The historic Eldridge Hotel has been intertwined with the political history of Lawrence KS since the mid 1850s. This hotel was burned to the ground twice during the "Bleeding Kansas" era, and sacked by Quantrill's raiders on 21 Aug 1863.
First, from the Legends of America website, some history of the Eldridge Hotel: (
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Prior to the Civil War, Lawrence lay in the midst of the vicious Missouri/Kansas Border War and this old hotel was burned down twice in the mid 1800s.
The original hotel, called the Free State Hotel, was built in 1855 by settlers from the New England Emigrant Aid Society. It was named the Free State Hotel to make clear the intent of those early settlers -- which was that Kansas should come into the Union as a free state. The Free State Hotel was intended as temporary quarters for those settlers waiting for their homes to be built.
On January 3, 1855, Colonel Shalor Eldridge arrived in Kansas City from New England where he purchased the American House, which General Pomeroy had bought for the Emigrant Aid Society.
This house was the headquarters of the Free-State men. In early 1856, Shalor leased the Free State Hotel at Lawrence, equipping it as a first-class hotel.
But, just months later on May 21, 1856 the hotel was attacked and destroyed by Sheriff Samuel J. Jones and his posse. Jones, leading a group of pro-slavery forces, aimed a cannon at the hotel and burnt it to the ground.
In 1857, Colonel Eldridge, along with his brothers Edsin, Thomas and James re-erected the hotel at a cost of $80,000, vowing that it would be rebuilt again if it was destroyed.
Perhaps his statement was a prediction, as the hotel was again destroyed in 1863 when it was attacked by Quantrill and his raiders.
William Clarke Quantrill, an Ohio native, had joined the Confederate forces several years prior but was unhappy with their reluctance in aggressively prosecuting Union troops. Therefore, the young man took it upon himself to take a more aggressive course with his own-guerilla warfare.
In 1862, Quantrill began his infamous raiding career in western Missouri and then across the border into Kansas by plundering the towns of Olathe, Spring Hill and Shawnee. His raids gained the attention of other desperados.
By 1863, Quantrill recruited others who joined his company including "Bloody” Bill Anderson and the James brothers. In the summer of 1863 they set their sites on Lawrence, Kansas - the site of their most infamous destruction.
Early on the morning of August 21, 1863, Quantrill along with his murderous force of about 400, descended on the still sleeping town of Lawrence. Incensed by the Free-State headquarters town, Quantrill set out on his revenge against the Jayhawker community. In this carefully orchestrated early morning raid he and his band, in four terrible hours, turned the town into a bloody and blazing inferno unparallel in its brutality. Quantrill and his bushwhacker mob of raiders began their reign of terror at 5:00 a.m., looting and burning as they went, bent on total destruction of the town, then less than 3,000 residents. By the time it was over, they had killed approximately 180 men and boys, and left Lawrence nothing more than smoldering ruins.
The proud City of Lawrence was determined to rebuild and quickly adopted the motto "from ashes to immortality.” Using an original cornerstone from the burned hotel, Colonel Eldridge promptly rebuilt the hotel, which opened again in 1865 with a new name -- The Hotel Eldridge.
In 1867, Colonel Eldridge built the Broadway House in Kansas City, now known as the Coates house. In 1877, he built the Eldridge house at Coffeyville and the next year the Otis House in Atchison. Colonel Eldridge died January 16, 1899 in Lawrence at the age of 82.
For the next several decades the Eldridge Hotel stood as one of the finest hotels west of the Mississippi River and continued to play an important role in the early development of Lawrence and the State of Kansas. But by 1925, the hotel had begun to deteriorate, when a group of Lawrence business leaders decided that due to the hotel’s importance to the city, that it should be torn down and rebuilt to its former dignity and elegance. The community stepped forth to insure the success of the undertaking and the hotel again displayed its former splendor.
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The hotel is located at the corner of Massachusetts and 7th streets in downtown Lawrence, Kansas." [end]
Ane now, the news article: a blood-chilling near first-hand account by reporters from nearby Leavenworth KS, who arrived in Lawrence 4 days after the raid to write the bloody story for the nation: (
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"LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, August 24
The CONSERVATIVE publishes the following account of the Lawrence massacre from one of its editors, just returned from the ruins:
We arrived in Lawrence at seven o'clock. Flying rumors had painted a terrible picture, but the reality exceeded the report. We found Massachusetts Street one mass of smoldering ruins and crumbling walls, the light from which cast a sickening glare upon the crowds of excited men and distracted women gazing upon the ruins of their once happy homes and prosperous business.
Only two business houses were left upon this street, one known as the Armory, and the other the Old Mill block. About twenty-five houses in all were burned, and only one or two escaped being ransacked and everything of value carried away or destroyed.
Six or eight soldiers camped upon this side of the river, and who fired across at every rebel who appeared upon the bank, deterred the cowards from destroying some of the houses near the ferry, and from outting down the flag pole.
The force of the rebels is variously estimated at from two hundred and fifty to four hundred. Reliable parties place it at three hundred. Their every net during their stay in the city was characterised by the most cowardly barbarity. They entered the town on the gallop, firing into every house, and when the occupants appeared at the door they were shot down like dogs. Five bodies were burned to a crisp, and lay near the Eldridge House. They could not be recognized.
