Osawatomie City Manager, Mike Scanlon, recently drew out his vision for a completely revitalized Osawatomie Downtown District that includes a plan for a new library and visitors center, all inside existing City owned building in the 500 block of Main Street. He also has a plan to get Osawatomie earmarked as a designation as a National Park to obtain Federal funding, calling it John Brown National Historic Park. He says Harpers Ferry is such a site and he believes Osawatomie is more important that Harper’s Ferry, in American history. With that National designation, Scanlon says the city could better promote tourism and cement Osawatomie’s reputation as the Home of John Brown and a key location during the “Bleeding Kansas Era”.
The cost of renovating the Masonic Lodge Building and the other building for a library and visitors center is just over $5 million.
