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A tour of sites connected to Lucy Sweet Sullivan, mayor of Baldwin City in 1889

John and Lucy Sullivan moved to Baldwin City in 1876. They had been married for more than twenty years and had raised eight children by that time. John, a Methodist pastor, had moved his family at least four times since their arrival in Kansas in 1870. This was typical for Methodists; the church had a long tradition of itinerant, or changing, appointments for their ministers. By 1876, however, the Sullivan children were ready to attend college, and Lucy’s brother, WilliamHenry Sweet, was a professor at Baker University. This likely influenced their decision to settle in Baldwin City. In 1879, Lucy and John Sullivan purchased the house once located here from Elijah Sells, an agent to the Osage tribe for the Department of the Interior, for $1600. It was a two-story frame house with a large covered porch and lawn. A barn and well were also located on the property.The Sullivans became prominent citizens of Baldwin City. William Henry Sweet was appointed president of Baker in 1879, and with so many family ties to the university, the Sullivans were active in local events. No dormitories existed on Baker’s campus at this time, and local home owners, including the Sullivans, often rented rooms to students. The Sullivan home would have been the center of many social activities for these reasons, and “Uncle John” and “Aunt Lucy,” as they were called, were happy to be involved in local life.In 1907, Lucy passed away and left Sullivan House to Baker University; after that, it was used for several different purposes. In 1909, the local Y.M.C.A. was housed there, and during the influenza pandemic in 1919, the building became Baker University’s first infirmary. Later, Sullivan House would become the residence for Baker’s presidents, until the present-day residence, Collins House, was built in 1950. Sullivan House was eventually sold to private owners and moved from this location to another site east of Baldwin City.

Welcome to Sullivan Square, named for Lucy Sweet Sullivan, Baldwin City's first woman mayor in 1889. Lucy lived in a grand old house on this site, along with her husband and family, for most of her years in Baldwin City. The Sullivan house and property became a center for many social and civic activities in the community. Today, Sullivan Square is a city park and events space. Learn more about the mural benches featured around the park here: https://www.lumberyardartscenter.org/baldwin-city-mural-program-overview/

Sullivan Square

In 1889, Lucy Sullivan became the first woman to be elected mayor of Baldwin City. Just two years earlier, women in Kansas had gained the right to vote in city elections. This led to a wave of female Kansas mayors, starting with Susanna Salter of Argonia, the first woman to serve as a mayor in the United States. Lucy was the third female mayor in Kansas, following Salter and Mary D. Lowman of Oskaloosa. Along with Lucy as mayor, Baldwin City became the next town after Oskaloosa to elect an entirely female city council in 1889. Baldwin City’s “Petticoat Council” was made up of Lucy, clerk Lillian Scott, treasurer Mrs. William Hyde, Cornelia Martin, Mrs. W.W. Stewart, and Mrs. Sewell Kidder. Lucy and the other councilwomen wanted to make getting around town easier, so they passed laws improving Baldwin City’s streets and sidewalks. The most well-known of these is this bridge. At the time, people made fun of the councilwomen for this, saying they were only doing it to keep their skirts out of the mud. Years later, however, some people remembered how difficult it was to climb the muddy banks of the stream before the bridge was built and were grateful for the convenience it provided. Today, the Women’s Bridge remains as a tribute to Lucy Sullivan and the other women on the 1889 city council.

Lucy Sullivan, first female mayor of Baldwin City, was elected in 1889 along with an all female City Council. They worked to improve city roads and sidewalks during their time in office, including the construction of Women's Bridge. Civic improvement and beautification, and public safety were areas of emphasis for Lucy and her council.

