Judge Wakefield's house facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Judge Wakefield's house |
|
|---|---|
| Kanwaka Township, Douglas County, Kansas | |
| Coordinates | 38°57′49″N 95°26′11″W / 38.9637°N 95.4363°W |
| Type | fortified house during Bleeding Kansas era |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | John A. Wakefield |
| Site history | |
| Built | summer 1854 |
| In use | summer 1854 to September 1, 1856 |
| Materials | wood, sod |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | sometimes free-state partisans |
John Allen Wakefield and his family were among the first people to settle in the new Kansas Territory. They were known as "free-staters," meaning they believed Kansas should be a free state where slavery was not allowed. They arrived in western Douglas County, Kansas, in July 1854. This was just one month after the territory was opened for settlement.
The family built a large log house to live in. It had six rooms and was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of Lawrence, Kansas, a town that supported the free-state cause. To protect themselves, the family added small openings called "loop holes" in the sides of the house, which could be used for guns.
Contents
A Home in a New Land
Building a Strong Home
When a local court called the Squatters' Court was set up on August 26, 1854, Wakefield became its justice. Because of this job, people started calling him Judge Wakefield. He handled legal cases for both people who wanted slavery and those who didn't. For a while, until the spring of 1856, both groups generally got along without much trouble.
Judge Wakefield's Role
In the spring of 1856, things started to change. People who supported slavery began to watch Judge Wakefield's house. They even had men assigned to keep an eye on it. By August 1856, serious fighting broke out between the free-state supporters and the slavery supporters in eastern Kansas. Sometimes, free-state fighters would stay at Judge Wakefield's house for safety.
The Fight for Kansas
Tensions Rise
Early in the morning on August 16, 1856, slavery supporters, including a man named Henry T. Titus, attacked the fortified house. But they couldn't capture it. Later that same day, free-state fighters attacked and destroyed the fortified home of Titus, which was known as Fort Titus.
Attacks and Defenses
The slavery supporters wanted to get back at the free-state fighters for their recent losses in August. Not only had Fort Titus been taken, but also other forts like New Georgia's fort, Franklin's Fort, and Fort Saunders. All of these had been captured by the free-state side.
The House is Burned
A Sad Loss
As a result, on the night of September 1, 1856, the slavery supporters burned down six houses and one other building. Judge Wakefield's house was one of them. The Wakefield family lost everything they owned in the fire.
Life After the Conflict
Later, a new house and some farm buildings were built at the same spot. Judge Wakefield continued to live there until he passed away in June 1873.
