served as a First Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps during the Second World War. Interviewed by Ashley Isbell on November 4, 2007, Visser talked about her experiences during the war. Visser was first assigned to Camp Carson, Colorado. She then went overseas and worked in several hospitals (the 187th General Hospital, 36th General Hospital, 2nd Evacuation Hospital, 5th Evacuation Hospital, and the 91st Evacuation Hospital) in England, France, and Germany. Visser passed away on February 8, 2017.
The original copy of this video is available through the Lawrence Public Library. The Watkins Museum of History and the Kansas State Historical Society may also have interviews associated with this project, which was funded through a grant program passed by the Kansas State Legislature in 2005. Researchers are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for uses other than educational or scholarly research. Contact the Watkins Museum of History for additional information: https://www.watkinsmuseum.org/
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/visser-interview
Obituary: https://obituaries.ljworld.com/obituaries/ljworld/obituary.aspx?n=virginia-visser&pid=184102493
Flint Hills Oral History Project World War II Veterans Series interview: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/211491
Transcripts for this project are available through the Kansas Memory Digital Collection: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/212323
Historic Buildings -- Kansas -- Douglas County
An article in the Lawrence Journal-World describing the changes in the Carnegie library with the expansion of the building in 1937.
Reproduced with permission from the Lawrence Journal-World. All rights held by the Lawrence Journal-World (Lawrence, Kan.)
Walter C. Houk, Jr. World War II Interview
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Belgium -- Bastogne.
Interviewed as part of the Lawrence Remembers: The World War II Years Project, Walter C. Houk, Jr. talked about his father, Walter C. Houk, Sr., who served in the military during the Second World War. Walter Sr. was born on June 10, 1917, and died during the Battle of the Bulge on January 21, 1945. He is buried at the Stull cemetery in Kansas. Before he was drafted into the military, Walter Sr. played professional baseball for the Yankees and worked at his family’s general store in Stull. Walter Jr. discussed the lack of resources available to help people who lost family members to the war, and the difficulties he faced when trying to learn more information about his father’s military service and death.
The original copy of this video is available through the Lawrence Public Library. The Watkins Museum of History and the Kansas State Historical Society may also have interviews associated with this project. Researchers are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for uses other than educational or scholarly research. Contact the Watkins Museum of History for additional information: https://www.watkinsmuseum.org/
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/houk-wwii-interview
Walter Stitt Robinson World War II Interview
Walter Stitt Robinson, Jr. served as a Captain in the United States Army (82nd Airborne Division) from 1941 to 1945. Interviewed by Pattie Johnston on March 26, 2007, Robinson talked about his experiences during the Second World War. Robinson was born in North Carolina on August 28, 1917. He graduated from high school in 1935. He then received a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College in 1939 and a master’s degree in history from the University of Virginia in 1941. He was drafted into the Army in November 1941. He completed basic training at Camp Croft in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He went to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning and worked as an instructor at Fort McClellan in Alabama. Robinson then went overseas to the European theater of war. He took part in the invasion of Southern France in 1944, the Battle of the Bulge, and the airborne crossing of the Rhine into Germany in 1945. He was discharged in 1945 and received the Bronze Star. Following the war, in 1950, Robinson received a PhD in history for the University of Virginia. He then taught history at the University of Kansas from 1950 until he retired in 1988. Robinson passed away on July 2, 2014.
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/robinson-w.-stitt
Obituary: https://warrenmcelwain.com/obituary/walter-stitt-robinson/
Walter Robinson was also interviewed as part of the Kansas Veterans History Project; the video recording of that interview can be accessed at https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.04468/
An index of obituaries published by the Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence, Kansas.
Warren-McElwain Mortuary and Cremation Services website
Click here to access this index.
William "Bill" Graham World War II Interview
William “Bill” Graham served in the United States Army (Infantry). Interviewed by Pattie Johnston on September 25, 2006, Graham talked about his experiences during the Second World War. Graham was born in Arkansas on December 7, 1926. He joined the military when he was 18 and went to basic training at Camp Walters in Texas. He then got rheumatic fever and was sent to a hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, where he met his future wife, Margaret “Marty” Driskel, who was serving in the Women’s Army Corps. She is also featured in the interview. They married on October 31, 1945. Graham was discharged in 1945. During the interview, Bill and Marty shared several photos and memorabilia from their lives and military services.
The original copy of this video is available through the Lawrence Public Library. The Watkins Museum of History and the Kansas State Historical Society also have interviews associated with this project, which was funded through a grant program passed by the Kansas State Legislature in 2005. Researchers are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for uses other than educational or scholarly research. Contact the Watkins Museum of History for additional information. https://www.watkinsmuseum.org/
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/graham-bill-marty-wii-interview
William "Bill" Radke World War II Interview
William “Bill” P. Radke served in the United States Army (Infantry), 88th Division, Fifth Special Forces Airborne. Interviewed by Deborah Pye on November 8, 2006, Radke talked about his military experiences after the Second World War. Radke was born in Ohio in 1928. He enlisted in the Army in 1945 and went to basic training in New Jersey. Radke has an extensive 30-year military career. From 1947 to 1948, he was in the TRUST Troopers in Trieste, Italy. After Officer Candidate School (OCS), he went to jump and Ranger school in the 1950s. During the 1960s, he served as the commander of Special Forces Thailand (46th Special Forces Company). Radke passed away on August 16, 2017.
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/radke-bill-wwii-interview
Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansascity/obituary.aspx?n=william-p-radtke-bill&pid=186445575&fhid=24990
Transcripts for this project are available through the Kansas Memory Digital Collection: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/211748
William Pendleton World War II Interview
William Pendleton served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946. He also served in the Reserve Corps from 1946 to 1953. Interviewed by Pattie Johnston on March 3, 2006, Pendleton talked about his military experiences during the Second World War. Pendleton was attending the University of Kansas when he joined the Army. He was first sent to New Guinea in 1944 and served as an engineer boat and shore officer. He also worked as the postmaster. Pendleton then took part in the invasion of Borneo with the Australian Army. He had many roles, including the finance manager. After Borneo, he spent several weeks in the Philippines until the war ended. He was discharged in March 1946. He then went back to KU and received a degree in economics in 1947. In 1954, Pendleton started law school at KU and graduated in 1957. That same year, he started his own law firm in Lawrence, Kansas. He also worked as a municipal court judge. He passed away on May 15, 2015.
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/pendleton-william-wwii-interview
Obituary: https://obituaries.ljworld.com/obituaries/ljworld/obituary.aspx?n=william-biklen-pendleton&pid=174881386&fhid=24989
Transcripts for this project are available through the Kansas Memory Digital Collection: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/214669
William R. Schott World War II Interview
William R. Schott served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946. Interviewed by Pattie Johnston as part of the Lawrence Remembers: The World War II Years Project, Schott talked about his experiences during the Second World War. Schott was born on September 14, 1920, in Globe, Kansas. As a teenager, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). He was inducted into the Army on July 6, 1942, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He completed basic training at Fort Eustis, Virginia. In 1944, he went to Europe. He served in England, France, Belgium, and Germany as a searchlight repairman. Schott passed away on October 17, 2012.
To access the video recording of this oral history, go to: https://archive.org/details/schott-interview
Obituary: https://obituaries.ljworld.com/obituaries/ljworld/obituary.aspx?n=william-roscoe-schott-bill&pid=160500786