Shawnee County Historical Society
Cox Communications Heritage Education Center
The Historic John & Mary Jane Ritchie House
and the Bleeding Kansas era
1116-1118 SE Madison Avenue
P.O. Box 2201
Topeka, KS 66601
Phone: 785-234-6097
Emergency Phone: 785-224-4156
Historic Ritchie House Public Tours
Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9 am to 1 pm
Other times of the week, Call 785 234 6097
Suggested Admission Fee for Ritchie House
$.50 Students, $2.00 Adults.
Special Tours Available for Groups and Organizations
Our Sunday 3pm Zoom meetings on Historical Topics will resume in the Fall. ....Special Events may happen this Summer.
Coming Up May 17, 2021
The Shawnee County Historical Society along with the The Brown Foundation and and the Washburn University Law School will review the law cases that occurred before Brown v. Board of Education.
As part of the celebration of the Brown vs Board of Education Case, Panelists will discuss the Brown decision at 6:00PM CST May 17th, 2021. The discussion will center on A look at Dred Scott v. Sandford and Plessy v. Ferguson.
It is part of the work of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund which is continuing to broaden our understanding of Brown v. Board of Education by commemorating the 67th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.
Join us for a discussion with the descendants from Dred Scott v. Sandford and Plessy v. Ferguson.
Speakers include:
• Lynne Jackson, President, Dred Scott Heritage Foundation
• Keith Plessy, President, The Plessy and Ferguson Foundation
• Phoebe Ferguson, Executive Director, The Plessy and Ferguson Foundation
Moderator: Janet Thompson Jackson, Professor of Law, Washburn University School of Law •
Moderator: Leslie Canaan, Senior Field Officer, National Trust for Historic Preservation
To Register for this important event:
Lighting Freedom's Pathway;
Building Heritage & Culture
Are you interested in Lithographs of Old Areas of Shawnee county. We have five of them for sale for $15 a piece plus shipping and handling.
Click here to see the view of Tecumseh in 1869.
Click here to see old Topeka Buildings
Click here to see Topeka in 1869
Click Here to see Topeka in 1880
Click here to see a Map of the Great Plains
If you are interested call 785 234 6097 or send us an email at
Please help the Society by signing up with Amazon Smiles or Dillon's and designate your purchases to help the Society. It won't cost you a thing and will help us. Click here and scroll down the page to see how to sign up.
Shawnee County Historical Society Historical Highlights
(Members Receive Current Year Newsletters)