Once again, the “Christmas Through the Ages” Christmas tree display will be at the Territorial Capital Museum in Historic Lecompton, Kansas. Over 240 Christmas trees will be decorated in Victorian, antique, themed and vintage ornaments and accessories. In it’s twenty fifth year, it has become a favorite activity of the Lecompton Historical Society members who are responsible for decorating the … Read More
The Tale of Two Buttons
Between 1854 and 1857, the Lecompton area was a hive of activity as pro-slavery Southerners arrived with the goal of expanding slavery to the new Kansas Territory. While many Southerners came to establish homes, others had little intent on settling in the territory for the long term. They instead arrived as militia groups, intent on running out nearby abolitionists in … Read More
Before the Civil War, a Kansas Town Had Nationwide Sway
The Lecompton Constitution would have made Kansas a slave state and was intensely debated across the US. The anti- Lecompton sentiment strongly opposed slavery for the future state of Kansas. In 1858, Garnet B Adrian of New Jersey ran as the People’s “Anti-Lecompton” Democratic candidate for Congress. He won the election. Seven other Anti-Lecompton Congressmen from New Jersey, New York, Indiana and Pennsylvania: John G. Davis (Ind.), Jeter R. Riggs (NJ), Horace Clark (NY), John H Reynolds (NY), John Haskin (NY), John Hickman (PA), and John Swartz (PA) voted against the Lecompton Constitution. The Anti- Lecompton ballot of New Jersey included candidates for assembly, sheriff and three candidates for coroner. The actual ballot is now on display at the Territorial Capital Museum.
2023 Bleeding Kansas Program Series
The Bleeding Kansas Program Series for 2023 will begin on January 29 with new programs every Sunday through March 5th. Programs begin promptly at 2 pm. The programs will be held at The Constitution Hall State Historic Site located in downtown, Lecompton, 319 Elmore St. The suggested donation is $5 per adult for each program. The series includes talks and … Read More
2022 Christmas Tree Display at the Territorial Capital Museum
Our beautiful Christmas Tree Display is now open for visitors! The tree display runs through Jan. 7th, 2023. We are open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 am – 4 pm and on Sundays from 1 – 5pm. The official tree count this year is 271 and as always, there are new things to see this year! We hope you can … Read More
Dr. Christian McWhirter to Speak in Lecompton Dec. 3, 2022
The Lecompton Historical Society is pleased that noted Lincoln scholar, Dr. Christian McWhirter, will speak at the Territorial Capital Museum on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 11 am. Dr. McWhirter is a historian at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. During a visit to the Library and Museum in Springfield this summer, Paul Bahnmaier, Lecompton Historical Society … Read More
First Free State Legislative Assembly of the Kansas Territory
In 1857, Lecompton went from being known as the Proslavery Capital to the Free State Capital of the Kansas Territory with the defeat of the Proslavery Party by Kansas voters. Victorious Free State legislators triumphantly march into Lecompton, accompanied by a raucous free state mob, to celebrate their victory at Constitution Hall with a special session of the first Free … Read More