When John Brown was executed for his raid on Harpers Ferry, in an attempt to arm slaves in the area for an uprising, 160 years ago, his legacy had already begun, at least on a regional level. He is most remembered around here for sacking three Missouri farms, killing the slaveholders and then attempting to get the slaves North to Canada. That story is told dramatically different on the rail from Missouri to Ontario. Tonight, Ottawa University Professor Ryan Lewis will give a presentation on different versions of the story go. Franklin County Historical Society Director Dianna Saracenic Deane says the name John Brown stirs people up to this day.
The presentation tonight is entitled “Commemorating John Brown, Hero, Villain, or Neither,” it will be at Neosho County Community College at 7. It’s free and you are invited to attend and learn more about this captivating historical figure from our area.
