Evel Knievel was born in Butte, Montana on October 17, 1938 as Robert Craig Knievel. He had a number of professions over the years, although some may be his own tall tales (swindler, safe cracker, holdup man). He got in trouble for popping a wheelie on mining equipment in his home town. Knievel once owned a Honda motorcycle dealership where he offered a $100 discount to customers who could beat him in arm wrestling.The world-renowned motorcycle stunt daredevil defied death countless times and always survived, even if he broke a bone - or a lot of bones. He called it quits after a 1976 stunt - jumping over a tank of sharks - caused major injuries, but couldn't resist a few more smaller stunts with his only son, Robbie, who followed his dad into the daredevil business. Toys with an Evel Knievel theme grossed $300 million in the 1970s and 1980s. Two movies about his life have been made and a limited television series about Knievel was about to be produced in 2020 before the pandemic halted work.The end came quietly one day at the age of 69. Evel, who suffered from pulmonary fibrosis in his later years, had trouble breathing and an ambulance was called to his condominium in Clearwater, Florida. The man who had defied death so many times before passed away on November 30, 2007 before the ambulance could reach a hospital. He left behind two ex-wives, four children, ten grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

2013 book on collecting Evel Knievel stunt toys (Sluice Publishing)

Website

Video

Popular Evel Knieval toys from the 1970s by IDEAL

Knievel's surprise tie to Topeka daredevil (Chilson 2016)

Located next to a historic building on the former Kansas State Fair complex, this museum is home to the world's largest collection of historic memorabilia, jump bikes, and performance leathers of daredevil Evel Knievel. The museum offers interactive exhibits where one can feel what it was like to fly through the air on his motorcycle, jumping over Greyhound buses, sharks, or seemingly whatever else he could dream up. The museum was built in 2016 by the adjacent motorcycle dealership's owner, Mike Patterson.

Evel Knievel Museum

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This tour is designed to include as many historical sites and museums as possible in a relatively short drive throughout the northern half of the city of Topeka. The tour starts at the Kansas State Historical Society and concludes at Topeka's Great Overland Station. Highlights include the state capitol, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, and Constitution Hall. Those who enjoy military history will also want to visit the Combat Air Museum and the Museum of the Kansas National Guard just south of the city limits at Forbes Field.

The museum's parent agency is the Kansas Historical Society, founded in 1875 by newspaper editors and publishers. In 1879 the state enacted legislation recognizing the Society as the trustee of Kansas' history.Begun during the earliest years of the Society, the museum originally was located in the Kansas statehouse. These quarters soon became overcrowded, and the museum and other Historical Society departments relocated to the then-new Memorial Hall in downtown Topeka in 1914. The first curator was hired that same year.&nbsp; Displays continued to expand with the collection holdings.The museum experienced a period of great growth during the 1980s. The state legislature appropriated money for a new building in northwest Topeka with more space for exhibitions and storage. The division hired an experienced, professional staff. National awards were received for the museum's interpretive exhibits and programming.Today the exhibits and collections depict the full spectrum of Kansas history. Particular strengths include the Bleeding Kansas era, with an outstanding group of objects associated with John Brown, and Civil War flags, including one of the nation's largest groupings of African American regimental flags. Objects represent all facets of Kansans' lives, from all periods of the state's history.Currently the museum is a top Kansas tourist attraction and one of the most-visited museums in the state.

The state museum includes Santa Fe's oldest surviving locomotive, the first Kansas-made aircraft, John Brown's pike, a flag from Quantrill's raid, Civil War weapons and flags, and other artifacts related to Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War. It also displays Carry Nation's hammer and other artifacts related to prohibition. One of the favorite displays is a 1950s diner, complete with a lot of artifacts from that era. 

Kansas State Historical Society Museum and Archives

When Frank Pitts MacLennan had Cedar Crest built in 1929, the home was three miles from the city limits of Topeka. MacLennan was the editor of the Topeka State Journal newspaper after he bought the paper in 1885 at public auction. He married Magaret "Madge" Overstreet Wright in the 1920s following the death of his first wife (Anna Goddard MacLennan, 1860-1922) and the death of Madge's husband, Ledru R. Wright (1857-1921). MacLennan was a prominent person and counted among his friends Theodore Roosevelt and Warren G. Harding. The country home was a farm where sheep grazed in the pastures and Mr. MacLennan cultivated his growing collection of rare plants, shrubs, and trees. He had purchased the 244 acres from D. H. Forbes in 1928. MacLennan tore down Forbes' home, barn, and other outbuildings to make room for Cedar Crest. Frank was born in Ohio in 1855 and moved to Kansas in 1870; Madge was born in Texas in 1863 and married Frank in 1925. Frank had one child from his first marriage, Mary (Mrs. James A. Farrell), who lived in New York. William D. Wight designed the chateaux in the style of French and English country houses. The house cost $60,000 to build. The three-story house has a full basement and was built with stone and brick which was stuccoed over in a buff color originally. A three-story polygonal tower in the center of the main facade faces south and contains the main entryway. A thistle, symbolizing Scotland, is found throughout the house - it is carved on the stone pediment above the main entrance and is on the gutter downspouts. The quoins, window surrounds, and basement are exposed stone. Frank MacLennan's study in the house featured the family crest and the crest of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi carved into the wood paneling; the thistle and printers' marks are carved into medallions on the room's wooden mantle. Leaded and hand-painted windows light the stairwell leading from the entrance hall to the second story. The library contains 1,500 books that belonged to the MacLennans. There is a Friends of Cedar Crest Association whose members aid in the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of Cedar Crest. The mansion underwent millions of dollars of remodeling that was finished in 2000. The Kansas Historical Society offers tours of the mansion; a link to current information is below. The governor and their spouse usually host an annual Easter Egg Hunt at Cedar Crest on the Saturday before Palm Sunday for ages one to nine. Before the state agreed to accept the gift of Cedar Crest - there was some controversy over whether it would - the Governor's mansion was the Erasmus Bennett House at 8th and Buchanan. If the state had turned down the gift, the house would have been offered to the City of Topeka to become a library or museum. Plan C would have resulted in the house being sold and the proceeds divided between Washburn University and a local hospital/ nurse's training school. Cedar Crest is one of the smallest governor's mansions in the United States, but it is also located on the largest parcel of land.

Now serving as the governor's mansion for the state of Kansas, Cedar Crest was built in 1929 as a private residence for Frank and Madge MacLennan. While Frank passed away four years after the completion of the home, Madge MacLennan continued to make Cedar Crest her home until her death in 1955. Mrs. MacLennan bequeathed the French Chateaux style house and twenty acres to the state for use as the governor's mansion. The rest of the farm property - over 200 acres - became MacLennan Park. In 1961, extensive remodeling of the home was complete and Cedar Crest became the home of Governor John Anderson and his family the following year. Cedar Crest on its surrounding twenty acres was listed in the state and national registers of historic places in 1982.

Cedar Crest

A plaque set on footings displays a relief of a pioneer's homestead, with inscriptions above and below it. A log cabin, well, and covered wagon are in the foreground. A male pioneer works a plow nearby. Two trees and a fence are in the background. The plaque is set in front of a boulder. Plaque text:IN MEMORY OFTHE PIONEERS WHO FOUNDED TOPEKA/DECEMBER 5TH 1854THE SIGNERS OF THE ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT WERE/(list of signers in 3 columns)DEDICATED 1931BY/SHAWNEE COUNTY OLD SETTLERS SOCIETYJOHN E DOANE PRES. W.H. CORBETT SECY. Similar bronze relief plaques--typically applied directly to granite boulders--were placed to mark overland trails throughout the American West in the 1920s and 1930s.

1931 relief of a frontier farm, with a log cabin, covered wagon, and a pioneer plowing by unknown artist. Copper or bronze plaque set on iron footings cast by Deggingers Foundry attached to boulder. Dedicated in 1931 by Shawnee County Old Settlers Society. Originally mounted on the archway entrance of the "Old Settlers Memorial Grounds" in Gage Park.

The Pioneers Who Founded Topeka

Exhibits and Activities at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center
The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center’s mission is “To enhance the lives of children; inspire creativity and a lifelong love of learning; enrich the health of our community through education; and provide an exciting and safe place for families to learn, play and interact together.”&nbsp;In accordance with the mission, the Center features nine different exhibits throughout its 15,708-square-foot structure. Each exhibit focuses on a theme, where visitors interact and “play” with various objects while learning the fundamentals of the exhibit’s subject.&nbsp;
The nine indoor exhibits include Art, Build, Careers, Flo-Graphix, Grain, Grow, Little Sprouts, Moneyville, and Science. The most popular and impressive exhibit is the Build Gallery, which allows children to construct towers, bridges, and other architectural works. In this gallery, children use real tools, wood, and grand scale building materials, and the educational focus of the gallery is to show children the uses of algebra and geometric shapes in buildings and other objects.
The Art Gallery lets children explore with paints, light, and mobiles. The Science Gallery introduces children to complex topics such as scientific inquiry and how to run an experiment. The other exhibits focus on the nuances of various careers (from mechanic to cook), while allowing children to work on&nbsp;a&nbsp;mock Kansas grain harvest, learn how to&nbsp;balance a budget, and design a&nbsp;fantasy playhouse.Outdoor Learning Adventures Going outside, the Center allows families to hike or bike on an extensive network of trails. Outdoor activities include planting and tending vegetables, exploring natural ecosystems, climbing hills, and exploring the two-story treehouse, among many others.1
Near the Native Tallgrass Prairie Restoration (which in itself features 500 species of plants, nearly 150 species of birds, 39 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 31 species of mammals), the Powell Memorial Butterfly Garden &amp; Monarch Waystation endures as an official Pollinator Habitat. This means that Master Gardeners and Horticulturists work with the 26 different native Kansas wildflowers and plants while also encouraging biodiversity full of bees and butterflies.2
Discovery After Dark for Adults
Although aimed at children during the day, the Discover Center also hosts a few events exclusively for adults. Known as Discovery After Dark, these events are only available to adults 21 and older. Some of the events have included “Science of the Brew,” “Science of Superstitions,” and “Science of Electricity.3

Located in the southwest corner of the beautiful Gage Park, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center seeks to enhance the lives of children through creative inspiration and educational enhancement. 

The Discover Center dates back to 2011, and since it opened to the public with a 15,708-square-foot building nestled within 4.5 wooded acres, it has attracted tens of thousands of children from Topeka and throughout the nation. Younger visitors to the Discover Center explore nine indoor exhibits that cover science, gardening, money, art, careers, and other subjects, all of which the Center presents in a fun, interactive, and engaging manner. 

Outside of the Center, the 4.5 acres of wooded land in Gage Park hosts hiking and biking trails, and families can rent bicycles, visit a butterfly garden, or play within a two-story treehouse designed by local architect,  Chris Yorke. 

The Discover After Dark events, for adults aged 21 and older, give local parents a chance to learn about science, beer, and other subjects interesting among adults.

Kansas Childrens Discovery Center

Located in Gage Park, the Munn Pioneer Memorial commemorates the men, women and children who traveled to Kansas to settle and start a new life. It features a bronze statue of Lillie Gordon Munn and a young man, and a large 45-foot bas-relief carving depicting the "movement of civilizations from east to west." Figures depicted include Native Americans, pioneer families, Spaniards led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Buffalo Bill, priests, farmers, cattlemen, scouts, and cattle pulling a wagon. The memorial was created by artist Fred Torrey (1884-1967) in 1939.  

