Educational Resources

Shawnee County Historical Society

Cox Communications Heritage Education Center features

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 begin June 13th with a discussion about the New Washburn Law building. James Concannon and President Jerry Farley will be our guests. If you want a link, please send a request to

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.

Interesting Fact of Shawnee County

It was 167 years ago, May 30th the Kansas Nebraska Act became law and that action led to Topeka, Lawrence, and Manhattan being founded by the end of the year in 1854.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise, creating two new territories,(Kansas and Nebraska) and allowed for popular sovereignty. It also produced a violent uprising known as “Bleeding Kansas,” as pro slavery and antislavery activists flooded into the territories to sway the vote.

Learn more about the Bleeding Kansas struggle by visiting the Ritchie House(the oldest house in Topeka) at 1116 SE Madison, Tuesday thru Thursday 9 to 1pm. You will learn about the quest for freedom in the 1850's and how Topeka fit into this struggle.