Local History Resources
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The Topeka Room, located on the second floor, houses the library’s local history collection. Books, pamphlets, clippings, and other written sources tell the story of Topeka’s unique history. To complement these, there are photographs, prints, posters, scrapbooks, and audio-visual materials which help bring this history to life.
Building & House Research
- Shawnee County Appraisers Office
A great resource to get more information about properties in Topeka and Shawnee County. Click on real estate property search and enter the address. - Shawnee County Register of Deeds
Mortgage and deed records from 1988 to present are available on Public Access Computers located in our office during office hours (8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). - Sherwood Smith Collection
The Sherwood Smith blueprint and document collection contains approximately 500 items that represent the growth of Topeka from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th. - City of Topeka Historic Preservation Office
The Planning Department works to preserve Topeka’s history, and strengthen its recognition and value within a wide variety of applications. - Sanborn Maps
Learn about the history, growth and development of American cities, towns and neighborhoods through digitized, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1867-1970. - State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
The Kansas Historic Resources Inventory (KHRI) is administered by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) at the Kansas Historical Society (KSHS) and is a searchable inventory of the state’s surveyed historic properties. - Topeka Building Permits index
The corresponding microfilm is available in the Topeka Room. - HeritageQuest Online
Search the Topeka city directories online. - U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps
1860-1918: Database that includes Topeka and Shawnee land ownership maps that portrays land purchased, granted, or inherited with the property owners name. (Available in library only)
Topeka & Shawnee County History
- Kansas Secretary of State-Business Entity Database Search
Trying to figure out when a business or organization started in Kansas. Check out the Business Entity Database - Shawnee County Historical Society
preserves, collects and interprets the history of Shawnee County, Kansas. - Shawnee County Historical Society Bulletins
- Topeka Capital Journal:
- Local Newspaper Index – contains articles, obituaries and events from 1989-1999.
- Full text articles and archives (1999 – present).
- Kansas Digital Newspapers
Select historic Topeka newspapers can be found here as are freely available on the websites of several of their digital partners (must be a Kansas resident) - Sanborn Maps
Learn about the history, growth and development of American cities, towns and neighborhoods through digitized, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1867-1970. - Kansas Historical Society-Archives
- African-African History & Genealogy
A keyword searchable database of Topeka and Shawnee County’s African American newspapers. (1880- 1971). View a list of titles and dates. - History of Shawnee County, Kansas, and representative citizens
One of the earliest county histories written about Shawnee county is keyword searchable in electronic format. (Available in library only) - With Christ in Kansas: a history of the First Presbyterian Church of Topeka Kansas, 1859 to 1934.
The 75th anniversary history of one of the oldest churches in Topeka is keyword searchable in electronic format. (Available in library only) - Kansas, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Prior Service Records, 1859-1935.
The cards in this database serve as an index to “prior service” record files for employees of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Prior service refers to employment with the railroad before 29 August 1935. Some may include only a name and a department, while others may record a birth date, retirement date, years of service, and other details. (Available in library only) - Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880.
Agriculture, Industry/Manufacturers Schedules, Social Statistics and Supplemental Schedules 1850-1880. This database contains U.S. federal non-population schedules from 1850-1880 includes Topeka and Shawnee County. - If your Jayhawk great-grandfather fought for the Union, see if he joined the club after the war in these Kansas GAR records. (Available in library only)
- HathiTrust Digital Library keep in their repository several items related to Topeka history.
