Shawnee County history collection

Date: 1850C-2016

Level of Description: Coll./Record Group

Material Type: Manuscripts

Call Number: Manuscripts Collection 729 (c. 1850-1944)
MICROFILM: MS 32 (Kansapolis Association records, 1856-1860: minutes, other town records, a stock ownership certificate, and a draft report relating to liquor)

Unit ID: 40729

Abstract: Assembled materials from various sources providing information on the history of Shawnee County, Kan. The records primarily include correspondence, notes, business records, warranty deeds, elections, newspaper clippings, historical sketches, meeting minutes, and church records. Topics or organizations found within the collection include fire protection history; automobile history; permits to purchase alcohol from 1893; buffalo hunting; pioneers & other individuals; the Olive Branch United Brethren Church of Rossville & the Czech-Moravian Presbyterian community that took over the church building in 1920; the Tecumseh Town Association; the Winter General Hospital, the present Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center; Lone Rock Telephone Company No. 2; the Highland Park Chalitso Club, a women's literary organization; the Old Settlers' Association; Shawnee County Fire District No. 1 (Silver Lake Township); microfilmed family records of Elizabeth Simerwell and John S. Carter (rolls MS 85.01 and MS 1250.02); Uniontown; Indianola; Sunday schools; Pleasant Ridge Church; Dover Baptist Church; instructions distributed to 2016 general election precinct workers by the Shawnee County Election Office; the Kansapolis Association; and a street guide to Fire District No. 1. The Kansapolis Association records are also microfilmed (roll MS 32). There is also a property deed from George W. and Rosa Cheney to Henry and Jennie Cheney, 1879 Sept. 3. Two newspaper articles on the Silas and Horace Lyons' houses in Berryton, Kansas.

Space Required/Quantity: 2.00 cubic feet

Title (Main title): Shawnee County history collection

Administrative History

Administrative History: The area now known as Shawnee County was inhabited by Native Americans, mainly of the Kansa and Potawatomi tribes, until the mid-1800s. Westward expansion brought the country its first white settler in 1830 when Frederick Chouteau opened a trading post on American Chief (now Mission) Creek. In 1855, Shawnee became one of the first counties established by the Kansas Territorial Legislature with a population of 250. That year also saw the first ever meeting of the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners. Tecumseh was the first county seat, and the first county courthouse was opened there in 1856.

Topeka was made the county seat by popular vote in 1858, and a new courthouse was built at 4th Street and Kansas Avenue in 1867. In 1896, a larger courthouse was constructed at 5th and Van Buren, when more than 50,000 residents lived in the county. That building remained in use until the current courthouse at 7th and Quincy opened in 1965. Topeka became the state capital in 1861.

Shawnee County is comprised of 12 townships. The townships are governed by three-member elected boards consisting of a trustee, a treasurer, and a clerk. The townships in Shawnee County are Auburn, Dover, Grove, Menoken, Mission, Monmouth, Rossville, Silver Lake, Soldier, Tecumseh, Topeka, and Williamsport.

[Shawnee County, "Visitor Information: Home," http://www.snco.us/visitinfo/ (accessed 8 May 2009).]

Scope and Content

Portions of Collection Separately Described:

Locators:

Locator	Contents
007-13-06-09 to 007-13-07-01	c. 1850-1944
017-03-07-02	c. 1909-1933: Old Settlers Association

Shawnee County history collection

Administrative History

Scope and Content

Portions of Collection Separately Described:

Locators:

Microfilm:

Index Terms

Subjects

Creators and Contributors