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 on Historical Topics will resume once a month this summer and resume on a weekly basis in the Fall.
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)
Upcoming Events in 2021
Here are the programs held at 3pm Sundays in 2020 and 2021
Sept. 27 Allen Stahl on the history of the Topeka Fire Dept.
October 4th Joan Barker on the 150th Anniversary of Topeka High
October 11th George Vega—Topeka High Walk Out and Marching with Casear Chavez
October 25th Lisa LaRue Baker on the Cherokees and the Civil War
November 1st The History of Adoption in Kansas by Marilyn Waugh
November 8th Deb Goodrich on Dolly Curtis, sister of Vice President Charles Curtis
November 15th Doug Wright---Baseball from 1948 to 1961….the Minor leagues in Topeka Listen here.
November 22th Wendi Bevitt on Colored Troops
December 6 Annual Meeting
January 10th Real Estate history of Topeka forum with Helen Crow and Marshall Barber. Hear the seminar here.
January 17th Thomas Rodriguez on growing up in Topeka and the Bottoms See Program Here.
January 24th Tim Paris -The Garlinghouse Company. Watch Zoom presentation Here.
January 31st Thom Rosenblum— Ike Gilberg, Socialism From Behind a Sewing Machine. A tape of the event is here.
February 28th Chris Cruz--Fred Harvey, setting the standard for fast, fine food with an envied concept that started in Topeka.
March 7th Paul Post on the Bates Family, the Bates Banks and Bates Block(this is the Topeka Blueprint Building) Click Here
March 14th Dan Warner—Historic buildings on Kansas Ave.
March 21st Landry Brewer The Cold War and its impact on Shawnee County View here.
March 28th Doug Wallace on Topeka's own Bonnie and Clyde. Click Here to see the recorded program
June 13th James Concannon on the Washburn Law School
July 11th Chris Meinhardt and Grant Glenn on Constitution Hall
August 8th Topeka High Architectural History
October 10th Oral History and the state legislature
October 17th Martin Hall with Paul Post
October 24th
October 31st
November 7th
November 14th