RSS
Home
Kansas begins in Topeka
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Evening aerial shot of Topeka courtesy Visit Topeka, Inc.
One of the things I love best about my job as a travel writer is the combination of searching out--and stumbling upon--places that possess some form of Afrocentric history, particularly where a perception might be that, “there is none.”
Choosing to travel to Topeka, Kansas did not start out that way.
I chose the city as a travel destination in part because I was looking for a short drive from my home where I could take the kids during a school break. And, because my oldest son was studying Washington, D.C. at school, and I thought that a trip to a “capital city” would tie in nicely with his studies.
So, while searching for where to stay, eat and what to do, I found out that there was a great deal of history, including that of the influence of African Americans, to explore.
Early History
Situated in northeast Kansas about one hour west of Kansas City via Interstate 70, Topeka was founded in 1854—about the same time that the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 established the territorial boundaries of those two states, opening the land to legal settlement.
In 1861, Topeka was admitted as the 34th state of the union.
The name “Topeka” is said to have come from the Kansas Indian tribal name meaning “a good place to grow potatoes,” an important herb that played a major role in the Native American diet at the time.
Some of the city’s earliest denizens played integral roles in the often-fiery abolitionist and pro-slavery conflicts throughout Kansas, which earned the state the moniker of “Bleeding Kansas,” Topeka become an integral city during that time.
Notorious John Brown, who himself murdered numerous pro-slavery advocates, and Topekan and abolitionist John Ritchie, were two of the many in the center of this time of murder and mayhem. In fact, it is believed that Ritchie’s home in south Topeka--recognized as the city’s oldest house—was a free-state faction meeting place and stop along the Underground Railroad.
Ritchie is also credited with donating a significant amount of land in the mid-1800s for the construction of Lincoln College, today known as Washburn University, reportedly the last city-chartered university in the country.
The considerable Westward expansion movement happening in the United States back in the day resulted in Topeka’s distinction as a central hub for the emerging railroad system. Even today, the city still boasts its place of honor as the home of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway, founded by Cyrus K. Holliday. Years later the entity merged with Burlington Northern and it is now known as the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway. For a great overview of the city's railroad history, visit the Great Overland Station.
Topeka Today
Over the years, Topeka continued to grow by leaps and bounds, today encompassing a wide array of tourist attractions, historic sites, accommodations, museums and galleries, performing arts facilities and a great deal more.
Among some of the many things to see is the Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site, which recreates a Kansas pioneer village and includes a 1891 one-room schoolhouse, 1870's Mansion, 1854 cabin, livery stable, 1800's physician's office, dental office and more.
Potwin Place is the city’s beautiful historic Victorian home district, and the Great Overland Station is a community landmark that delves into the city’s deep railroad heritage.
And be sure to check out the Tiffany Windows of Comfort at First Presbyterian Church, the city’s first Presbyterian church, where thousands flock every year to view the ten, breathtaking Tiffany Windows installed in 1911, among other attractions.
As we continue our journey in Topeka, we’ll take a closer look at a few of the city’s other well-known tourist attractions, as well as the city’s African American history and the landmark site of one of the most influential supreme court cases in the history of the United States.
Related Articles:
Comments
Fort Des Moines It is impossible to talk about black history in Des Moines without exploring the story of Fort Des Moines. Built in 1901, …
In terms of African American history, Iowa has served as a broad backdrop in the Black struggle. Since the 1800s, African-Americans have lived …
- American Cowboy Museum - Houston, Texas
- Black American West Museum - Denver, Colorado
- George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center – Phoenix, Arizona
- Museum of Afro-American History - Boston, Massachussets
- New Orleans African American Museum of Art, Culture and History - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Kansas City, Missouri
- Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Puerto Rico Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau
- Antoine's Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Besh Steakhouse - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Brennan's Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Cafe du Monde - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Caffe Sport - San Francisco, California
- Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant - San Nicolas, Aruba
- Columbia Restaurant - Tampa, Florida
- Court of Two Sisters - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Devito's Restaurant - Eureka Springs, Arkansas
- Dominique’s Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- El Charro Café - Tucson, Arizona
- Eric’s Restaurant - - San Francisco, California
- Galatoire’s Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Garibaldi’s on Presidio - San Francisco, California
- Grand Isle Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Healdsburg Bar & Grill - Healdsburg, California
- House of Blues - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Justin's Restaurant - Atlanta, Georgia
- K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Kuleto's Restaurant - San Francisco, California
- Local Flavor - Eureka Springs, Arkansas
- Lüke Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Mélange Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Olivier’s Creole Restaurant - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Ralph's on the Park - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Sparky’s Roadhouse Café - Eureka Springs, Arkansas
- Sushi on the Rocks - Indianapolis, Indiana
- Swett’s Restaurants – Nashville, Tennessee
- Taverna Santi - Geyserville, California
- Terra Cotta Restaurant - Tucson, Arizona
- The Gumbo Shop - New Orleans, Louisiana
- The Jazz Kitchen - Indianapolis, Indiana
- The New Orleans Cooking Experience
- Trattoria Contadina - San Francisco, California
- Vino Libro Wine Bar & Bistro - Atlanta, Georgia
- The Eisenhower Presidential Library
- The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
- The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
- The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
- The Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library
- The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum
- The Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
- The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
- The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
- The Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace
- The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
- The William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
