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Additional buildings were added over the years
and by the turn of the century it included dormitories for employees,
shops, an electric power plant, ice house, bakery, laundry, barns,
greenhouses and a reservoir. In 1912, it could serve more than 1,000
patients. My the mid 20th Century, newspapers began to run report on the
deplorable conditions of of state run hospitals which included neglect,
brutality, overcrowded facilities, and the use of restraints. Soon, the
Governor and the legislature acted and reform began that included new
facilities and training programs for staff.
A “rehabilitation center,” which included a
swimming pool, well-equipped auditorium, and a modern gymnasium was completed in
1963. Sadly, the main building was razed in 2002, but several other historic
buildings continue to stand. On the outskirts of the property sits a sad little
cemetery, where no names are contained on the tombstones -- only numbers. The
hospital is much smaller today, serving only 176 patients. We have read reports
that the grounds are allegedly haunted and were not surprised. However, we could find no
detailed reports of activity.
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It's been a few years since this old building has
been used,
Kathy Weiser, May, 2010.
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Railroads arrived in the early 1870’s, at which time the
town prospered as a shipping point for the rich agricultural country
surrounding it. The town gained another newspaper, called The Osawatomie
Times in 1881, but it was only published for a year. That same year, the
Methodist Church congregation built the second church in the community. By
the early 1880’s, the town had a stone schoolhouse, two general stores,
two grocery stores, two hardware stores, a drug store, furniture store,
lumber yard, two hotels, three blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, and about
600 inhabitants.
By the early 1900s, the town had once again gained
newspapers, including the Graphic and Globe, both weeklies. A
larger school building was constructed in 1906. By 1910, the town boasted
more than 4,000 people.
Over the next century, though
Osawatomie moved into
the future, it always maintained its small town atmosphere and agricultural
economic base, as well as holding tightly to its rich history. Today, this
community of about 4,600 people provides a number of historic sites for
visitors.
 Commemorating the
Kansas-Missouri Border War
and
John Brown
is the 1877 Soldiers Monument, erected to honor the five men killed in the
Battle of
Osawatomie, located at 9th & Main Street.
At the
John Brown
Memorial Park and State Historic Site, situated on the land where the
Battle of
Osawatomie took place, is the old Adair Cabin, which serves as a museum today.
The site is located at 10th and Main Street.
The Railroad Depot Museum, located
at 628 Main Street, commemorates Osawatomie’s history as a railroad center.
Several other historic buildings and bridges can be seen throughout the town on
a Driving Tour of the city.
More Information:
City of Osawatomie
439
Main Street
Osawatomie, Kansas 66064
913-755-2146
©
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of Kansas, May, 2010.
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LEGENDS
OF KANSAS