Munn Pioneer Memorial 

Ralph Eugene Scammell was the architect of the Italian Renaissance vernacular style home with Prairie School influences. A two-story addition was placed along the rear of the house in 1930, with a first-floor den and second-floor library; the two-story home is T-shaped in plan. The original portion of the house contained three rooms on each floor with a center hall plan. The roof is cross-hipped tile. A balustraded concrete porch abuts the home with concrete steps leading to the main entrance. The house used to stand on seven acres, and the property was known as Terrace Lake. The property is down to two acres. Most of the landscape features from the Anton era are gone. A sunporch on the east side of the house used has been bricked in, atop a two-car garage and basement room. Awnings shaded most of the windows and doors during the Anton era (until 1941). French doors lead to balconies from the second floor library. Frederick A. Anton was one of the first Topekans to build an imposing home and lavish grounds in the city's suburbs. His factory in Topeka manufactured the hardware for tents and awnings; two factories in Arizona and California made the fabric. In 1930, only he and his wife lived in the mansion; their adult daughter and son had their own homes elsewhere. Frederick was 63 years old by 1930 and worked as the proprietor of his company; his wife, Augusta, was 57 and also a native of Germany. Frederick had come to America in 1884 and was a naturalized citizen. The house was valued at $60,000 in 1930. By 1940, the 73-year-old Anton was sharing the house with a new wife, 37-year-old Eula, an Oklahoma native; and a 24-year-old maid, Clara Schiebe. The home's estimated value had dropped to $30,000 in the 1940 census. Anton died in 1944, three years after selling the mansion. Besides being a former Governor, Henry Hines Woodring served in the War Department under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1940. While owning the mansion, he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1946 and 1956. The outer edges of the Woodring-owned property north and east of the mansion were subdivided for residential lots in 1946 and in the 1950s. In the mid-1950s, a lake was filled in and converted into a rose garden and lawn. After the Woodring heirs ownership (after Henry's death in 1957), the house and grounds belonged to The Christian Church of Kansas from 1968 until the late 1980s; the church used the building for its offices. Donald A. and Janet Chubb purchased the house in 1988 as their residence and worked to restore the house and its landscaped grounds with its former fountains, terraced gardens, and a circular drive. The Anton-Woodring House was deemed significant for its architectural style and for its association with Frederick A. Anton.

The Anton-Woodring House was built from 1926 to 1927 of concrete block with a brick veneer. Frederick A. Anton (1866-1944) was a German immigrant and inventor who became an American citizen in 1911. He started the Topeka Tent and Awning Company in 1901, which later became the Anton-Ackerman Company. The Antons lived in the house until 1941 when it was purchased by Harry Hines Woodring (1887-1957), the Governor of Kansas for one term ending in 1932. While the driveway begins on SW Cambridge Avenue, the house isn't visible from the surrounding roads except for glimpses from SW Gage Boulevard due to surrounding trees and houses. The house faces north and was listed in the Kansas and National historic registers in 1991. 

Anton-Woodring House

The cemetery was founded by Albe and Kate Whiting in 1906, who arrived in Topeka in 1877 and established the A.B. Whiting Paint and Glass Company. Kate unfortunately died in 1907 but Albe continued to manage and expand the cemetery for the rest of his life.

Situated on the grounds of the Mount Hope Cemetery is a memorial to one of the country's most beloved presidents, Abraham Lincoln. It consists of a statue of him seated on a large chair (it appears to be a replica of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.) and a short marker with a plaque with the words of the Gettysburg Address on it and a stone from the Gettysburg battlefield that was given to the cemetery in 1959. 

Abraham Lincoln Memorial, Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka

A history of the museum from its official website:&nbsp;"Joab R. Mulvane, 1837-1929, came to Kansas in 1876 and distinguished himself as one of the most successful Kansan's of his generation. &nbsp;The breadth of his interests has shaped Kansas and beyond especially in shipping logistics given the strategic advantage of Kansas as a single point distribution hub for North America.&nbsp; He was president of at least nine railroads and presided over the Chicago, Kansas and Western Railway Company, as its President, when it built over 900 miles of rail lines for the Santa Fe.&nbsp; In 1922 Mulvane pledged a gift to build the Mulvane Art Museum and the building opened to the public in 1924.&nbsp; In 1946, through the encouragement of Alexander Tillotson, Director of the Washburn Art Department, the Topeka Junior League sprearheaded the formation of a group now known as the Friends of the Mulvane Art Museum.Accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1988, the Mulvane Art Museum, one of the oldest art museums west of the Mississippi, houses a collection of approximately 4,000 objects from around the world including paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs and decorative art.&nbsp; While international in scope, the Museum's collection focuses on the works of artists from Kansas and the Mountain Plains region of the United States. In addition to exhibiting works from the collection the Museum also presents changing exhibitions featuring artists from around the world.Following a tornado in 1966 that destroyed most of the buildings on campus, the present art complex was built.&nbsp; Due to the nature of the Mulvane Trust, the building's native limestone exterior was unchanged; however the severely damaged interior was gutted and connected to the new Garvey Fine Arts Center which also houses the Art History, Music and Theater Departments.&nbsp; A Women’s Board was organized in 1968 to generate more interest in the Museum, provide volunteers to staff the Mulvane Store and&nbsp;raise funds for acquisitions and programs.&nbsp; In 1981 the Mulvane Art Center’s name was changed to the Mulvane Art Museum.&nbsp; The Mulvane Art Museum underwent another renovation project, completed in 2006, that increased exhibition space to 5,000 sq. ft., provided secure storage for the collection and&nbsp;art preparation areas, and significantly enlarged the art education program with the creation of the Judith Lennox Sabatini ArtLab, a 1,500 sq. ft. hands-on art experience center and the renovation of four education classrooms."1

The Mulvane Art Museum is one of the oldest art museums west of the Mississippi River. It is home to a collection of over 4000 works of art and is located on the north end of the Washburn University. There is a parking lot complex just west of the Mulvane that offers free parking.

Mulvane Art Museum

Evel Knievel was born in Butte, Montana on October 17, 1938 as Robert Craig Knievel. He had a number of professions over the years, although some may be his own tall tales (swindler, safe cracker, holdup man). He got in trouble for popping a wheelie on mining equipment in his home town. Knievel once owned a Honda motorcycle dealership where he offered a $100 discount to customers who could beat him in arm wrestling. The world-renowned motorcycle stunt daredevil defied death countless times and always survived, even if he broke a bone - or a lot of bones. He called it quits after a 1976 stunt - jumping over a tank of sharks - caused major injuries, but couldn't resist a few more smaller stunts with his only son, Robbie, who followed his dad into the daredevil business. Toys with an Evel Knievel theme grossed $300 million in the 1970s and 1980s. Two movies about his life have been made and a limited television series about Knievel was about to be produced in 2020 before the pandemic halted work. The end came quietly one day at the age of 69. Evel, who suffered from pulmonary fibrosis in his later years, had trouble breathing and an ambulance was called to his condominium in Clearwater, Florida. The man who had defied death so many times before passed away on November 30, 2007 before the ambulance could reach a hospital. He left behind two ex-wives, four children, ten grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

At the time of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling in 1954, Monroe Elementary was one of four all-Black schools in Topeka. It was established on land that belonged to abolitionist John Ritchie, who welcomed freed African Americans to build homes on his property after the Civil War. The first school on this site was a rented building used from 1868 to 1874, when a larger permanent structure was built. The Topeka Board of Education purchased the school after Ritchie’s death in 1877. The school building visitors see at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site today was built in 1926 and designed by local architect Thomas W. Williamson. The story of Monroe Elementary and its connection to the landmark Brown v. Board decision holds both local and national significance, which reveal the complex nature of segregation and race in the United States. From the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, segregation permeated American society. Laws affecting segregation on the city, state, and national level, including the heavily restrictive Jim Crow laws of the South, were justified by the Supreme Court’s Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which declared segregation constitutional as long as facilities for Blacks and whites were “separate but equal” in quality. Underlying these laws were entrenched racial prejudices and hostility toward Blacks and other people of color. Segregation laws controlled various aspects of African American life, including where they could live, enter buildings, sit in public spaces, use public facilities, and attend schools. Plessy v. Ferguson’s “separate but equal” doctrine upheld school segregation into the 1950s, claiming separate schools were constitutional as long as they were equal. In reality, however, Black public schools were deeply underfunded, lacking basic resources such as buildings and textbooks. This meant that schools were not only deprived of tangible resources but also the opportunity to enrich young minds. In response, African American communities were forced to raise their own funds to build schools. Philanthropic projects such as Rosenwald Schools, Black schools organized by Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, also offered an alternative to public schools. By the 1950s, most states had laws that dictated whether schools were segregated or not. All southern states required school segregation, though a number of court cases in the early twentieth century granted persons of color admission to white schools. In Kansas, school segregation was not mandated, but an 1879 state law did permit segregation in certain cities like Topeka. Monroe Elementary and the three other Black schools, Buchanan, McKinley, and Washington, were constructed in the late 1920s as part of a larger effort to revamp the Topeka public school system in light of a rapidly growing student population. This meant that unlike most segregated school systems, Topeka’s new facilities actually were “separate but equal." Topeka attempted to integrate their schools in the 1930s and 1940s, resulting in court rulings and school board decisions that junior high schools would desegregate while elementary schools like Monroe would remain “separate but equal.” African Americans in the city were split over segregation; some parents and teachers argued the children were receiving quality educations at the Black schools and benefited from being in a Black community, while others, especially members of the Topeka NAACP, argued integration was necessary for equality. In 1950, the Topeka NAACP joined forces with thirteen Black parents to challenge these segregated schools. The parents attempted to enroll their children in their neighborhood schools but were refused. In turn, the parents filed a lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education. Oliver L. Brown, a local minister whose daughter attended Monroe Elementary, was named the lead plaintiff in the case. The case made it to the Supreme Court, where it was combined with four other NAACP-sponsored cases from Delaware, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Thurgood Marshall, director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, served as chief council. As the case was heard in D.C., the public schools of Topeka began gradually desegregating in September 1953 before the landmark ruling.On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that it was unconstitutional to segregate schools, effectively overturning the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision. The ruling was a major step in the long march toward equality. Still, it would take time and a great deal of struggle for schools to integrate. Some criticized the Brown v. Board decision as an assault on the states’ rights to coordinate their own school systems. Governors, school boards, and members of the public resisted integration by shutting down schools, protesting, and making it difficult for Black students to enter all-white schools; the hostility toward nine Black students admitted to Little Rock Central High School epitomizes this resistance to integration. Subsequent laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and court decisions continued to dismantle the structure of segregation within American society. In fact, some schools have remained segregated into the new millennium, such as a school in Mississippi that was ordered to integrate in 2015, fifty years after a case was filed in 1964. Despite its connection to Brown v. Board, Monroe Elementary has only recently gained national recognition as a place of historical significance. The school closed in 1975 and passed through several hands until 1990 when it went up for auction. The Brown Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to remembering the history of Brown v. Board, informed the owner of its significance and began planning a way to acquire the site. It was an important moment, as one of the other original schools had been demolished and the other two were, and still are, in private hands. The Brown Foundation connected with preservation groups and the National Park Service, which assessed the site and designated it a National Historic Landmark in 1991. The designation acknowledged the site’s national significance but did not establish it as a National Park. This required passing legislation through Congress, which was approved in 1992 and signed by President George Bush as Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.Guided tours are given daily from 9:00-5:00 excluding major holidays. This site hosts many special events, exhibits, and educational programs. They also host several special events during February in honor of African American History month. For more information and details on planning a trip, check the first website listed below or call 1-785-354-4273.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site commemorates the history of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and violated the equality of citizens under the 14th Amendment. Members of the local NAACP and thirteen parents representing twenty children filed the lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education in 1951. Some of these children attended Monroe Elementary, one of the four Black schools at the time. Monroe Elementary is now the headquarters National Historic Site, established in 1992. As part of the National Park Service, the site offers programs and exhibits that explore the legal and social history of Brown v. Board.

