Ghost towns of Shawnee County
Uncover the rise and fall of towns in Shawnee County in the mid to late 1800s.
Genealogy and Local History
Digging into the past of Topeka clubs
Learn about Topekans’ social & charitable activities in the 1800s & 1900s.
Finding adopted relatives in genealogy research
Top tips to help you move past road blocks with adoption records in family history research.
Learning politics from the Kansas Oral History Project
Read about a project to preserve and provide access to the voices of Kansans in all walks of life including those in public policymaking.
Dig into local history – Col. Hughes & the legislative war
Dive into the story behind a struggle for control of the Kansas House of Representatives in the late 1800s.
Uncover personal stories from our community’s past
Stories written by regular people about their lives help us imagine life in Topeka’s past.
Learning About Epidemics & Family History Gives Us Perspective
We all have family members who survived previous epidemics and disease, and we are here as a result.
Examine a New Online Resource for Shawnee County History
The Bulletin of the Shawnee County Historical Society is now available online!
Personal Memories of Monroe School’s Excellent Teachers in the Mid 1900s
Library staffer Luella Minner discusses being a student at a segregated school in the late 1940s & early 1950s.
Using DNA to Bust Genealogy Brick Walls
Explore how you can use sex chromosome DNA to solve family mysteries.
Finding Your Identity
Genealogy can give you a broader sense of who you are and your place in the world.
See Local History in the Making
View symbols & stories of 2020 that show how COVID-19 impacted & continues to impact Topeka & Shawnee County.