The word “jaywalker” first appeared in Kansas and had nothing to do with people crossing the street.
Fun Fact of the Day
Sonoran Conservative
Conservative of the Southwest and the musings of the day. – Murum Aries Attigit
The word “jaywalker” first appeared in Kansas and had nothing to do with people crossing the street.
That’s “Jayhawker” not “Jaywalker.” The word “Jaywalker” is derived from an older tem “Jay driver” and originated in New York. Jayhawkers and “Redlegs” were Kansas Unionists in the War Between the States, while “Bushwhackers” were Secessionists, mostly from Missouri. The guerilla war in that area was fierce, with many farms burned and families killed on both sides.
It came to the front for me where I worked one day. My family was affiliated with Quantrill’s Raiders, formally known as “Missouri Partisan Rangers,” who were Southern guerillas. When the Union took control of Missouri, they rounded up the families of the Raiders and took them to Kansas City as hostages. Unfortunately, the house where the wives and children of the Raiders were being held collapsed because the Union had removed bulkheads to make more room to house prisoners. Many family members were killed. In retaliation, Quantrill attacked Lawrence, Kansas and killed about 150 male citizens.
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It turned out that my boss came from Lawrence, Kansas, and his family had been victims of the raid. So, we spent an afternoon trying to figure out if his family murdered mine, or my family murdered his…
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