Monroe Elementary, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

John Ritchie was born on July 17, 1817 in Uniontown, Ohio. As he grew up he began getting involved in politics in his community as well as farming and real estate development. He married&nbsp;Mary Jane Shelleday on January 16, 1838 in Franklin, Indiana. The couple moved to the Kansas territory in 1854, settling near the town of Topeka. It should also be noted that Mary was only the fifth woman to settle in Kansas and their young son, Hale, was the third child to be born there. After living in a dugout through the first winter, John Ritchie built his home around 1856, a modest limestone structure that stands in what is today 1116 SE Madison Street. Ritchie was very involved in the Topeka community, being selected to serve in two of the four Kansas Constitutional Conventions: the Leavenworth convention&nbsp;in 1858 and the Wyandotte Convention in 1859. Both John and Mary were devout&nbsp;abolitionists and would play a big part in what would become known as "Bleeding Kansas."&nbsp; Bleeding Kansas was the time when the United States Government let the citizens of Kansas decide whether Kansas would be a Slave State or a Free State. This caused many bouts if infighting in the territory, with both sides resorting to violence and&nbsp;bloodshed. Kansas was particularly dangerous for runaway slaves, as they were hunted down by their former&nbsp;owners, federal law enforcement, and the slave catchers along the riverbanks. The John Ritchie&nbsp;soon opened his home to slaves as part of the underground railroad and joined a group later called the "Topeka Boys".&nbsp; One notable event during this time was when John helped a fellow abolitionist and eleven slaves avoid detection by federal troops and allowed them to escape into Nebraska. That abolitionist was John Brown.&nbsp;When the American Civil War broke out, John enlisted in the Union Army, where he quickly rose to the rank of&nbsp;lieutenant colonel and served in the&nbsp;5th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry and the&nbsp;2nd Regiment, Indian Home Guard. He later got a brevet promotion to Brigadier General in 1865. After the civil war, many African Americans migrated to Kansas to settle down, and John Ritchie sold many of them land around his homestead. A school for Black children was soon built on some of the land that Ritchie sold, known as Monroe School, which would later become the center of attention in the Brown v. Board of Education court case.

Recently restored by the Shawnee County Historical Society, the John Ritchie House was home to abolitionists John and Mary Ritchie. The Ritchies supported John Brown and other militant opponents of slavery during the frontier period known as "Bleeding Kansas." They also used this home to shelter runaway slaves during Kansas's territorial period when slavery was legal and assisting runaway slaves was a capital crime according to the notorious slave codes of the Lecompton government.

John Ritchie Homestead

Samuel Drake Bowker was born in Maine in 1835 and took his first job as a pastor in 1860 at a Congregational church in Maine. He suffered from tuberculosis by 1862 and moved for his health to Topeka in November 1864, where his brother, William E. lived. Samuel and his brother both contributed cash toward the initial endowment for Lincoln College; William was one of the college's first trustees. Bowker became the financial agent for the fledgling school and traveled back East in early 1865 for fundraising. Bowker met with President Abraham Lincoln, the college's namesake, and members of the Kansas delegation to Congress during his first fundraising trip. By May 1865, Bowker had secured $5,000 in funding and over 300 books to form the nucleus of the college library. In august 1865, Bowker was named the principal of the preparatory and scientific department and professor of English. Samuel Bowker maintained the house on Quincy Street as a boarding house for out of state students of Lincoln College. He died of tuberculosis in February 1868, leaving a widow and son. Mrs. Bowker was listed in the city directory in 1868 as living in the Quincy Street house but did not appear in the 1870 census within Topeka. The Bowker House is made of rough-cut limestone. The two-story main block has a pyramidal roof covered in asphalt shingles. A rear addition was built in 1904 and a garage addition was constructed in the 1980s; both are wood frame. A wooden porch across most of the front was built to match one seen on historical photos of the house. The house has a full basement with rough-cut stone walls and a concrete floor. The four-bedroom, two-bath home is within the Monroe neighborhood and was last sold in 1993. The Association for Congregational Churches was founded in northeast Kansas in 1857 and setting up a college was an early goal of the organization. A two-story limestone building was constructed for Lincoln College classrooms in 1865 at the corner of 10th Street and Jackson Avenue, across the road from the State Capitol. The land for the university was donated by John Ritchie, a leading abolitionist who represented the sentiments of some Topeka residents as the city had been the home of the Free State Legislature in the era known as Bleeding Kansas. Lincoln College's first class contained thirty-eight students, both male and female, with one African-American student. The Bowker House was four blocks from the original college location. A new campus was established on donated land of 160 acres southwest of town in the early 1870s. New boarding houses or cottages closer to the new campus were constructed for students. Renamed Washburn College in 1868 after a major donor, Ichabod Washburn. The college was operated by the city and one of the last remaining municipal universities funded by city property taxes. Today Washburn is a public university with around 7,000 enrolled students.

The Bowker House was built in 1866 and is among the oldest continuously-inhabited residences in Topeka. The first owner of this home was Samuel Drake Bowker, a former pastor who moved to Topeka in 1864. Bowker was part of the group that organized Lincoln College. The college was formally organized on February 6th, 1865, and is the institution of higher education that grew to become Washburn University. Bowker was on the college faculty as a professor until he died of tuberculosis in 1868. Bowker designed the home to serve as a boarding house for Lincoln College students. When the college relocated further away from the center of the town in the early 1870s, this property was converted to a single family home by the late nineteenth century. The property was listed on the National Register in 2006 for its ties to the early history of Lincoln College and continues to serve as a private residence.

Bowker House

Brief History of the Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a nationwide fraternal organization created by veterans of the Civil War. It was founded in Decatur, Illinois in 1866 by Benjamin F. Stephenson, and across the nation, membership to this organization was limited to discharged veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or the Revenue Cutter Service who had served between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865.&nbsp;The group reached its peak membership in 1890 with over 490,000 veterans, and it dissolved in 1956 when the last surviving member of the Union Army, Albert Woolson, died.&nbsp;
Because of the large membership&nbsp;of this organization, with posts&nbsp;in mostly northern states though there were a few in southern states, GAR was a primary advocate in politics. In addition to promoting soldiers and sailors memorial sites (many of which were built in the 1880s and 1890s), GAR helped secure voting rights for Black veterans, promoted patriotic education reforms, made Memorial Day a national holiday, lobbied Congress to establish pensions for veterans, and supported various Republican politicians in elections.&nbsp;GAR’s influence was so widespread that the group helped elect several presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Harrison, and McKinley (all of whom were also Civil War veterans or members of GAR). In fact, Republican candidates could not even get presidential or congressional nominations without a GAR endorsement.1
History of the G.A.R. Memorial Hall
Bringing a monument honoring Civil War veterans to Topeka dates back to 1906, when Captain P.H. Coney of Kansas’s GAR branch suggested to the state to build a memorial crowned with a peace figure. Also at that time, the Kansas Historical Society, which had been operating out of the State Capitol building since 1876, declared that it was simply running out of space to house its vast collection of artifacts, documents, and other historical objects.&nbsp;
Another factor leading to the construction of Memorial Hall was the federal government’s payments to states that helped serve in federal wars. The State of Kansas’s war claims included $97,466 for equipping and sending soldiers to fight in the Civil War as well as $425,065 for rebelling Confederate soldiers and for helping with the Indian Wars. This totaled around $522,531, which in 1909 was equivalent to about $13,750,816 today.
There was overwhelming favor among Kansas citizens to use that money for a memorial building. The GAR Council of Administration then adopted a resolution stating, “the erection of a building as a memorial to the memory of the soldiers of the war for the Union, a portion of said building to be used as a headquarters for the department of Kansas Grand Army of the Republic so long as the organization may exist, (and) the rest of the building to be used by the Kansas State Historical Society.”
In 1909, the Memorial Hall Building Commission was created and the State of Kansas gave $200,000 for its construction (in the end, the state would give $400,000). Two years later in 1911, President William Howard Taft visited Topeka to lay the cornerstone, which featured an inscription that read, “Erected by the State of Kansas as a Memorial to the Union Soldiers and Sailors of the War of the Rebellion.”
A dedication ceremony was held in 1914 at the building’s completion, and around 25,000 people came to the ceremony. The GAR Commander, John N. Harrison, detailed the building’s significance and philosophy at this ceremony, saying, “It’s magnificent walls of pure white marble are more eloquent than articulate speech — its very silence is impressive far beyond and above the words of man, for it assures my comrades living, that my comrades living and dead, are held in sacred memory by the great, patriotic liberty-loving people of Kansas.”
From 1914 to 1995, Memorial Hall stood as the headquarters of the Kansas State Historical Society. In 2000, however, a re-dedication was held, christening the building as the home of the Kansas Attorney General and Kansas Secretary of State.2

Known formally as the Memorial Building, the GAR Memorial Hall is a historic building located in downtown Topeka near the State Capitol. Although the building currently houses the State of Kansas Office of the Secretary State, Memorial Hall is significant as its construction was a dedication to the soldiers and sailors who fought in the Civil War. 

