OTTAWA — Wednesday is the 150th anniversary of Confederate border raider William C. Quantrill’s attack on Lawrence. Quantrill’s Missouri raiders killed about 200 men and boys were killed in the raid and much of Lawrence was destroyed. After the raid, the Missouri raiders went through Franklin and Miami counties to escape vengeful Kansas forces, Deborah Barker, Franklin County Historical Society executive director, said. She and John Nichols, also of the historical society, gave a presentation on Quantrill’s flight at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, which is holding several commemorative events to mark the infamous attack. The Franklin County Historical Society will stage a special “Readers’ Theater” about the raid 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Neosho County Community College auditorium at the Ottawa campus. Using a “radio play” format, readers will portray observations and comments from people who were involved in the raid, Barker said. The public is welcome. Refreshments will be served. The readers’ theater is being tried for the first time, and if it’s successful, there will be other performances covering other periods of history, Barker said.
Monday, Aug. 19, 5 p.m.
