Lawrence, Kansas

Lawrence is a city and the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, in the United States, and the sixth largest city in the state. It lies in the northeastern part of Kansas, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas and Wakarusa rivers. It is a college town with a large student population, being home to both the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. Lawrence was founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company and named for Amos A. Lawrence, an abolitionist from Massachusetts who gave financial support to the settlement. It was central to the Bleeding Kansas period, from 1854 to 1861, and was the site of the Wakarusa War, the Sacking of Lawrence and, during the American Civil War, the Lawrence massacre. Its economy later diversified into agriculture, manufacturing and education.