The building itself dates back to 1914, though movements to build a memorial began in 1908 by the Grand Army of the the Republic (GAR). It also stands as an excellent example of French Renaissance style architecture that was favored among government buildings during the early 20th century. From its construction in 1914 until 1995, Memorial Hall’s main purpose was to house the Kansas State Historical Society. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

GAR Memorial Hall, (The Memorial Building) Topeka 

History of Pioneer Women (Memorial Significance)Aside from the statue’s innate beauty and inspirational significance, the Pioneer Women Memorial holds a profound meaning that covers the pioneering mother over the course of the 19th century. After the Louisiana Purchase, and especially after the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, many men and their families began settling in the area. According to “Stories From Greenwood Pioneer Women” for the Kansas City Star in 1916, there were very few single men first settling Kansas, and similar to the need for oxen and the prairie schooners, these early settlers wouldn’t have been able to establish themselves in the area without the help of women.For example, a drought ravished the area in 1860 and nearly caused starvation in thousands of settlers throughout the state. One story concerned the Willis family who settled in Greenwood County near Wichita. After building a modest farmhouse outside of Eureka, the family found themselves without food. It was Mrs. Willis who brought pumpkin and melon seeds from Illinois, which yielded the only crop in 1860 and saved her family. In addition to starvation, pioneer families fought against prairie fires, stereotypes regarding attacking Native American tribes, and sickness. In building a suitable farm, women worked side-by-side with their mates to turn the soil, plant the crops, the engage in other chores that were traditionally only suitable for men. While working the earth, the women also cooked, cleaned, made clothes, helped build and maintain the house, gathered water, dealt with rodents and marauding animals, raised and nursed children, canned fruits and vegetables, washed laundry on a rub board, ironed with a heavy cast iron, and conducted many, many other tasks. Lastly, women also became the principal caregivers, treated the sick, set broken bones, amputated limbs, and delivered babies.1 In essence, many single men couldn’t have survived the harsh life of a pioneer without a wife, and thus the Pioneer Women Memorial pays tribute to this essential role of the woman in the establishment of Kansas.  History of the MemorialThe Pioneer Women Memorial was conceived and donated by the Kansas Pioneer Women’s Association. This association consisted of women who came to Kansas as pioneers or as daughters of early settlers. The project began in 1927 with a massive fundraising drive, and anyone who donated a dollar could receive membership. Kansas Pioneer Women's Memorial Association first-vice-chair Lilla Day Monroe initially pursued a Kansas pioneer mother monument out of a belief in women's equality. But that did not mean that the association wanted a sculpture that depicted a woman acting like a man. The male-dominated memorial commission selected Bryant Baker's design featuring a sunbonneted pioneer woman holding a scythe. That design closely resembled Baker's famous Pioneer Woman for Ponca City, Oklahoma. But Kansans did not want their monument to remind viewers that Kansas settler women needed to help their husbands with field labor. They urged the sculptor to replace the scythe with a gun. Baker apparently refused. By 1935, Baker's model was on display in the capitol rotunda, but the memorial association awarded a $10,000 contract for the monument to famed American artist and former Kansan Robert Merrill Gage, instead.In the 1920s and 1930s, Americans often imagined pioneer women holding rifles. Twenty-five public sculptures of pioneer women unaccompanied by men were put up in the US during those decades. Fifteen of those 25 include rifles, including Merrill Gage's 1920 Daughters of Old Westport memorial in the Kansas City area. But none of those pioneer women appear prepared to fire their weapons, even in self-defense. Instead, artists included rifles to emphasize these women's need for protection in the supposedly untamed West.A few protested Gage’s depiction of a “pioneer lady holding a gun,” claiming that their mothers never hunted for game or fought Indians.2 But the Topeka Capital’s editors defended Gage, insisting that pioneer women had to be ready to defend her home if necessary in their husbands’ absence. They believed that nineteenth-century women were supposed to be the moral defenders of the home. While pioneer men struck boldly into the savage wilderness to build new homes and communities, pioneer women were supposed to sit within those rough cabins protecting their civility.The Kansas Pioneer Women’s Association constructed the monument with the help of Merrell Gage, who also built the seated Lincoln statue on the Kansas Capitol grounds. It was dedicated on Mother’s Day on May 11th, 1937.3

Located on the southwest quadrant of the stunning Kansas State Capitol’s grounds, the Pioneer Women Memorial pays an essential tribute to an often overlooked facet of westward expansion in the United States: the woman, mother, and pioneer. 
Women pioneers were central to the success of westward settlement, and without these courageous women, many who held several roles in both traveling caravans and small settlements, newfound communities west of the Mississippi would have encountered eventual destruction and abandonment. 

The sculpture on the capitol grounds features the image of a pioneer woman, who is said to represent the artistic embodiment of all Kansas pioneer women. Aside her on the marble pedestal includes a dog by one of her feet, a pre-teen son by the other foot, a baby cradled in her arm, and a large rifle sitting across her lap. According to the statue’s inscription, the symbolic pioneer mother is too well-fed to be a pioneer woman, but it nonetheless represents the hardships, struggles, and ideals these women met settling into the Kansas territory. 

Sculpted by acclaimed Topeka resident, Robert Merrill Gage, the Pioneer Women Memorial was dedicated on May 11, 1937, the Mother’s Day of that year. 

Pioneer Mother Memorial

Curtis' mother was an unusual combination of many different Native American heritages: her mother was 1/2 Kansa, 1/2 Osage, and her father was 1/2 Potawatomie, 1/2 French.1 Curtis' father, meanwhile, was of English, Scot, and Welsh descent.&nbsp;In Curtis' earliest years, he lived with his mother on "Half Breed Reservation No. 4" (full-blooded Indians and Indians of mixed heritage were awarded separate land), and his first languages were Kaw and French, rather than English. However, those years ended quickly, as his mother died when he was 3 years old, and his father left for the civil war. For the next&nbsp;two years, Curtis lived with his paternal grandparents in Topeka, even after his father returned from the war with a dishonorable discharge. As his father was considered unstable, Curtis remained under his grandparents' care. When Curtis was five, his maternal grandparents returned to the Kaw reservation at Council Grove, and Curtis went with them. Thus most of Curtis' early childhood memories were developed among the Kaw on the reservation. His identity was fully that of a Native American, and when he later began to race horses, he was known to others as "the Indian Boy."2 When Curtis was 13, his maternal grandparents traveled again with the Kaw Tribe to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. Curtis traveled from Topeka, where he had been racing horses, to join his grandparents' wagon and return to life on the new reservation. However, his grandmother dissuaded him, convincing him that a good education was necessary to a good life, and he could never find that on the reservation. He took her advice and went to live with his paternal grandmother (his grandfather had passed away) in Topeka. He attended high school and then later studied law. In 1884, then a practicing lawyer, Charles Curtis married Anna Baird, and they had three children. Soon Curtis was running for public office, and it was only a few years later, in 1889 that he first attempted to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, though he lost. However, he won the seat in 1892. As a successful representative, he then later won a seat in the United States Senate in 1907. Ironically, Hoover and Curtis were more political enemies than allies, as both had wished for the Republican presidential nomination. Instead, the party handed Curtis the vice presidential nomination. The Great&nbsp;Depression, however, brought down the stock markets, Hoover, and Curtis all together, making Curtis the last for possibly&nbsp;as many things as he was the first.

Charles Curtis was an influential member of Congress and Vice President under Herbert Hoover. He was the first Native American to hold the office, and also the last Vice President to remain unmarried for the entire duration of his service in the office. His home in Topeka is now a public museum that offers artifacts and displays related to his life and era. 

Charles Curtis House Museum

Only one archaeological Kansa site, a former village,&nbsp;from the 1800s remains in Shawnee County. It is located on a site on a bluff overlooking the Kansas River. Its location on the bluff saved it from being washed away in a flood that destroyed two other Kansa&nbsp;villages. Excavations of the surviving site has provided valuable information about Kansa life in the 1800s.&nbsp;

Kansas is named after the Kansa tribe, whose traditional territory was located in the northeast part of the state. This marker, which is located on the grounds of the State Capitol building, provides a brief description of the tribe's culture and history. The Kansa's situation slowly began to change once European traders first made contact with them in the 18th century. By the turn of the 19th century, the tribe's situation worsened. A treaty signed in 1825 decreased the size of the Kansa's territory. The tribe also suffered from disease and the constant arrival of white settlers, who often encroached on Kansa lands. The federal government relocated the Kansa to the Upper Neosho Valley in 1844 and, later in 1863, ordered all tribes to move out of the state into Oklahoma. The Kansa made this move in 1873.   

Historical Marker: The Kansa Tribe

On February 14, 1866, Governor Samuel Crawford signed House Bill 34 "An Act Providing for the Erection of the Statehouse" into law. The statehouse committee chose Kansas resident, John G. Haskell, as the architect for the new undertaking, and work began within the year. On October 17, 1866, builders laid the cornerstone for the East Wing of the statehouse.Unfortunately, one initial problem Haskell had was finding appropriately hard limestone. The original cornerstone and foundations did not harden sufficient, and a harsh winter in 1867 led to the total destruction of the cornerstone and foundation. Thankfully harder limestone from Geary County was found to replace the original, and all future limestone used was a harder variety that could stand up against the winters.Even while construction took nearly forty years to complete, the building was in use by lawmakers and the governor for most of that time. Starting in 1869, state offices were moved into the unfinished east wing, and the legislature held its first sessions in the new capitol in 1870. The east wing was finished in 1873 (with three years of lawmakers enduring the sounds of construction while they worked). After that, construction moved to the west wing, which was completed in 1881. The north and south ends, as well as the dome and entire capitol, were finally completed in 1903, at a total staggering cost of $3,200,588.92.The statue of the Kaw warrior, which can be seen on top of the dome today, was not added until 2002. It took over a century of debate to determine what statue ought to stand on top of the dome and to appropriate the funds for the statue. The original 1889 plan of placing a bronze sculpture of the Roman goddess Ceres on top changed in 1984, when the budget for finally providing for a statute, stipulated that the statue could not be a god or goddess. Finally, in the late 1980s, after a fierce competition, the Kansa warrior design was chosen to commemorate Kansas' Native American heritage and was given the name "Ad Astra," which comes from the state motto: "Ad astra per aspera" or ""to the stars through difficulties."

As an architectural landmark that took more than 30 years to complete and cost $3,200,588.92 over a century ago, the Kansas State Capitol stands out even among state capitols. The beautiful copper dome (which is taller than the dome of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.) and the Ad Astra statue, which stands atop the dome, are visible even from distances in Topeka. Built between 1866 and 1903, visitors to the statehouse will find both a window into the past and a chance to see the current state government at work.

