259:
Wakefield became the justice of the
Squatters' Court, when it was organized August 26, 1854. Because of his position, he was thereafter known as Judge Wakefield. He tried cases involving both northern and southern settlers and until spring 1856 both groups got along without much trouble. That spring
260:
southern partisans in the area began a picket of men assigned to watch the house. In August 1856 much trouble erupted between the free-state men and the southern men in eastern Kansas. Free-state men at times garrisoned Judge
Wakefield's house. At 2 A.M. on August 16 southern partisans, including
252:, in July 1854, one month after the territory was opened to settlement. They built a large log house to serve primarily as their living quarters. It had six rooms and was 6 miles (9.7 km) west of the free-state stronghold of
287:
were all taken by free-state partisans. On the night of
September 1, 1856, the southerners burned six houses and one other building, including Judge Wakefield's house. The family lost all their possessions.
307:
W. H. T. Wakefield, "Early
History of Kanwaka Township," unpublished address delivered in western Douglas County, July 4, 1876, pp. 1, 9 (from the Manuscript Div. of the Kansas Historical Society, Topeka,
375:
160:
380:
153:
264:, attacked the fortress home, but they were unable to take it. Later that day free-state men attacked and destroy the fortress home of Titus, called
146:
291:
Later another house and some farm buildings were constructed at the site. Judge
Wakefield lived there until his death in June 1873.
39:
184:
204:
229:
385:
370:
249:
26:
199:
276:
272:
241:
224:
219:
209:
194:
317:
John Lawrie, letter to Arthur Lawrie, April 16, 1857, in "Letters on the War in Kansas in 1856,"
280:
214:
271:
The southern partisans sought retaliation for their string of defeats in August, when not only
253:
245:
170:
75:
261:
364:
321:, November 1941, Vol. 10, No. 4, p. 376, online in the Kansas Collection website, at
284:
322:
256:. For protection the family built loop holes for guns into the sides of the house.
189:
338:
265:
54:
41:
244:
and his family was one of the first settlers to come to the newly created
138:
337:(Philadelphia: Charles C. Rhodes, 1857), chapter XVI, on line at
142:
129:
124:
116:
108:
100:
95:
87:
82:
70:
33:
18:
376:Buildings and structures in Douglas County, Kansas
323:http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1941/41_4_gibbens.htm
339:http://www.kancoll.org/books/gihon/g_chap16.htm
154:
8:
161:
147:
139:
15:
248:. Free soilers, they arrived in western
381:1854 establishments in Kansas Territory
300:
7:
14:
112:summer 1854 to September 1, 1856
133:sometimes free-state partisans
1:
352:Lawrence Daily Journal-World
319:Kansas Historical Quarterly
402:
180:
23:
74:fortified house during
19:Judge Wakefield's house
354:, June 19, 1928, p. 4.
250:Douglas County, Kansas
27:Douglas County, Kansas
350:"John A. Wakefield,"
333:John H. Gihon, M.D.,
242:John Allen Wakefield
125:Garrison information
55:38.9637°N 95.4363°W
51: /
277:New Georgia's fort
88:Controlled by
25:Kanwaka Township,
238:
237:
230:Marais des Cygnes
137:
136:
91:John A. Wakefield
60:38.9637; -95.4363
393:
355:
348:
342:
335:Geary and Kansas
331:
325:
315:
309:
305:
254:Lawrence, Kansas
246:Kansas Territory
175:
173:
163:
156:
149:
140:
83:Site information
66:
65:
63:
62:
61:
56:
52:
49:
48:
47:
44:
29:
16:
401:
400:
396:
395:
394:
392:
391:
390:
386:Bleeding Kansas
371:Forts in Kansas
361:
360:
359:
358:
349:
345:
332:
328:
316:
312:
306:
302:
297:
281:Franklin's Fort
239:
234:
176:
172:Bleeding Kansas
171:
169:
167:
76:Bleeding Kansas
59:
57:
53:
50:
45:
42:
40:
38:
37:
24:
12:
11:
5:
399:
397:
389:
388:
383:
378:
373:
363:
362:
357:
356:
343:
326:
310:
299:
298:
296:
293:
262:Henry T. Titus
236:
235:
233:
232:
227:
222:
217:
212:
207:
202:
197:
192:
187:
185:1855 elections
181:
178:
177:
168:
166:
165:
158:
151:
143:
135:
134:
131:
127:
126:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
110:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
80:
79:
72:
68:
67:
35:
31:
30:
21:
20:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
398:
387:
384:
382:
379:
377:
374:
372:
369:
368:
366:
353:
347:
344:
340:
336:
330:
327:
324:
320:
314:
311:
304:
301:
294:
292:
289:
286:
285:Fort Saunders
282:
278:
274:
269:
267:
263:
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
231:
228:
226:
223:
221:
218:
216:
213:
211:
208:
206:
203:
201:
198:
196:
193:
191:
188:
186:
183:
182:
179:
174:
164:
159:
157:
152:
150:
145:
144:
141:
132:
128:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
94:
90:
86:
81:
77:
73:
69:
64:
36:
32:
28:
22:
17:
351:
346:
334:
329:
318:
313:
303:
290:
270:
258:
240:
200:Pottawatomie
190:Wakarusa War
96:Site history
109:In use
104:summer 1854
58: /
34:Coordinates
365:Categories
295:References
273:Fort Titus
266:Fort Titus
225:Osawatomie
220:Fort Titus
210:Black Jack
46:95°26′11″W
43:38°57′49″N
120:wood, sod
117:Materials
215:Franklin
195:Lawrence
130:Garrison
308:Kans.).
275:, but
205:Spurs
101:Built
283:and
71:Type
78:era
367::
279:,
268:.
341:.
162:e
155:t
148:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.