OSAWATOMIE

city, Miami county, eastern Kansas, U.S. It lies along the Marais des Cygnes River at the mouth of Pottawatomie Creek. Settled in 1854 with support of the New England Emigrant Aid Company, Osawatomie was the headquarters for John Brown's militant Free State operations in the Kansas Territory and was a station on the Underground Railroad (for escaped slaves). In retaliation for Brown's slaying of five proslavery settlers at Pottawatomie Creek, his stronghold was invaded on Aug. 30, 1856, by Missourians. Brown and 40 of his Abolitionist followers fled, and the town was ransacked and burned. The John Brown Memorial Park commemorates this skirmish and Brown's career. The name Osawatomie combines the names of the Osage and Potawatomi Indians. The city is on a division point of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and has railroad shops. It is near oil and gas fields and is a trading centre for an agricultural region. Osawatomie State (mental) Hospital was established in 1863. Inc. city, 1882. Pop. (1992 est.) 4,563.