Kansas State Capitol

Brief History of the African Episcopal Church
The church was officially established as the Methodist Church Mission in 1868. Before the founding of the Methodist Church Mission in 1868, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church had been providing opportunities to African Americans since 1787. As the oldest Black organized institution in the United States, starting in Philadelphia, the Church grew out of the Free African Society (FAS). As a religious organization, it&nbsp;developed due to sociological differences as opposed to theological differences, making it one of the first to do so in the Western Hemisphere.&nbsp;The Church’s mission continues to carry the spirit of the original FAS, which is to seek out and save the lost, and serve the needy. In concordance with this mission, AME has also endured as one of the major forerunners of education in the broader African-American community.1&nbsp;
History of the St. John AME Church
Beginning in 1868, the Methodist Church Mission (which was&nbsp;not officially affiliated with an organized religion) met in a small place known as “Alley Barn,” which is located between present-day Harrison and Van Buren Streets. Topeka wasn’t known for having a large African-American community at the time, and Alley Barn was located near the few homes of free African-American men and many ex-slaves who had migrated to Kansas. These ex-slaves typically came from Tennessee, which later led to the community serving Topeka’s “Tennessee Town” neighborhood.&nbsp;
For the first nine years, the Methodist Church Mission didn’t have a pastor. In 1877, Pastor John M. Wilkerson became the first minister, and that same year, he chartered the organization into the St. John AME Church. This made the church the first AME Church in Topeka, and Pastor Wilkerson stated in the church’s charter that is was formed for&nbsp; "Religious, Benevolent, and Charitable purposes, for the promotion of religion, and piety amongst mankind as taught by the Holy Bible, and as taught and practiced by the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States."
On the corner of Second and Madison streets, the congregation bought land and began building their first church in 1879. Members also laid plans to build a different church on the corner of Seventh Street and Topeka Boulevard, and until this second church was completed in 1889, the congregation gathered in the basement of the first building.&nbsp;
By 1908, the first church was torn down with hopes for a new edifice. The architectural drawings of the new church are often associated with the work of Louis M. Wood, as these drawings resemble the current church today. Beginning in 1908, the new church underwent three major construction periods and was officially completed in 1926.&nbsp;
St. John AME Church and Social Movements
Although St. John AME Church's primary mission revolves around&nbsp;religious services, it has also played a significant&nbsp;role in various American social movements since 1868. The historic activities of the church are quite numerous, but they typically fall within three categories - Black Migration, Literacy, and Equality and Civil Rights.
Black Migration is most related to the Church’s earlier days, when ex-slaves and freed men in pursuit of freedom and a greater standard of living were moving in great numbers from southern states, particularly Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia.&nbsp;Known as the Exodus Movement to Kansas, the St. John AME Church helped migrants and immigrants set up a livelihood in the budding city. In 1865, there were about 839 African Americans living in Topeka, though over the next few decades, hundreds more joined the community. This was, in part, due to the fact that Topeka was a “drop-off” point for ex-slaves.&nbsp;Many stayed in Topeka with the help of the St. John AME Church, though hopes for a bright future were limited due to significant hardship. Furthermore, many of the migrants came to Topeka carrying a myriad of sicknesses and diseases, such as measles, pneumonia, pleurisy, consumption, and the bloody flux.&nbsp;
At the same time, the St. John AME Church had created Sunday schools and other social organizations to help people enhance their literacy skills. In the 1870s and ‘80s, St. John was a prominent host that discussed political, social, literary, and religious issues, with topics&nbsp;ranging from the destructive force of lawyers to resolutions declaring that Native Americans had suffered more than African Americans at the hands of the “White Race.”&nbsp;
In 1874, however, the relationship between educational segregation and Topeka was already on the rise, and leaders of St. John publicly expressed concerns that segregation in education, in public accommodations, and in common carries belied Kansas’s reputation for complete liberty and exact equality. As noted, Topeka was the epicenter of the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954.&nbsp;
Other equality movements included the formation of the State Central Relief Committee in 1879 by Reverend Thomas W. Henderson, which oversaw relief efforts directed at immigrating freed men. A year earlier, Reverend Henderson was also involved with the formation of the first African-American press in Topeka.&nbsp;The St. John AME Church would continue to be involved with major social, civic, and political issues of the day, including the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s.2&nbsp;

Established in 1868 St. John AME Church remains one of the most essential institutions within Topeka’s African American community. The congregation assisted former slaves as they traveled west in search of farmland prior to and during the 'Exodus' of 1879 that saw twenty thousand African American sharecroppers abandon the South after the failure of Reconstruction. The church continues to play a central role in the community, offering everything from from religious services to a forum to address civil and social issues. Construction of the current church building began in 1908 and it was completed in 1926. The St. John AME Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

St. John AME Church, Topeka Kansas 

Originally
part of a complex that included a hotel and arcade, the construction of the
Jayhawk was overseen by local architect, Thomas Williamson and was one of the
earliest “air refrigerated” theaters in Kansas.&nbsp;
It seated 1,500 people and was the site where Governor Alf Landon
announced his intention to run for president in 1936.&nbsp; 

The theater
closed in 1976, soon fell into disrepair and was considered for demolition in
1992.&nbsp; This was the same year that
efforts began to save and restore the venerable theater.&nbsp; These efforts were successful in having the
state legislature designate it as the Official State Theater of Kansas in
1993.&nbsp; By 1996, most of the debris had
been removed by local Boy Scouts and the public was granted access as
restoration efforts moved forward.

Now located
in the Jayhawk Tower (an office building renovated from the Hotel Jayhawk), the
Jayhawk Theater resumed operations in October of 2014 with the showing of the
Rocky Horror Picture Show.&nbsp; While
restoration is ongoing, it is now open for tours and is scheduled to function
as it was originally intended, as a movie theater and venue for live
shows.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Completed in 1926, the Jayhawk Theatre was created to show both moving pictures and live, primarily, vaudeville shows. The Jayhawk was designed by the prominent Kansas City architectural firm of the Boller Brothers, which was responsible for designing almost 100 theaters across the country. Twenty of their theaters are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Jayhawk.

The Jayhawk Theatre

The Thacher Building first contained the O'Donald Lithographic Company. A Topeka company named Hall and O'Donald Lithographing incorporated in 1890; the charter was filed with the Kansas Secretary of State on March14th. The new corporation had capital stock of $100,000. The firm was among a list of local newspapers and printers that hired union laborers, according to a Topeka newspaper notice in 1897; the ad urged patrons to place their work with these firms. The 1890s was a decade of increasing tension between laborers and management over working conditions across the country. The firm opened branch offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Salt Lake City, Utah by the early 1890s. The company letterhead featured a lithograph of the Thacher Building and the tagline "County, Bank, and Office Outfitters." The east side of the building featured the advertising: "HALL &amp; O'DONALD LITHOGRAPHING/ LITHOGRAPHERS PRINTERS/ BLANK BOOK MAKERS." The company did not charge extra for the stone upon which the engraving was done, but the stone did not become the property of the buyer. A rival printer, the Kansas State Printing Company, was located next door in a brick building, by the mid-1890s. The uppermost floor contained a hall that was used for local lodge meetings. In 1899, the Thacher Building became the location of George W. Crane and Company, a printer and publisher, when Crane bought the building. George W. Crane was born in 1843 in Pennsylvania. His father moved to Topeka in 1855 to help make Kansas a free state; George followed ten years later, after the death of his mother and his move to Canada to live with an aunt. He began a bookbinding and blank book business in 1868 in the Ritchie Block and became one of the owners of the Daily Commonwealth newspaper. After a fire in the Ritchie Block in 1869 destroyed the publishing business, Crane moved to the Commonwealth Building. In 1873, another fire damaged the business once again. He moved to the Keith Block and established a successful business only to have it destroyed by fire in 1889. By 1893, Crane recovered from debts due to inadequate insurance, and briefly relocated to Kansas City. He returned to Topeka and established the company again as Crane and Company. He occupied only part of the Thacher building at first. George W. Crane passed away in January 1913 after a year of declining health. He was memorialized at a meeting of the Topeka Typographical Union in May 1913 as being broad-minded and tolerant. His business was praised as being the first one established in Topeka to become well known abroad; the company's plant was likened to a home with the workers being its household. George W. Crane was survived by his wife, Fannie K. Crane. Crane and Company evolved into an office supply business and expanded to fill the entire Thacher Building by 1926. The company closed in the 1980s. The Thacher building was purchased by Gizmo Pictures Inc., a video production company, in 2009 for $350,000. The firm expected to spend around $1 million to renovate the structure and to set up a cafe on the first floor. The buyers were impressed by the building's nine-foot-tall arched windows, ornate decoration, and high ceilings. They painstakingly restored the stained glass windows that were caked in many decades of dirt. Juli's Coffee and Bistro occupies the first floor, offering breakfast and lunch.

The Thacher Building is a three-story Richardson Romanesque commercial building in downtown Topeka. Built in 1888 at a cost of about $40,000, the stone structure is a two-part commercial block form. The stone balustrade capping the building contains a nameplate inscribed "THACHER." The Thacher Building was constructed for Timothy Dwight Thacher, a local businessman, using cottonwood limestone. Thacher settled in Topeka in the 1850s and helped establish the Kansas Republican Party in 1859. The original architectural plans for the Thacher Building by John Gideon Haskell survive; Haskell also designed the Kansas Statehouse. Not many other commercial buildings downtown from the Topeka building boom era survive so intact. The building was listed on its own in the National Register in 1975 and as a contributing building in the South Kansas Avenue Commercial Historic District in 2015.

Thacher Building

History of Mariachi Estrella de TopekaMariachi music is a folk music that comes from Mexico, and upon hearing its trumpets, violins, and guitars, it is instantly recognizable. This genre dates back to before the arrival of the Spanish, though the modern incarnation of mariachi is associated with the early 20th century. It was first introduced in Mexico City in 1905, and in the 1920s, the music was broadcast throughout the country through several radio networks. The first mariachi groups in the United States came from California in the late 1950s and 1960s. Up until the appearance of Mariachi Estrella de Topeka, the music genre was heavily related to machismo culture, particularly in terms of drinking tequila and womanizing.1 In the later 1970s in Topeka, at the request of a Guatemalan priest who was asking for livelier music in the church choir, seven women joined together to form the first all-female mariachi group, “Mariachi Estrella de Topeka”. These women brought the typical mariachi instruments from Mexico to Topeka and began playing at Topeka’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. The group consisted of Teresa Cuevas, Connie Alcala, Isabel Gonzalez, Rachel Galvan Sangalang, Dolores Galvan, Dolores Carmona and Linda Scurlock, and prior to playing at the church, they had little mariachi experience. They learned quickly, however, as they practiced the traditional mariachi instruments in a self-taught atmosphere. After attending a mariachi conference in San Antonio in 1980, the women had caught mariachi fever and cemented their goal to play mariachi on a broader scale. The self-taught musicians returned to Topeka after the conference, practiced diligently, and even had women’s mariachi regalia tailored for them. Soon enough, the seven women were playing across the Kansas State and garnering widespread popularity.2The Walkway Collapse at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas CityMariachi Estrella de Topeka had a gig to play at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City on July 17th, 1981. Unfortunately, they never played due to one of the worst structural disasters in United States history (it was unsurpassed until the collapse of the World Trade Center in 2001). That evening, around 1,600 people stood in the atrium as well as on the fourth-floor and second-floor walkways watching a tea dance. The members of Mariachi Estrella de Topeka were about to perform for the Fuller Brush company, and with their outfits on, they were traversing the skywalk when the walkway collapsed. The fourth-floor walkway (the skywalk) crashed into the second-floor walkway, and then both walkways fell into the lobby below. In total, 114 people died and 219 were injured. Four of these deaths included Linda Scurlock, Dolores Galvan, Connie Alcala and Dolores Carmona. Only Rachel Galvan Sangalang and Teresa Cuevas survived the fall. The seventh member, Isabel "Bolie" Gonzales, was not at the Hyatt Regency that fateful day. This marked the virtual end of the first all-female mariachi group, but they immediately became legendary, almost mythic figures in Kansas’s Latino community. In fact, they have served as an inspiration to thousands of girls in the state, showing them that when you have a passion for something, you can go out and do it.According to Cuevas, “We kept at it, the girls and me. We had a lot of fun when we played. I think when you’re doing something that you’re doing yourself, you feel very fortunate. It gives me a lot of peace. It has been a very good thing in my life.”3Memorial UnveilingIn 2006, the one-of-a-kind monument was unveiled at the Topeka Performing Arts Center, memorializing and paying tribute to the mariachi group. The eight-foot tall memorial standing on a two-foot pedestal was designed by the Denver-born sculptor Emmanuel Martinez. The statue features a woman in a traditional mariachi costume, and she holds her right arm in the sky while holding a sombrero against her leg. The base relief of the statue features the four women who died in 1981.4 Inscription on the MemorialIn 1977, seven women from Kansas banded together to share with America, the traditions, culture and music of Mexico - and Mariachi Estrella de Topeka was born. Originally a choir of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the group rose to become regional performing artists. In the male-dominated world of mariachi, these pioneering women became the first all-female mariachi in Kansas and one of the first groups of its kind in the U.S. Their success, however, was cut short on July 17, 1981, when four members lost their lives in a tragic accident.[Relief](l-r), Dolores Galvan, Connie "Chae" Alcala, Dolores Carmona, Linda Rokey ScurlockAnd their music lived on through mariachi members left behindTeresa Cuevas, Rachel Galvan, Isabel "Bolie" GonzalesThis Mariachi Estrella de Topeka Musical Tribute ensures that the story and the music of these seven women will forever be heard.Dedicated July 12, 2006Sculptor: Emanuel Martinez5

Topeka has long been renowned for its contributions to music in every genre. However, throughout the history of the United States as well as Kansas, few musical groups have been as influential as Mariachi Estrella de Topeka. Consisting of seven women, Mariachi Estrella de Topeka rose to Kansas statewide prominence throughout the 1970s and especially in 1980 and 1981. More importantly, this group was the first all-female mariachi group (a musical genre typically dominated by males) in not only Kansas, but quite possibly the United States. Just as the group was taking off, they met a horrible tragedy in 1981 when the walkways at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City collapsed, killing four members and 110 other people. An eight-foot bronze statue of a female mariachi player rests in front of the Topeka Performing Arts Center, memorializing the musical pioneers. This story captures the importance of preserving Kansas’s Mexican American communities and culture, which are a crucial part of democracy in the United States.

