Editing Lawrence, Kansas (section)

===20th century and beyond===
[[File:Watkins Museum.JPG|thumb|Watkins Community Museum, once Watkins National Bank and Lawrence City Hall (2008)]]

In 1888, Watkins National Bank opened at 11th and Massachusetts. Founded by Jabez B. Watkins, the bank would last until 1929. Watkin's widow [[Elizabeth Watkins (philanthropist)|Elizabeth]], a philanthropist who also funded buildings for the University of Kansas and two local hospitals, donated the bank building to the city to use as a city hall.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-28 |title=LAWRENCE IN PERSPECTIVE: Elizabeth Watkins |url=https://lawrencebusinessmagazine.com/2018/09/28/lawrence-in-perspective-elizabeth-watkins/ |access-date=2023-11-12 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1970, the city built a new city hall and after extensive renovations, the bank reopened in 1975 as the [[Elizabeth M. Watkins Community Museum]].<ref name="Watkinsmuseum.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.watkinsmuseum.org/building.shtml |title=The Watkins Building &#124; Douglas County Kansas |website=WatkinsMuseum.org |date=April 14, 2011 |access-date=May 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710190620/http://www.watkinsmuseum.org/building.shtml |archive-date=July 10, 2017  }}</ref>

In 1903, the Kansas River flooded causing property damage in Lawrence, especially North Lawrence. The water got as high as 27 feet and water marks can still be seen on some buildings especially at TeePee Junction at the U.S. 24–40 intersection and at Burcham Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/flood-of-1903/17221 |title=Flood of 1903 – Kansapedia – Kansas Historical Society |website=KSHS.org |access-date=May 21, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="LawrenceDary">Dary, David. ''Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas: An Informal History''. Lawrence: Allen Press, 1981.</ref> Lawrence would be hit by other floods in 1951,<ref>{{cite web |first1=Kyle E.|last1=Juracek |first2=Charles A.|last2=Perry |first3=James E.|last3=Putnam |url=http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fact-sheets/fs.041-01.html |title=USGS – The 1951 Floods in Kansas Revisited |website=KS.Water.USGS.gov |access-date=May 21, 2012}}</ref> where the water rose over 30 feet,<ref name="LawrenceDary" /> and in 1993 but with the reservoir and levee system in place, Lawrence only had minimal damage compared to the other floods.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lawrenceks.org/pds/floodplain_hazard |title=The Local Flood Hazard &#124; City of Lawrence, KS – Planning & Development Services |website=LawrenceKS.org |access-date=May 21, 2012}}</ref>

Also in 1903, [[Theodore Roosevelt]] visited Lawrence on his way to [[Manhattan, Kansas|Manhattan]] where he gave a short speech and dedicated a fountain at 9th & New Hampshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lawrenceks.org/lprd/parks/southpark |title=South Park &#124; City of Lawrence, Kansas – Parks and Recreation |website=LawrenceKS.org |date=August 31, 1910 |access-date=May 21, 2012}}</ref> The fountain was later moved to South Park next to the gazebo. Roosevelt would visit Lawrence again in 1910 after visiting [[Osawatomie, Kansas|Osawatomie]] where he dedicated the [[John Brown Museum|John Brown State Historical Site]] and gave a speech on [[New Nationalism (Theodore Roosevelt)|New Nationalism]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-theodore-roosevelt-s-osawatomie-speech/13176 |title=Kansas Historical Quarterly – Theodore Roosevelt's Osawatomie Speech |publisher=Kansas Historical Society |website=KSHS.org |access-date=May 21, 2012 }}</ref>

In 1871, the Lawrence Street Railway Company opened and offered citizens easy access to hotels and businesses along [[Massachusetts Street]]. The first [[Tram|streetcar]] was pulled by horses and mules and the track just ran along Massachusetts Street. After the 1903 flood, the Kansas River bridge had to be rebuilt but was not considered safe for a streetcar to pass over. The Lawrence Street Railway Company closed later that year. In 1907, C.L. Rutter attempted to bring back a bus system, after having failed in 1902. In 1909, a new streetcar system was implemented putting Rutter out of business and lasting until 1935.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://history.lawrence.com/project/community/transportation/transportation.html |title=History of Lawrence, Kansas |website=History.Lawrence.com |access-date=May 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203215248/http://history.lawrence.com/project/community/transportation/transportation.html |archive-date=December 3, 2008 }}</ref> In 1909, the streetcar company created Casey's Coaster (also known as Daisy's Dozer), a wooden [[roller coaster]] which lasted from 1909 to the 1920s, in Woodland Park.<ref name="LJ-W roller coaster1">{{cite web |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/lawrence-daily-world-jul-09-1909-p-1/ |newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World |date=July 9, 1909 |title=Will Put Up Ferris Wheel |access-date=May 24, 2019 |page=1 }}</ref><ref name="LJWorld roller coaster">{{cite web |url=https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/mar/28/daisy-dozers-day-lore-surrounding-bygone-roller-co/ |title=The Daisy Dozer's Day |first=Phil |last=Cauthon |date=March 28, 2010 |access-date=May 24, 2019 }} Lawrence Journal-World, mentioning the coaster.</ref>