Eighteen out of twenty two unarmed colored recruits camped south of town, were murdered in their tents. Their bodies lay in the colored church when we arrived.
Messrs. Trask and Dr. Griswold, Baker and Thorp were shot down in the yard of Dr. G. before the eyes of their families. Judge Carpenter was wounded in his yard and fell, when his wife and sister threw themselves upon his body begging for mercy, but to no avail. The fiends dismounted, struck their pistols between the persons of his protectors and fired.
A Miss Stone, daughter of the proprietor of the City Hotel, had a diamond ring stolen from her finger. Quantrill obliged the man to restore it. In revenge for this the ruffians afterward came back and shot her father before her mother's eyes. They also tried to kill Miss Stone.
General Collamore went into his well to hide, and the bad air killed him. His son and Patrick Knafe lost their lives trying to get the father out. The life of District Attorney Tiggs was saved by the heroism of his wife, who seized the bridle of the rebel's horse who attempted to shoot him as he ran.
Several cases of remarkable bravery of women were related to us.
The wife of Sheriff Brown, three successive times, put out the fire kindled to burn the house. Her husband was hidden under the floor. The house was saved by her heroism.
The offices of the JOURNAL, TRIBUNE, AND REPUBLICAN were of course leveled to the ground. JNO SPEER, JR, of the Tribune, started for his home from the office after the rebels came in. Mr. Murdock, a printer in the office, tried to induce him to accompany him into a well near by, for safety; but he would do nothing but go home to defend the house; which he did, and was killed. Murdock went into the well and was saved.
A younger son of JOHN SPEER, SR, killed a rebel and left.
The guests at the Eldridge House were ordered out, their rooms pillaged, and some of the people shot. Two men from Ohio were wounded there and are now in this city. Only the presence and preremptory orders of Quantrill prevented the massacre of the occupants.
After they had been marched about on the streets, the rebels were told there was a negro baby in the house. They said: "We will burn the G-- d--d little brat up." And they did. We saw the charred remains, burned as black as the hearts of its murderers.
The books of the county and district clerks were burned, but those of the register of deeds were in the safe, and are supposed to have been saved. Every safe in the city but two were robbed. In the Eldridge store, James Eldridge and James Perrine gave the rebels all the money in the safe, and were immediately shot down. All the hotels were destroyed, except the City Hotel. The loss in cash is estimated at $250,000, and on property and all at two million dollars. This is a low enough estimate.
The number of bodies, up to the time we left, was 113, of which about twenty were so badly burnt as to render recognition impossible. (ONE OF WHICH WAS ROBERT SPEER WHOSE BODY WAS NEVER FOUND) There were a number of strangers in town, and when the entire loss is ascertained, we think it will reach 150 killed. Many were doubtless killed by the rebel pickets in the bush.
The people have not yet recovered from the terrible blow sufficiently to appreciate the full force of their devastation, and when they do recover from their shock, many more will be doubtless missing.
We have seen battle-fields and scenes of carnage and bloodshed, but have never witnessed a spectacle so horrifying as that scene among the smoldering ruins at Lawrence. No fighting, no resistance, but cold blooded murder was there.
The fiends finished their murderous work in nearly every case. A few negroes were killed, but did not ascertain their names.
Major Plumb was at Blue Mound, five miles east of Lawrence, when Quantrell left town. He failed to aid Lane. Report says Plumb's men denounced him for declining to attack Quantrell who offered him battle.
At one point near Ottawa, Lane headed off Quantrell. The rebels turned and charged on Plumb, and drove him for about a mile.
Ewing had a telegraph from his adjutant at Kansas City the night before the attack on Lawrence, but did not leave here until 2 o'clock p.m. the next day. He then went to De Soto Ferry, about twenty miles south of this place and twenty miles east of Lawrence. At noon of Saturday he was only ten miles south of De Soto. He ought to have taken the steamer Emelie, which was at our levee, and then leaving at the later hour he did, he could have overtaken Quantrell, and with 300 fresh men and horses he could have captured him.
This awful loss of life and property is universally attributed to the incompetency and inability of Schofield and Ewing.
We were promised security to our lives and property. Our people have been murdered and our property destroyed.
Will the Government protect us, or permit us to protect ourselves?
The telegraph dispatches to the Associated Press have been mutilated, and the military authorities dare not let the truth be told.
Our citizens have sent to Lawrence a long train, taking provisions and clothing. $20,000 has been subscribed by our people for the immediate relief of the sufferers who were left without clothing or food.
Persons just from Lawrence report that the number of dead will reach one hundred and seventy, perhaps two hundred, as bodies are constantly being found.
The excitement throughout the State is intense, and our citizens unamiously regard the Lawrence massacre as the legitimate result of the Schofield-Ewing policy in Missouri and Kansas.
When last heard from General Lane was at Heckman's Mills, in Missouri, with his half-clothed, half armed men in pursuit. He attacked Quantrell about ten miles south of Lawrence, and kept up a running fight with him to Missouri, killing up to his time nineteen of the rebels." [end]