Mariachi Divina! - Mariachi Estrella de Topeka Musical Tribute

Holley Museum of Military History is a small but impressive, self-guided military museum in five rooms of the Ramada Inn. The basis for the museum is the collection of military model planes, boats and ships, and small dioramas created by former broadcasting executive Jerry Holley (and his son, Mark), who died in 2010. The 4,000 piece collection, which includes items gathered from other individuals, features posters, uniforms, medals, photographs, and memorabilia in addition to Holley's models and dioramas. The museum opened in 2006, fulfilling Holley's dream of opening a museum to showcase his work and love for history. Volunteers provide guided tours if available. 

Holley Museum of Military History

The lot where the Old German-American State Bank building stands was bought in 1908 by Millard F. Rigby, the owner of a local candy business. In the spring of 1910, the existing building on the lot was demolished and construction began on the new structure. The building cost about $15,000 to build. By mid-1912, the real estate/ insurance office of George M. Noble &amp; Company occupied the second story; a drugstore - Brunt Drug Co. - was operating from part of the first floor of the building. An architect, Charles M. Cuthbert, worked from an office in the building by 1915. The German-American State Bank was established by F.P. Metzger elsewhere downtown (Third and Kansas avenues) in 1908 and gained $89,000 in deposits in its first 89 days. The bank catered to farmers and had four farmers on its board of directors. The bank moved to the building on the corner of Kansas and SW 5th Avenue in September 1915. A newspaper advertisement for the new location touted a "cozy Rest Room especially for the Ladies. The bank's slogan was "Just Plain, Practical, Conservative Banking is Our Policy." Theodore C. Mueller was the bank president in 1915; vice presidents were J.S. Corley and T.R. Paxton. The bank changed its name in December 1917 (during World War I, when the German association was a liability) to the Guarantee State Bank. The bank's president in 1918 was E.E. Mullaney; T.R. Paxton and Roy L. Bone were vice presidents. The bank occupied this building until the 1950s. White exteriors for commercial buildings became popular after the "White City" displays of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The glazed brick and terracotta materials used in the bank building reflect this trend. The decorations on the bank buildnig are a blend of Romanesque and classical revivals. While the exterior of the old German-American State Bank building retains a moderate degree of architectural integrity, the interior has been completely renovated. The new second-story windows match the original in type and material except for the addition of tinted glass. The first-floor windows do not replicate the historical windows. A restaurant named Luis' Place is one of the building's current tenants; they operate mainly as a private club with special events and reservation dining only. They are open to the public for Friday lunches and First Wednesdays wine tastings. A gluten-free bakery, Shana Cake, holds the corner space on the main floor. A real estate leasing and management firm, Kansas Commercial, occupies the second-floor offices.

The old German-American State Bank building is a two-story commercial block clad in white glazed brick and terra cotta ornaments. It was built in 1910 and designed by Leeper & Smith. The longer side of the building faces south toward SW 5th Avenue and features two-story arched bays and a stepped parapet. A recessed modern, two-story addition on the building's west end contains a stairway and elevator. The building contained the bank on the first floor until the 1950s; in 1917, the bank changed its name to Guaranty State Bank. The old German-American State Bank building was listed in the Kansas Register in 1979 and in the National Register the following year. 

Old German-American State Bank

On October 1855, 40 Free State delegates elected from across Kansas Territory gathered to write a document now known as "the Topeka Constitution" which prohibited slavery. While this document passed the U.S. House of Representatives, pro-slavery forces prevented the vote in the Senate. On July 4, 1856, 400 U.S. Army troops on horseback assembled in front of Constitution Hall. Calling it the most painful duty of his life, Col. Edwin V. Sumner dispersed the legislators. The Northern-dominated House of Representatives still approved the Topeka legislature's request to recognize the state constitution they drafted and submitted to voters. The Topeka Constitution, in contrast to the one passed by the pro-slavery government in Lecompton, barred slavery. Southerners in the Senate were able to block the admission of Kansas as a free state in 1856.&nbsp; Despite overwhelming evidence that the pro-slavery faction in Lecompton did not represent the sovereign will of the people of Kansas, then-President Franklin Pierce supported the pro-slavery government in Lecompton and actually declared that the Free Soilers who met in Kansas represented an&nbsp;insurrection&nbsp;against law and order. As a result, Kansas was denied statehood until after Lincoln's victory in the Presidential Election of 1860. As&nbsp;Southern Congressmen left Washington in protest, Congress approved a new&nbsp;anti-slavery state constitution, known as the&nbsp;Wyandotte Constitution, and admitted&nbsp;Kansas as a state on January 29, 1861.&nbsp; In&nbsp;remembrance&nbsp;of Pierce's&nbsp;opposition,&nbsp;Topeka skipped Pierce in its section of city&nbsp;streets named in honor of American presidents. In his place, Topeka has a street named after&nbsp;Henry Clay-a moderate on the issue of slavery's western extension and a&nbsp;political rival of Pierce who never served as President.&nbsp;

Constitution Hall was the first stone building in the city of Topeka and served as the headquarters of protest government formed by anti-slavery settlers in the early years of the Kansas Territory. Between the creation of the territory in 1854 and the start of the Civil War, Congress recognized a pro-slavery government based out of Lecompton as the legitimate government of the territory. In response, settlers representing the majority of Kansans who opposed the extension of slavery into their territory created their own government which was headquartered at this location. After statehood was granted in 1861 (without slavery) this building also served as the official meeting place of the new state government during construction of the East Wing of the Statehouse, five blocks to the south.

Constitution Hall-The Free State Capitol

The Sumner Elementary School was constructed in
1936 by local&nbsp;architect Thomas W. Williamson,
perhaps best noted for his design of the Topeka High School and the First
National Bank of Topeka. Ironically,&nbsp;he also constructed Topeka's Monroe&nbsp;School, which&nbsp;will forever be associated with Sumner&nbsp;because of the&nbsp;connection of both schools with the landmark 1954
Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of
Education&nbsp;of Topeka.&nbsp;In 1896, the high court's&nbsp;decision,&nbsp;Plessy v. Ferguson, established the “separate but equal” legal doctrine, which had been
followed by the courts for most of the next fifty years. Esther Brown, a white, liberal woman in the Kansas City suburb of Merriam,&nbsp;became incensed at the more favorable treatment of the local school board towards its white students over its Black children. She urged the local NAACP to take action. At the time, there were 18 white schools in Topeka and only four Black schools; this necessitated many&nbsp;Black schoolchildren traveling very long distances to attend the segregated schools that would accept them. However, the Topeka Superintendent of Schools was a supporter of segregation, and even some African-American teachers supported the status quo, fearing that the schools would fire them, under pressure from white parents, if the schools were ever&nbsp;integrated. The Topeka Secretary of the NAACP wrote the national president of the organization to protest against the "unbearable" situation for Black schoolchildren in the city. African-American attorney Robert Carter, a member of future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall's Legal Defense Fund office, became lead attorney in the case, and he began to look for plaintiffs.&nbsp; Local welder and part-time minister Oliver Brown was distressed that his daughter Linda had to leave his house at 7:40 each morning and&nbsp;walk through a dangerous switching yard to wait, in all manner of weather, at a poorly-timed bus stop (at which the bus was also often late), in order to be driven over an hour across town to the all-Black Monroe School. Yet the all-white Sumner School was only a few blocks from the Brown home. Brown tried to enroll his daughter in the third grade class at Sumner, but was denied because she was Black. He agreed to be a plaintiff in the case along with twelve other local Black parents. A complaint was filed with the First District Court of&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;in early 1951.&nbsp; Esther Brown helped arrange local accommodations for Carter, his legal team and the expert witnesses he had assembled. These witnesses were necessary to make the case to the judges that the entire doctrine of "separate but equal" was flawed: there could be no equality in a segregated school system. University of Kansas psychiatrist Louisa Holt testified that the very fact of segregation created an&nbsp;internalized "sense of inferiority" among Black students. After much similar&nbsp;testimony, the District Court ruled unanimously in favor of the defendants, the Topeka Board of Education, but only because of the Supreme Court&nbsp;precedent of&nbsp;Plessy v. Ferguson. The judges' sympathies, however,&nbsp;were plainly with the plaintiffs (the parents in the case), and they expressed their opinion in a famous passage, influenced by Ms. Holt's testimony: "Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. The impact is greater when it has the sanction of law; for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the Negro group. A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn."&nbsp; In December 1952, the Kansas case was "bundled" with four other cases - from South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia - all five arguing against the constitutionality of segregation. At that time, only&nbsp;four of the nine&nbsp;justices on the court were in favor of overturning segregation. However, they voted to have the case re-argued during the following Supreme Court term, and in the interim, conservative Chief Justice Vinson died of a heart attack and was replaced by liberal Earl Warren. Thurgood Marshall was part of the plaintiffs' legal team, arguing the South Carolina case, but as one author observed, after the replacement of Vinson with Warren, "Marshall could have stood up there and recited 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and the result would have been exactly the same."&nbsp;In May 1954, the Supreme Court issued the unanimous&nbsp;Brown v. Board of Education&nbsp;decision (Warren had discouraged the conservative justices from dissenting), which concluded that segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, ending legal&nbsp;segregation in the public schools. Within three years of the decision, the integration of Topeka's schools was completed. Ironically, by&nbsp;the time the decision was issued, Linda Brown and the other twelve child plaintiffs had already moved on to integrated junior high schools. However, Linda's two younger siblings were able to benefit from the integration of Topeka's elementary schools.&nbsp;Oliver Brown died in 1961. The Sumner Elementary School was originally designed as a two-story, brick structure with 13 rooms, a tower, a basement, and auditorium. The exterior is enhanced by stone decorative bas reliefs in the Art Deco style. In the years since its construction, the school underwent a number of&nbsp;renovations. Despite being added in 1987 to the National Register of Historic Places, the school was closed in 1996 and subsequently suffered from vandalism and neglect. The Rev. W. R. Portee, minister of a nondenominational Christian church based in Los Angeles, purchased the Sumner school building at a city auction in April 2009 for $89,000. However, plans to turn the school into a civil rights monument have not yet been fulfilled, and it still lies vacant as of May 2017.