In 1921, [[Lawrence Memorial Hospital (Kansas)|Lawrence Memorial Hospital]] opened in the 300 block of Maine Street. It started with only 50 beds but by 1980, the hospital would expand to 200.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lmh.org/aboutus/history.jsp |title=Lawrence Memorial Hospital – History |website=LMH.org |access-date=May 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809054706/https://www.lmh.org/aboutus/history.jsp |archive-date=August 9, 2012 }}</ref>

In 1927, high school classes were offered at Haskell Institute. Haskell's Athletics were well-knock; they were known as the "Powerhouse of the West"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pember |first=Mary Annette |date=June 1, 2009 |title=Haskell Indian Nations University Commemorates 125th Anniversary, Recognized Painful History |url=http://diverseeducation.com/article/12608/ }}</ref> with victories over Oklahoma A&M, Kansas State, Texas, and Nebraska. The Olympian Jim Thorpe graduated from the program. The last high school class graduated in 1965, the school was transitioning to post-high school education. In 1970, the school became known as Haskell Indian Junior College, and in 1993, "Haskell Indian Nations University".

In 1929 Lawrence began celebrating its 75th anniversary. The city dedicated Founder's Rock, commonly referred to as the Shunganunga Boulder, a huge red boulder brought to Lawrence from near [[Tecumseh, Kansas|Tecumseh]]. The rock honors the two parties of the Emigrant Aid Society who first settled in Lawrence.<ref name="google">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19290919&id=Hn1YAAAAIBAJ&pg=6926,5251632|title=Lawrence Journal-World – Google News Archive Search|access-date=November 10, 2014}}</ref> Lawrence also dedicated the [[Lawrence Municipal Airport (Kansas)|Lawrence Municipal Airport]] on October 14.<ref name="LawrenceDary" />

[[File:Downtown Lawrence.JPG|thumb|The 900 block of Massachusetts Street (2008)]]
[[File:Lawrence, Kansas skyline 2018.jpg|thumb|Downtown Lawrence looking south. The University of Kansas is visible in the upper right on the hill (2018)]]

In 1943, the federal government transported German and Italian prisoners of [[World War II]] to Kansas and other Midwest states to work on farms and help solve the labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war effort. Large [[internment]] camps were established in Kansas: [[Camp Concordia]], Camp Funston (at [[Fort Riley]]), Camp Phillips (at [[Salina, Kansas|Salina]] under Fort Riley). Fort Riley established 12 smaller branch camps, including Lawrence.<ref>[http://www.gentracer.org/powcampsKS.html List of Prisoner Of War (POW) Camps in Kansas], Genealogy Tracer</ref> The camp in Lawrence was near 11th & Haskell Avenue near the railroad tracks. The camp would close by the end of 1945.

In 1947, Gilbert Francis and his son George opened Francis Sporting Goods downtown, selling mostly fishing and hunting gear. In November 2014, Francis Sporting Goods, announced its retail business within what had become Lawrence's Downtown [[Historic districts in the United States|Historic District]] would close by the end of the year, allowing the Francis family to focus on supplying uniforms and equipment to teams.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/town_talk/2014/nov/6/downtown-lawrence-retailer-of-67-years-t/ | title= Downtown Lawrence retailer of 67 years to close its doors |first=Chad |last=Lawhorn | date= November 6, 2014 | newspaper= [[Lawrence Journal-World]] | quote= Francis Sporting Goods is closing its downtown store after 67 years in business. The company is not going entirely out of business. Owner Jon Francis ...will solely focus on its team business, which sells uniforms and equipment to everybody from youth baseball teams to college football programs. |access-date= November 7, 2014 }}</ref>

In the early 1980s, Lawrence grabbed attention from the [[made-for-TV movie|television movie]] ''[[The Day After]]''. The TV movie first appeared on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] but was later shown in movie theaters around the world. The movie depicted what would happen if the United States were destroyed in a [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear war]]. The movie was filmed in Lawrence, and hundreds of local residents appeared in the film as extras and in speaking roles.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fallout from 'The Day After' |url= http://www.lawrence.com/news/2003/nov/19/fallout_from/|newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World|access-date=June 27, 2012 |first=Jon |last=Niccum |date=November 19, 2003}}</ref>

In 2020, a report commissioned by the Lawrence City Council concluded the city needed to promote a vital expansion or risk turning into an unaffordable albatross, saying "If Lawrence doesn't attract more kinds of businesses, it could become a bedroom community that’s not affordable for people who don't commute elsewhere."<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World |date=March 27, 2021 |first=Rochelle |last=Valverde |title=Consultants: If Lawrence doesn't diversify its economy, it could become unaffordable for many people |url=https://www2.ljworld.com/news/city-government/2020/nov/22/economic-analysis-finds-lawrence-under-threat-of-becoming-a-bedroom-community-unaffordable-for-non-commuters/ |access-date=March 27, 2021 }}</ref>