Clinton is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

on a peninsula next to Clinton Lake in

Douglas County, Kansas Douglas County (county code DG) is located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 118,785, making it the fifth-most populous county in Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Lawrence. Histo ...

, United States.

History

Bloomington

The community of Bloomington was settled in June 1854 but was not called as such until April 1855 when Harrison Burson applied to the U.S. Government for a post office. Within eight months of the area being settled some 530 settlers were in the area that would become Bloomington-Clinton. The people of Bloomington were greatly anti-slavery and helped slaves escape through the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

. In early 1857, the north half of Bloomington was moved to a new location and the south portion of the community was renamed Winchester.

Winchester

Winchester was named after a city in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

as was Bloomington. Later in the year Bloomington acted to become an incorporated city with Winchester following suit four days later. Winchester was incorporated on February 20, 1857, under the name of Clinton. The present name is after

Clinton, Illinois Clinton is the largest city in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,225 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County. The city and the county are named for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York, 1817–1823 ...

Clinton

Clinton and Bloomington quickly became rivals since they were only separated by about three miles. Bloomington started losing ground in 1858 when on August 30, the post office was moved to Clinton. Within the first five years of existence, Clinton constructed two schoolhouses, two churches and a town hall. In 1869, the Clinton Cemetery was established on land already used for a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

and is considered one of the oldest burial grounds in Douglas County. Wakarusa Valley Museum

The Lawrence & Emporia Railroad was constructed through Bloomington and Clinton in 1873 but its route was soon rendered redundant by larger competing railroads and it was abandoned by 1894. In 1876, most of Bloomington had reverted into farmland and was considered vacated. The post office in Clinton closed in 1927. Starting in the mid-1960s, land was purchased for the construction of Clinton Lake and the entire town of Bloomington was bulldozed leaving only the J.C. Steele house and a milk shed standing. The house was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1979, but was later razed, leaving only the foundations and the stairs. The shed still stands as the Clinton Lake Museum near Bloomington Beach in the Bloomington Recreation Area.

Bleeding Kansas

In August 1856, the

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

supply route was cut off and the townspeople were forced to travel to

Lecompton Lecompton (pronounced ) is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 588. Lecompton was the ''de jure'' territorial capital of Kansas from 1855 to 1861, and the Douglas County seat f ...

which was strongly pro-slavery. Henry Hiatt and several other people were taken prisoner and fifty proslavery ruffians began marching to Bloomington. A team of 400 or 800 men marched toward Lecompton and although a confrontation was avoided it resulted in the looting and burning of Colonel Henry T. Titus home (known as the

Battle of Fort Titus The Battle of Fort Titus was a battle that occurred during conflicts in the Kansas Territory between abolitionist and pro-slavery militias prior to the American Civil War. The era is known as Bleeding Kansas. Background Fort Titus was built a ...

). A splinter group from

William Quantrill William Clarke Quantrill (July 31, 1837 – June 6, 1865) was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. Having endured a tempestuous childhood before later becoming a schoolteacher, Quantrill joined a group of bandits who ...

's raid on Lawrence in 1863 rode through Bloomington but caused more damage and harm when passing through Lone Star which is about five miles south of Clinton.

Education

The community is served by

Lawrence USD 497 Lawrence USD 497 is a public unified school district headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Lawrence, Clinton, Pleasant Grove, and nearby rural areas. It was organized in 1965 and currently ...

public school district.

References

External links

History of Clinton
* Douglas County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT {{Authority control Unincorporated communities in Douglas County, Kansas Unincorporated communities in Kansas Populated places on the Underground Railroad 1857 establishments in Kansas Territory