The Sumner Elementary School, constructed in 1936 by the School Board of Topeka, remained in the early 1950s what it had been from the beginning: an all-white school. Oliver Brown, an African-American welder for the Santa Fe Railroad and a part-time minister at a local church, tried to enroll his daughter, Linda, in the school, but was denied because of Linda's race. He agreed to be part of a class action suit in February 1951 in the First U.S. District Court of Kansas to have the Topeka Board of Education's decision declared illegal. But in August, the judges unanimously ruled against the plaintiffs, citing a previous Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Ferguson, which had upheld the legality of segregation. The plaintiffs took their case to the Supreme Court, along with cases from four other districts and, because Oliver Brown was the lead plaintiff, the case forever became known as Brown v. Board of Education. On May 17, 1954, the high court unanimously overturned the District Court's decision, making segregation in U.S. public schools illegal. The school was closed in 1996 and abandoned, but was purchased by a Los Angeles-based minister in April 2009, with the intention of turning it into a community center and human rights memorial. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. 

Sumner Elementary School, Topeka

John Sargent, who has been called "the man who built Topeka," was born in Barnstaple, Devonshire, England, in 1849. Shortly after his marriage to Mary Griggs, he moved to the United States and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. A trained stone mason, he immediately received important commissions and soon found work with the U.S. Treasury Service. After seven years of working for the Treasury, he moved to the rapidly-growing community of Topeka, Kansas, in 1879. After taking charge of the construction of the west wing of the State Office Building, Sargent entered into a partnership with O.P. Smith of Lawrence, Kansas. Together, thise men constructed many prominent local buildings. About the time that he constructed his own Gothic Revival house on Clay Street, Sargent entered into another partnership with the Scottish-born architect James Cuthbert, with whom he built, among other commissions, the courthouses at Lawrence and Beloit, and Spooner Library at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. In 1910, when he was in his 60s, Sargent went into partnership with his son John to establish the Sargent Cut Stone Company, for which he took charge of the construction of Grace Cathedral, the hospital for women at the State Hospital at Topeka and the Gage Park Arch entry.&nbsp;&nbsp; The John Sargent house was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places under two criteria: Criterion B for its historical association with the distinguished architect/stonemason John Sargent, and Criterion C for its architectural significance. It has been called Topeka's finest example of the Gothic Revival style and one of the city's ten most important residences. In the 1983 city directory, the Sargent residence was listed as Number 61 Clay Street, which corresponded to the lot number.&nbsp;The number "61" is thus carved over the entrance to the house; only later was the address altered to 225 SW Clay Street. The pointed arch in the house's attic contains the signature of a stonemason: it appears to read "John Adams, 16 May 1882," which confirms the estimated approximate date of its construction.&nbsp; The Gothic Revival style is characterized by a steeply pitched roof, usually with cross gables, wall surfaces that extend into the gable without break and windows that extend into the gables, which are commonly decorated with brackets. It began to be popularized in America in the 1840s and 1850s. Other than this house, the most significant Gothic Revival residences in Kansas are the Amelia Earhart home in Atchison and the Castle Tea Room in Lawrence.&nbsp;&nbsp; Native limestone quarried at Cottonwood Falls was used for the building's exterior. This same limestone was also used on the west wing of the State Capitol, and local legend maintains that the stone for the house&nbsp;was "appropriated" from this site. The house's original shape was ell-shaped with an angled entry. A gabled roof addition, also of limestone, was added in 1910. The northwest corner of this addition includes a trimmed concave corner. Legend has it that this trimmed corner was added by Sargent to allow his horses access to the (no longer existing) barn without scraping the wall.&nbsp;A wooden shed roof addition projects from the south side of the limestone addition. Each front gable has four brackets supporting the roof eave. A chimney rises from each side of the cross-gabled roof.&nbsp;A stained glass window is located on the second story of the south elevation. Where the cross-gables meet, a&nbsp;limestone porch dominates the facade of the building.&nbsp;&nbsp;A tongue and groove ceiling covers this porch and a solid limestone railing defines the area.

The John Sargent House (sometimes called simply "The Sargent House"), is a single-dwelling, historical house constructed during the period 1882-1885 and located in the famous Nickel Plate district of Topeka, Kansas. It is considered one of the leading local examples of the Gothic Revival style. The building is named for prominent English-born Kansas architect John Sargent (1849-1916), who lived there until his death. The house maintains a high degree of architectural integrity and reflects all the design characteristics that are commonly found in the Gothic Revival style house. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 1995. 

John Sargent House

History of Potwin Place Historic District
The Potwin Place Historic District dates back to 1869 when Charles Wolcott Potwin, a banker from Zanesville, Ohio, purchased around 70 acres of land from a half-blood Shawnee. The purchase was just one of many that Potwin acquired in Topeka&nbsp;at that time, but he didn’t plot the land for residential use until 1882.&nbsp;Plotting the land, Potwin divided the 70 acres into 80 lots, each of which were about 122 1/2 feet wide and 205 feet deep. In addition to two, 100-foot-wide dirt thoroughfares running north and south and over 200 elms planted along the streets, Potwin included circular parks at the avenue intersections. By 1885, the lots were available for purchase, costing an average of $5,000 (the equivalent of nearly $122,000 today).&nbsp;
Therefore, early residents of Potwin were considerably wealthy. Potwin reportedly mandated that every house within the neighborhood would have to cost at least $2,000 to build (about $50,000 today). This required minimum reflected Potwin’s idea of an exclusive, prosperous development, but he soon realized that the newcomers to the district were spending considerably more than the minimum to build.&nbsp;The first constructed house, out of the original six in 1885, was located on 337 Woodlawn. Most of the early residents were lawyers, businessmen, politicians, and other professionals who could afford substantial dwellings. By the end of 1888, only one house had cost the minimum $2,000, and on January 1st, 1889, the Topeka Capital newspaper reported that Potwin Place was “increasing rapidly both from immigration and natural causes, and wealth keeping pace with the new arrivals; bright, progressive, prosperous Potwin."
In 1888, Potwin was incorporated as the City of Potwin, though Topeka had already set forth a series of plans to incorporate large areas of suburban territory, including Potwin. Topeka residents had grown&nbsp;resentful since many of the Potwin citizens were making their money in Topeka without spending it there as well, and the incorporation issue became somewhat controversial.
In 1899, Topeka successfully incorporated Potwin, which was mostly due to the fact that Potwin lacked necessary public services, such as a fire department. Since then, however, Potwin continued to be a prosperous area of the city.
Architectural Significance
The National Park Service (NPS) accepted Potwin Place into the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 for several reasons. Although the district’s history illuminates the spread of suburban culture in Topeka, the architectural importance and distinctive identity of the neighborhood, unlike anything else in Topeka, classified the neighborhood as an essential characteristic of the city reflecting 19th and 20th century life.&nbsp;
Most of the residences in Potwin Place, many of which date back to the late 19th century and the early 20th century, stand as distinguished elements by virtue of design character. Red brick roads and the circular parks at the avenue intersections are some of the most easily visible historic elements.&nbsp;Looking at the houses, however, visitors to the neighborhood can discover a variety of Victorian, Italianate, and Queen Anne style homes. Most homes feature fishscale shingles on the gables, turned posts and balusters, and windows with stained glass borders. Many of the 19th century homes with simple, late-Victorian style include predominately large front gable forms with extensions flanking or skirting them.&nbsp;
The early 20th century homes are typically two or two-and-a-half story structures with large front porches and palladian windows or columnnar supports of the porches. This architectural style reflects a taste for classicism, including colonial revival and beaux-arts.&nbsp;
What makes Potwin Place significant is not only the enthralling designs and home styles, but also the harmonious mix of 19th and 20th century architecture, continuous in taste as well as scale.1

Traveling northwest from the Topeka city center along SW 4th Street or SW 6th street, drivers and tourists may stumble upon Potwin Place Historic District, a neighborhood that looks entirely different from the rest of the city. 

As opposed to Blacktop or pavement, Potwin Place has red bricks forming the streets. Victorian, Italianate, and Queen Anne style houses are set back behind deep and expansive lawns. Roundabouts appear at nearly every intersection. 

Located between NW Grove Avenue and SW Willow Avenue as well as between SW Woodlawn Avenue and SW Greenwood Avenue, the Potwin Place Historic District stands out among any other district in Topeka for its architectural elegance and living history. From its 19th century designs to the overall character of the district, Potwin Place was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

Potwin Place Historic District

History of Anthony A. Ward and the Old Prairie Town Site
Long before Old Prairie Town held a prominent role as an outdoor museum, the area was originally the homestead of the Anthony A. Ward family.&nbsp;Anthony A. Ward and his family arrived in the Topeka area of the Kansas Territory in the 1850s. A mission school teacher, Ward was enticed by stories of instant wealth in California, and in 1849,&nbsp;he packed up his belongings and left with his family and his students. Hardship struck the wagon train near Laramie, Wyoming due to sickness and lack of food. The wagon had to return if its occupants wanted to survive.Unfazed by his previous struggles, Ward happily accepted an offer from the federal government to work as a trading post agent in Uniontown, which was about 12 miles west of present-day Topeka. This gave Ward the adventure he always sought, and so he and his family settled.Soon after, a cholera epidemic struck the family in 1853, and the Wards moved to present-day Topeka&nbsp;in 1854&nbsp;after&nbsp;Anthony bought 240 acres&nbsp;for $100, making the family&nbsp;the second white settlers to inhabit the area. Anthony’s wife, Mary Jane Ward, was the first woman&nbsp;white settler in Shawnee County. As westward expansion grew in the late 1800s, Mary Jane Ward garnered the moniker of the “mother of Topeka” because she was known to keep a burning candle in the window aimed at travelers taking the Oregon Trail.&nbsp;
The Wards lived in a small cabin on their land until the 1870s, when they built a two-story, Victorian home. This home would be eventually known as the Ward-Meade home, added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The area was turned into the Old Prairie Town in 1984. It opened to the public&nbsp;in 1985.1&nbsp;
Features and Amenities
In addition to the 1870s Victorian Mansion, the first mansion in Kansas, Old Prairie Town is widely recognized as being an authentic historic experience diving into the many nuances that comprised life in 19th century Kansas. Some of the other features of the site include an 1891 Victorian schoolhouse with outhouse, the old-fashioned Mulvane General Store, the Potwin Drug Store, and many other furnishings found in an old prairie town, ranging from a barber shop and ice cream wagon to a livery and the 1880 Everest Church.&nbsp;
After exploring the town, make sure to check out the Botanical Garden at Old Prairie Town, a 2.5-acre garden that features around 500 varieties of trees and shrubs as well as over 5,000 flowers planted annually each year. Near the&nbsp;water gardens in the park, visitors can find Anna’s Place, which features two pools, a&nbsp;gazebo, a bridge, and a waterfall.3&nbsp;

Old Prairie Town is a 6-acre historic park that aims to share the experience and history of early Kansas. Guests can tour a Victorian-era mansion that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They can also stroll through a botanical garden that features over 500 species and a large waterfall. There is also a reading garden and a replica of an early log cabin.  

