Happy 180th Birthday, Hugh!

Today Lt. Colonel Hugh Cameron would have been 180 years old. Who was Hugh Cameron? Basically he was a decorated Civil War veteran and free-stater who for one reason or another decided to live in an old wooden piano box along the bluffs of the Kansas river in his later years, earning him the nickname, "The Kansas Hermit." But he is much more than that. He is an inspiration.

I first happened upon the plaque at 5th and Louisiana streets the morning of July 5, 2001. I was still awake after an extended and enjoyable Independence Day celebration, and finding this plaque at that moment was a nice bit of serendipity. I hadn't even finished reading the synopsis of Hugh's life before I decided he was as much of a literary fairy-godfather as I was ever likely to need, at least for that summer.

I went back there that night with my friend Jacob, who did a bit of research on Hugh's life and wrote a piece about him for the 2001 Disorientation Guide. Among the things Jacob uncovered were the reasons Hugh gave for leaving the town in favor of the wilderness:

"I wanted to be alone; I wanted to become a seer so I buried myself here in the woods. Some day the vision will come."

Aside from the account Jacob compiled and the plaque itself, I hadn't found out much about Hugh until I read this wondeful historical essay about him and a couple of other Lawrence eccentrics. If you have any interest in Hugh's life, or just want to hear an interesting story, I recommend it.

For now, here's a drawing I did of Hugh that depicts him in a whimsical, Whitman-esque light. The placard he is holding reads, "Gallons of Tzatziki Flow Thru the Wakarusa," which at one point I thought would make a fetching title for a collection of poems about the river. It is unlikely that I will ever seek to publish such a chapbook, at least under that title, but Hugh remains a truly inspirational figure. Happy Birthday, Mr. Cameron. 180 years young.