John Brown Museum (Osawatomie, Kansas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John Brown Cabin
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 Location in Kansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | John Brown Memorial Park, Osawatomie, Kansas |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1855 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000319 |
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1971 |
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The John Brown Museum is also known as the John Brown Museum State Historic Site or John Brown Cabin. You can find it in Osawatomie, Kansas. The Kansas Historical Society runs this important place.
The site includes a log cabin that belonged to Reverend Samuel Adair and his wife, Florella. Florella was the half-sister of a famous abolitionist named John Brown. John Brown lived in this cabin for about twenty months while he was in Kansas. He used it as a base for many of his activities against slavery. The museum shows the story of John Brown, the Adair family, and other local people who fought against slavery. It has the original cabin, furniture from the Adair family, and items from the American Civil War.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of the Cabin
Settling Kansas: A New Beginning
When Kansas Territory was created in 1854, newspapers in the northern states encouraged people to move there. They wanted to make sure Kansas would become a free state, meaning slavery would not be allowed. The land also offered a fresh start for families. They could farm the rich land and enjoy a peaceful life. They also wanted to protect the territory from slavery spreading.
Samuel and Florella Brown Adair hoped for this kind of life. Florella's father, Owen Brown, was also the father of John Brown. Owen was a very strict Calvinist and a leader at Oberlin College. John Brown's mother died in 1808. His father then married Sally Root, and Florella was one of their children.
Oberlin College and the Move West
Both Samuel and Florella went to Oberlin College in Ohio. Oberlin was a special college because it allowed both men and women, and people of all races, to study together. Samuel finished his studies to become a minister. After they got married, they moved west. Samuel wanted to become a minister in Osawatomie, Kansas Territory.
Five of John Brown's sons followed the Adairs to Kansas. They faced many difficulties, including sickness and the violence of Bleeding Kansas. John Brown came to Kansas to help his sons. He didn't plan to stay forever. But in Kansas, he found people who shared his strong feelings against slavery. These abolitionists fought against the pro-slavery government. They often battled people from Missouri who came into Kansas to support slavery.
The Attack on Osawatomie
Osawatomie was close to the Missouri border. Pro-slavery forces attacked and burned the town on August 30, 1856. The Adair Cabin, which the family had bought in 1854, survived the attack.
The Adairs faced many challenges in Kansas. Reverend Adair worked hard to build his church. It was the first church in Osawatomie and the third Congregational church in Kansas. He used local walnut wood and stone for the building. The church was officially opened on July 14, 1861, and it is still standing today.
Florella also had a very tough life. Living in a log cabin was a big change for a college-educated woman. She had to learn to live without many things she was used to.
Life During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, Samuel Adair went to Fort Leavenworth. He served there as a military chaplain, helping soldiers. Florella took over his duties at home. Later, she became ill and joined Samuel in Leavenworth. She passed away in 1865.
After Florella's death, Samuel returned to Osawatomie. He helped start the first mental hospital in Kansas, which is now called Osawatomie State Hospital. He volunteered there as a chaplain for 11 years. Samuel died in 1898. He left the cabin to his son, Charles Storrs Adair.
The Adair Cabin: A Place of History
The Adairs' home was a simple log cabin, typical for the frontier. It had a fireplace used for warmth and cooking. People believe that a room in the back of the cabin was used to hide enslaved people who were escaping to freedom. John Brown's son, Frederick, died nearby. He was the first person to die in the Battle of Osawatomie. Because of his actions in this area, John Brown became known as "Old Osawatomie Brown." Brown stayed in the cabin with the Adairs from time to time.
In 1911, the Kansas government named the battleground area John Brown Memorial Park. They also moved the cabin to its current spot in the park. A stone building was built around the cabin in 1928 to protect it. Since 1963, the Kansas Historical Society has managed the site.
John Brown's Statue
A statue of John Brown was added to the park in 1935. It was created by George Fite Waters. The Women's Relief Corps, a group from Kansas, helped pay for the statue.
See also
- John Brown Farm State Historic Site, in upstate New York, a U.S. National Historic Landmark
- John Brown Farm, Tannery & Museum, in Pennsylvania