Women's Bridge

Parmenter Hall was the second building to be constructed at Baker University, after Castle Hall. The cornerstone of Parmenter Hall was laid in June 1866 but classes were not held within until the building was partially finished in 1871. The crowning finish of the bell tower wasn't added until 1882. The stone building housed a laboratory and classrooms ("recitation rooms") in the basement in 1893, according to the Sanborn fire insurance map; the first floor contained a museum and classrooms. The second story in 1893 held a library and two "society halls," while the third floor served as a gymnasium. A third campus building, Centenary Hall, was built of brick and stood southeast by the 1890s; this no-longer-standing building housed classrooms in the basement and on the first floor, and a chapel on the second floor. The building was known as "Science Hall" by 1912, as seen on the Sanborn map. The basement contained the chemistry laboratory and the other floors held classrooms. Two more buildings had been added to campus by 1912: the Case Library (still standing and a Clio entry), and a former gymnasium near a pond at Sixth and Grove Streets, Taylor Hall. Baker University operates as a private university and offers undergraduate through doctoral degrees. Currently on the first floor of Parmenter Hall is the Lincoln Kemper Parlor; this served as a student lounge when Parmenter housed the campus student union after a 1938 remodel. The building was renamed after Professor Charles Sylvester Parmenter. The student union moved to Harter Union after that building was constructed. With growing enrollment after World War II, the first floor of Parmenter Hall was converted to a male dormitory. Parmenter Hall was renovated once again in 1977. The Department of History, Culture, and Society has offices in Parmenter Hall. Parmenter Hall now houses the Holt-Russell Gallery on its second floor, featuring art by student. local, national and international artists. It hosts an annual juried art show for students. Students work at the gallery to curate and prepare exhibits. Another exhibition displays photographs taken by Baker University students studying overseas: "Wildcats Abroad." An annual art competition invites artists from local high schools to exhibit and awards college scholarships for the Baker University studio art program. The second floor of Parmenter Hall used to be a dining room. The Darby-Hope Theater is on the third floor of Parmenter Hall. Named after comedian Bob Hope and U.S. Senator Harry Darby, the theater used to be the site of theatrical productions. Bob Hope donated funds from a benefit performance to renovate the theater. The third floor originally housed the campus chapel. The uppermost level, beneath the mansard roof, is called "Parmenter Loft" and contains some art department spaces. The tower was designed to hold a bell that has since been moved since it was deemed to be structurally damaging to the building. The "Old 10 O' Clock Bell" now rests between the Osborne Chapel (moved here from England, and rebuilt, stone by stone) and the Ivan L. Boyd Center for Collaborative Science Education.

Parmenter Hall's distinctive tower above its mansard roof makes this Baker University building easy to spot from Dearborn Street, tucked behind a modern campus building. Also known as Parmenter Memorial Hall, the building was constructed from 1865 to 1871. The building's claim to fame is that President Abraham Lincoln donated $100 toward its construction; this is supposedly the only such donation Lincoln made. On display on the second floor is the Baldwin State Bank ledger from President Lincoln's donation toward the construction of the building. Parmenter Hall was listed in the National Register in 1977. The second floor is now the campus art gallery.

2008 photograph main facade Parmenter Hall, Baker University (KSHS)

Parmenter Hall, Baker University

When Baldwin City came into existence in 1870, there was already another town nearby. Palmyra, Kansas was founded in 1855, before Kansas officially became a state, and was located on the Santa Fe Trail, just north of what is now Kansas Highway 56. Travelers stopping in Palmyra could stay at its hotel, have their wagon repaired, or buy supplies in this building, a general store built by a man named Newman Blood in 1857. His store also served as the town’s post office. Palmyra would have still existed when Lucy Sullivan, who eventually became Baldwin City's first female mayor, moved to town in 1876. Trains were a faster and cheaper means of travel than wagon trails, however. A railroad depot was built in Baldwin City in 1867, and more people chose to live and open businesses close to it. The Santa Fe Trail also closed in 1880. This meant that fewer people lived in Palmyra, and eventually, the town died out. Lucy Sullivan became the mayor of a growing Baldwin City in 1889. Today, this post office is the only remaining building from the town of Palmyra. It was moved to this location to save it from destruction in the 1960s, and is believed to be the oldest wood-frame building associated with the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas. It is listed on the Register of Historic Kansas Places.

Palmyra Post Office was a multi-functional building and a useful stop for travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. Also called Blood's Grocery, travelers could buy supplies here as well as mail a letter. The town of Palmyra predated Baldwin City by fifteen years, but eventually dwindled as growth shifted to the areas surrounding Baker University and the railway depot.

Palmyra Post Office stands next to Old Castle Museum on the northeast end of Baker University campus

Palmyra Post Office

Lucy Sullivan became a widow when her husband John passed away in 1901. They had been married for nearly fifty years and had survived the Civil War, a move from Ohio to Kansas, numerous transfers to ministerial appointments, and the deaths of four children. In 1904, after transferring ownership of their house on High Street to Baker University, Lucy moved in with one of her children. She would have been 73 years old at that time. Three years later, in 1907, Lucy died and was buried here. L.H. Murlin, president of Baker University in 1907, wrote about Lucy’s determination and spirit in her obituary. He said that “the beginning of a new and better day in civic improvements,” was led by Lucy’s involvement in public life. Murlin also highlighted Lucy’s kindness and concern for local young people, explaining that the nicknames of “Ma Sullivan” and “Aunt Lucy” given to her by students were “terms of endearment” more than “terms of familiarity.” Lucy’s willingness to open her home and provide a sympathetic ear to Baker students was remembered by them, President Murlin, and many others connected to Baker through the years. Clearly, Lucy was well-regarded in Baldwin City, and her passing was deeply felt.

Oakwood Cemetery was founded in 1869 and is owned and maintained by the city of Baldwin City. Several notable local people have been buried here. They include Baker University's first president, Werter Renick Davis, and Reverend William Runyan, author of the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness." Lucy Sullivan and her husband John M. Sullivan are buried here, alongside other members of their family.

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Lucy Sullivan Walking Tour

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