Editing Osawatomie, Kansas (section)

==History==
[[File:John Brown Museum-Osawatomie.JPG|thumb|[[John Brown Museum]] (2008)]]
[[File:Congregational Church (Old Stone Church).jpg|thumb|Historic Old Stone Church in Osawatomie (2020)]]
Osawatomie's name is a compound of two primary Native American tribes from the area, the [[Osage Nation|Osage]] and [[Pottawatomi]]e.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5zdAAQAAMAAJ | title=Biennial Report of the Board of Directors of the Kansas State Historical Society | publisher=Kansas State Printing Plant | author=Kansas State Historical Society | year=1916 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5zdAAQAAMAAJ/page/n347 240]}}</ref> The name was said to have been thought up by [[Ely Moore]], an [[Indian agent]] and former [[United States House of Representatives|Congressman]], in order to settle a dispute on what to call the new settlement.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Moore |first1=Ely Jr. |title=The Naming of Osawatomie, and Some Experiences with John Brown |journal=Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society |date=1912 |volume=XII |page=339 |url=https://archive.org/details/collectionsofkan12kans_0/page/n390/mode/1up |access-date=4 April 2025 |publisher=Kansas State Printing Office |location=Topeka}}</ref> The town is bordered by Pottawatomie Creek and the [[Marais des Cygnes River]] (part of the Osage River system), which are also named for the two tribes.<ref name="OSCTY">{{Cite web|url=http://www.osawatomieks.org/|title=History of Osawatomie|access-date=2009-11-16| publisher=City of Osawatomie}}</ref>

The [[New England Emigrant Aid Company|Emigrant Aid Society's]] transport of settlers to the [[Kansas Territory]] as a base for Free State settlers was key in the establishment of the community of Osawatomie in October 1854. Settled by [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionists]] in hope of aiding Kansas's entry to the United States as a free state, the community of Osawatomie and pro-slavery communities nearby was quickly the targets of violence by pro-enslavement forces such as [[Border ruffian|Border Ruffians.]]<ref name=MCVG9>"Miami County 2009 Visitors Guide", pages 8-10</ref>

In March 1855, abolitionists Reverend Samuel Adair and his wife Florella settled in a cabin near Osawatomie to serve as missionaries to the community. Florella's half-brother, [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]] came to [[Bleeding Kansas]] later the same year with a wagon of guns in order to help fight the pro slavery forces like his five sons, who were already living in another community in the area. Brown then came to Osawatomie to visit the Adairs and fight pro-slavery forces there. By 1856, having established himself as a leader of free state guerillas, Brown made Osawatomie and the Adair cabin his base. In a raid in May 1856, Brown killed five pro-slavery men along Pottawatomie Creek near the current town of [[Lane, Kansas]]. This was then referred to as the "[[Pottawatomie massacre]]", which inflamed the fighting throughout the Kansas Territory.<ref name=MCVG8>"Miami County 2008 Visitors Guide", pages 11-16</ref> The second and main [[Battle of Osawatomie]] took place on August 30, 1856. Osawatomie played a key role throughout the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], serving as a center for [[Jayhawker]] activity.<ref name="BLSKY">{{Cite web|url=http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/index.html/|title=Osawatomie - Cyclopedia 1912|access-date=2009-11-16| publisher=The KSGenWeb Project}}</ref>

By 1857, Osawatomie had grown to a town of 800 and in 1859 hosted the first convention of the Kansas Republican Party.<ref name="BLSKY"/> In recognition for Osawatomie's part in ensuring Kansas remained a free state, the Kansas Legislature established the [[Osawatomie State Hospital|Osawatomie State Mental Hospital]] in 1863, the first mental hospital west of the [[Mississippi River]]. It admitted its first patient in 1866, and is still operational.<ref name="MCVG9"/> By 1879, a railroad was built to serve Osawatomie, aiding its growth into a supply town and a main shipping point. As a result, Osawatomie grew to a population of 4,046 by 1910.<ref name="BLSKY"/> Osawatomie was a division point for the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad from 1879 to 1985.<ref name="MCVG8"/>

Osawatomie was chartered in 1883 and in 1890 became a second-class city. The commission form of government was adopted in 1914.{{citation needed|date=March 2011}}

===Battle of Osawatomie===
[[File:OsawatomieBattlefield.png|thumb|Osawatomie Battlefield (1910)]]
The first skirmish in Osawatomie took place on June 7, 1856. However, there was not much of a fight, and no blood was shed. The town's buildings were plundered, and some horses were taken.<ref name="BLSKY"/> The larger, and main conflict known as the Battle of Osawatomie began August 30, 1856 as John Brown was camped just north Osawatomie and looking east for pro-slavery forces. A pro-slavery force of 250, led by [[John William Reid]], came riding into Osawatomie from another direction. One of John Brown's sons Frederick Brown was walking to the Adair cabin at the time, and was shot. When Reverend Adair heard the shot, he sent his own son to warn and notify John Brown of the raid.<ref name="MCVG9"/> Brown and 31 of the free state guerillas took positions to attempt to defend Osawatomie. Heavy gunfire took place for over 45 minutes, until Brown and his men ran out of ammunition. They retreated hoping they would be chased, and the community of Osawatomie would be left alone. However, despite the attempts of Brown to get Reid's men to follow, they instead looted and burned Osawatomie. Only three buildings remained standing when it was over.<ref name="MCVG8"/>

===Presidential visits===
[[File:ObamaLeavingOsawatomieKansas06Dec2011.jpg|thumb|right|President Obama waved to Kansans after his economic speech in Osawatomie on December 6, 2011.]]
On August 31, 1910, President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] gave his famous [[New Nationalism (Theodore Roosevelt)|New Nationalism]] speech in Osawatomie. The central issue he argued was government protection of [[well-being|human welfare]] and [[property rights]].<ref>[http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/images/research/speeches/trnationalismspeech.pdf "The New Nationalism"], text of Theodore Roosevelt's August 31, 1910 speech in Osawatomie, Kansas</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.kshs.org/publicat/khq/1966/66_2_laforte.htm |title=Theodore Roosevelt's Osawatomie Speech |first=Robert S. |last=La Forte |journal=Kansas Historical Quarterly |date=Summer 1966 |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=187–200}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20031019121849/http://kancoll.org/khq/1966/66_2_laforte.htm online]</ref>

On December 6, 2011, President [[Barack Obama]] gave an economic speech reprising many of Roosevelt's themes at [[Osawatomie High School]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-text-obama-speech-kansas-20111206,0,4426647.story  | title = Full text of President Obama's economic speech in Kansas | newspaper = Los Angeles Times | date = December 6, 2011}}</ref>