John Brown, ca. 1856-1858. Photo courtesy Franklin County Historical Society.

OTTAWA, Kan. -The Pottawatomie Massacre was over in a matter of hours, but its effects rippled throughout the world long after. Grady Atwater, site administrator for the John Brown State Historic Site, will present “John Brown and Lane, Kansas,” as part of the 86th annual meeting of the members of the Franklin County Historical Society, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. This year’s meeting will be available both in person at the FCHS Archives and Research Center, 2011 E. Logan St., Ottawa, Kan., and online via Zoom and Facebook Live.

Atwater holds a Master of Arts in History from Emporia State University and wrote his master’s thesis on John Brown, titled “John Brown, Religion and Violence, Motivation in American History.” Atwater also writes “History and Heritage,” a weekly column in the Miami County Republic. During his program, Atwater will present the story of John Brown’s raid against proslavery settlers near present-day Lane and establish the event’s national and international historic importance.

The Jan. 29 meeting will open at 2 p.m. with a review of 2022 and preview of 2023, with a short intermission before Atwater’s presentation, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. Online attendees may participate via Zoom (registration required) or watch via Facebook Live (no registration required). For more information, see www.olddepotmuseum.org, call 785-242-1232 or e-mail director@olddepotmuseum.org.

Information thanks to Franklin County Historical Society.