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Physical Archive Baker Genealogy Center Topeka Room Features Resource Room
 

The Topeka Room & Baker Genealogy Center

Located on the second floor of the library our local history and genealogy suite is a sanctuary for the curious. Here the past is easily accessible whether you want to trace your family tree or explore the vibrant history of our city.

Topeka Room

The Topeka Room

The Topeka Room is a beautiful space furnished with local history. Browse physical books and documents surrounded by historic artifacts donated by our community including an 1871 Chickering Square Grand Piano, the 1908 Grandfather clock and our signature stained-glass windows.

Best for browsing:

  • The Vertical Files: Thousands of physical folders containing clippings on Topeka’s people, schools, businesses and neighborhoods
  • Local Authors: Books written, illustrated or produced by Topekans
  • City Directories: Hardbound directories dating from 1870 to the present.
  • Community History: Published histories of Shawnee County, local biographies and migration records.

The Baker Genealogy Center

baker genealogy centerKnown internally as the "Tech Chapel," this dedicated space within the Topeka Room is our digital hub. It is designed for deep-dive research offering the tools necessary to uncover electronic records from across the globe.

Best for data-driven research:

  • Vital Records: Digital and microfilm access to birth, marriage and death records
  • Military & Census: Extensive archives of federal census data and military service records
  • Obituaries: Searchable digital databases and historic newspapers
  • Property & Maps: Plat and insurance maps, tax records and probate files
  • Immigration: Passenger lists and naturalization records.

Tools for Discovery

  • High-Powered Tech: Public computers and photocopiers.
  • Digital Microfilm Readers: ScanPro units allow you to view historic microfilm and save high-resolution images.
  • Expert Assistance: A professional librarian is on-site every hour the library is open to help you navigate our collections.
 

Topeka Room Features

Music Box

The Topeka Room's music box is an eight-tune cylinder bell box with brass bells and cloisonne butterfly and bee strikers. The original program card is attached to the underside of the lid. The lid and front of the box are inlaid walnut, and the sides are "faux-bois" or "false wood." The music box belonged to George and Ella Vickers of Belvedere, Illinois. The Vickers were the grandparents of Eleanor M. Hartley Caldwell who came to Topeka in 1919 and married Robert C. Caldwell in 1923. Mr. Caldwell went on to serve as the Topeka Postmaster from 1926-1934.

The music box was a gift to the Topeka Room from Jean McEacheron Caldwell in memory of her mother-in-law Eleanor M. Hartley Caldwell.

 
Piano

Ichabod Washburn, the namesake of Topeka's Washburn University, made his fortune making wire for hoop skirts and twisted piano wire. Jonas Chickering, founder of the Chickering company, suggested Washburn's company Washburn and Moen Wire Works manufacture twisted wire for the pianos the Chickering company produced. It is possible that the wires in this piano were made by Washburn and Moen Wire Works.

The piano itself is a Chickering & Sons square grand piano, also known as a box grand piano. Square grand pianos were made for people who didn't have enough space for the large grand pianos. At one point they were the most popular style of pianos in both Europe and America.

This piano was a gift from the estate of Loretta Class, a Friends of the Topeka Library volunteer.

 

Resource Room

The Resource Room contains print resources for both your genealogy and local history research. We have an extensive collection of published genealogy resources from around the world, all of which can be found in the library's catalog. The Resource Room also contains our local history vertical files, which contain newspaper clippings, brochures, pamphlets and photographs on over 2,000 subjects and 6,000 individuals or families from Topeka history.

 

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