Fort Lane.—An old map of Douglas county, drawn under the direction of the surveyor-general of the territory and published in 1857, shows "Fort Lane" a short distance west of the city of Lawrence, and about half a mile north of the California road. The following description of the fort is taken from an address delivered by Brinton W. Woodward before the Kansas Historical Society on Jan. 18, 1898, on "The Invasion of the 2,700, Sept. 14, 1856:"

"The fort on Mount Oread had been located and built, under the direction of Lane, at the point of the bluff coming north, where it drops down to the rather lower level or ridge on which Gov. Robinson's house had stood, and where the first university building (since called North College) was afterward placed. Its site has scarcely even yet been wholly obliterated by grading, and it was directly west (south) of where Mr. Frank A. Bailey's residence now stands. It occupied a sightly and commanding position; . . . was of irregular outline, following the curve or point of the bluff on two sides, with a straight chord subtending on the south. It was laid up as a loose, dry wall from the rough stone gathered about, to the height of from three to four feet, thus making a show of outline fairly exhibited to the east."

When Lawrence was threatened on Sept. 14, 1856, the date mentioned in Mr. Woodward's address, Fort Lane was manned by a company of 40 men, of whom Mr. Woodward was one, hence the above description is from an eye witness.