Old Prairie Town strives to present an authentic prairie "downtown" with a main street filled with historic buildings that were moved to the area. Children can attend a session in a one-room school that was in operation in Rossville, Kansas. Families can tour the historic Everest Church, which was built in 1880 and moved to Old Prairie Town from Everest, Kansas. The Santa Fe Train Depot was also moved from its original location in Pauline. Guests to the Potwin Drug Store sit at the original marble counter and can enjoy old-time treats from the soda fountain. The Mulvane General Store features hand-made candies and gifts that are similar to those that might have been available at the turn-of-the century. 

Old Prairie Town at the Ward-Meade Historic Site

History of the Great Overland StationSince 1850, when Millard Fillmore signed the railroad land-grant act, transportation via rail served as one of the most important economic and social factors in the development of the west throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Opened on January 27th, 1927 and designed by renowned architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the Great Overland Station expanded upon this essential role by accommodating the Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fe Railway, the Chicago, Rock Island &amp; Pacific Railroad, and the Missouri Pacific Railroad.&nbsp;From the Great Overland Station, which was considered to be “one of the finest passenger stations on the line,” provided critical connections westward and to many small rural towns through Kansas.&nbsp;The Great Overland Station also builds upon the rich history of its location at 701 N. Kansas Avenue. Around this site, the legendary Pappan brothers would ferry Oregon Trail travelers across the Kansas River (called the Kaw River). Years later, runaway slaves seeking freedom in the north crossed this site along the underground railroad. The site is also associated with Indian Chief Burnett, George Armstrong Custer, Buffalo Bill, and Wild Bill Hickok.&nbsp;The Great Overland Station was an active passenger train until May 2nd, 1971, when the last passenger train left the station. Abandoned in 1988 and damaged by fire in 1992, the RHI organization sought to preserve this essential facet of Kansas history by leasing the property and preventing the building’s demolition.1&nbsp;According to RHI’s Mission Statement, the history of the museum and its significance is as follows:&nbsp;“The history of this area has national significance which will resonate with people from across the nation. There are exciting and important stories to be told: the birth and growth of the Santa Fe Railway; the Union Pacific’s race to create the first transcontinental railroad; the role of railroads in developing and settling the American West; the social heritage of African-Americans, Hispanics and European immigrants who worked for the railroads and built our communities; the troop trains of World Wars I and II; memories of the “glory days of steam” and the elegance of the railroad depots.&nbsp; By interpreting these stories we will pass the experiences and memories from older to younger generations and study the values inherent in those experiences - leadership, perseverance, enterprise, vision, dedication, risk and dreams.&nbsp; The archives of the Santa Fe at the Kansas Museum of History, the Union Pacific archives in nearby Omaha, and the actual stories from hundreds of Topeka railroad workers provide a rich source of materials for exhibits and education.”2ExhibitsIn addition to the Harvey House Luncheons, the current Great Overland Station receives continual praise for its contribution to culture and history in Topeka. Some popular exhibits featured at the museum have included the “Santa Fe Calendar Exhibit,” “Emerging from the Ashes,” and many others. The permanent exhibits explore the history of the station, the city of Topeka, and railroad culture. Some of these exhibits include “Display of Kansas trains dating back to 1932,” “Photographs Flood of 1951 and 1966 Tornado,” and “History of Topeka from 1800 to present,” among others.3Vision for the future, from the official website:The elegant former Union Pacific Station, designed by renowned architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, provides a beautiful setting with its soaring ceilings and intricate ornamentation.&nbsp; Ever-changing exhibits are designed to bring stories to life with hands-on activities, docents and photographs.&nbsp; Outside, visitors will encounter train engines, wagon trains, trails and water features amid the stirring sight of the flags of the 50 states. Trains rumbling past link past to present and enhance the learning experience.Complementing the station as another key component of the entire project is the development of the area surrounding the Station from Kansas Avenue to Topeka Boulevard and reaching south to the Kansas River.&nbsp; It is a site ripe for development, encompassing enough space to create a large community park and provide access to activities along the river.&nbsp; As with the Station, the site connects past to present with significant stories: Pappan’s Ferry, an important Oregon Trail crossing beginning in the 1840’s; the Kaw Indian habitation; the French influence; the early frontier town that Buffalo Bill and George Armstrong Custer frequented; the underground railroad; and the birthplace of Charles Curtis, 31st Vice-President of the United States and grandson of Louis Pappan and great-grandson of White Plume, the Kaw Indian chief.&nbsp;The third key component of this project is the development of the arts and entertainment district along historic North Kansas Avenue, where unique storefronts from the 1800’s survive.&nbsp; As envisioned in the 1999 North Topeka Revitalization Plan (developed by the Topeka/Shawnee County Metropolitan Planning Department in cooperation with North Topeka on the Move Association “NOTOMA”), this district will have shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues.&nbsp; With restored storefronts, new streetscapes, new and/or rehabilitated housing, and the riverfront developed for community recreation, this area will be a focal point to revitalize the core of our city, attracting young people as well as tourists.&nbsp; Such major redevelopment will enhance economic development throughout the community and create new jobs.&nbsp; The Great Overland Station is seen as the catalyst and major anchor of historic North Topeka’s redevelopment.































&nbsp;Together, the major components of Great Overland Station, riverfront park and historic arts and entertainment district will preserve our heritage, bring our community together, educate children and visitors, create new jobs, and attract tourists to visit and spend time in Topeka.2&nbsp;

The story of Topeka begins with transportation. Cyrus K. Holliday wanted to build a railroad because he saw an opportunity for greater fortune and the development of the nation. He secured the funds to begin the endeavor and chose a site on the banks of the Kansas River. The Great Overland Station fulfilled his vision when it opened as a Union Pacific Railroad passenger station in 1927. 

After a fire damaged the station in 1992, Railroad Heritage, Inc (RHI) agreed to renovate and rehabilitate the museum. Renovation took place between 2000 and 2002, and the station is now a public museum and tourist destination. 

RHI is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to preserve the rich railroad heritage and other significant history of Topeka and northeast Kansas. Of particular interest to lovers of food and history is the Harvey House experience, offered by RHI as both an educational service and a fundraiser. Historical Harvey House luncheons can be scheduled for groups of 25 or more Tuesday through Friday between 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.  

Great Overland Station, Topeka Kansas 

<div>On a hot July day in 1914, Pedro Lopez was at the railroad station to send off a package. While there he recognized a Mexican priest named Father Epifanio Ocampo.&nbsp; They began to talk and in the course of the conversation, Pedro Lopez expressed his and the Mexican community’s desire for their own Catholic parish.&nbsp; Father Ocampo agreed to help Mr. Lopez and then the pair began to talk to other priests in Topeka in an effort to gain support in the forming of a parish. </div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Father Ocampo and Mr. Lopez were successful in their efforts, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was established on November 4, 1914. The first church, a small rented store on the corner of Crane and Branner, was blessed by Rev. John Ward, Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Leavenworth at 2 p.m.&nbsp; The first services were attended by 350 Mexican-American Catholics.&nbsp; The people attended mass weekly in this church until 1921 when a second church was built on Branner Street. The second church was truly a church of the people as parishioners donated their time, money, skills toward the eventual completion of their church.&nbsp;</div><div> Jorge Iber underscores the importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, </div><div> </div><div>"From this humble chapel emanated some of the earliest attempts to introduce the rich Mexican culture to the broader community. Among the undertakings used to share ethnic traditions with fellow Topekans were the Fiesta Mexicana, started in 1932, and the Christmas tradition of Las Posadas, first held in 1936. The Fiesta became not only a mechanism for displaying cultural pride, but also a substantial money maker. By the 1940s this enterprise was the principal fundraiser for the parish and helped pay for the construction of a new building, completed in 1948" (Iber, 2016)</div><div> </div><div>Our Lady of Guadalupe Church has been and continues to be a center, a home, a haven, a refuge in time of trouble to thousands of immigrants and Mexican Americans in the community. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is the only parish in the Topeka community which offers masses in Spanish. The parishioners continue to share their faith and rich cultural heritage with Topeka and its surrounding communities through their actions and celebration of the Annual Fiesta Mexicana. The royalty food sales in Our Lady of Guadalupe Church sustain the neighborhood’s vitality and economic independence. Some traditional Mexican American food sold at the royalty food sales include:&nbsp; beef tacos, beef enchiladas, burritos and tostadas, tamales, rice and beans.&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>Spanish Translation/Traducción en Español</div><div> </div><div>El 28 de agosto del 1963 fue una fecha importante para Virginia Gomez y John Mendoza. Ese día estos dos enamorados se vistieron en sus mejores vestidos matrimoniales y decidieron casarse en una de las iglesias mas importantes y llevada en los corazones de los residentes del vecindario de Oakland. Virginia y John&nbsp;se casaron en la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Topeka, Kansas.&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>Fundada en 1914, la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe fue organizada debido al entusiasmo e interés de veinte familias quienes emigraron de México para escapar la pobreza y La Revolución del 1910. El movimiento de estas familias fue influenciado debido al crecimiento de vías de tren y la necesidad de trabajar durante y después de la primera guerra mundial. A través de la historia de la parroquia, sin importar los desafíos, los feligreses han mantenido su fe y fortalecieron sus esfuerzos para mantener la parroquia abierta. Los feligreses han contribuido generosamente a su progreso y crecimiento.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>En un día caluroso de julio en el 1914, Pedro López estaba en la estación de ferrocarriles para enviar un paquete. Mientras estaba allí reconoció a un cura Mexicano llamado Padre Epifanio Ocampo. Empezaron a hablar y en el transcurso de la conversación, Pedro López expresó su deseo, y el de la comunidad mexicana en tener su propia parroquia católica. El Padre Ocampo estuvo de acuerdo con el Señor Lopez y ambos empezaron a conversar con otros curas en Topeka para ganar su apoyo en la creación de una parroquia.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>El padre Ocampo y el Señor López fueron exitosos en sus esfuerzos resultando en la fundación de la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe el 4 de noviembre del 1914. La primera iglesia, una tienda pequeña rentada en la esquina de las calles Crane Y Branner, fue bendecida por el Reverendo John Ward, sacerdote de la diócesis católica de Leavenworth a las 2:00 p.m. Las primeras misas contaron con la presencia de 350 católicos Mexico-Americanos. La gente asistió a misa semanalmente en esta iglesia hasta el 1921 cuando una segunda iglesia fue construida en la calle Branner. La segunda iglesia fue realmente una iglesia del pueblo. Los feligreses donaron su tiempo, dinero y habilidades hacia la finalización eventual de la iglesia.&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>Jorge Iber subraya la importancia de la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>“De esta humilde capilla salieron algunos de los primeros intentos en presentar la rica cultura mexicana a la comunidad mas ampliamente. Dentro de las varias maneras de compartir tradiciones etnicas con otros residentes de Topeka estuvo la Fiesta Mexicana la cual se comenzó a celebrar en el 1932 y la tradición de navidad de las posadas en el 1936. La Fiesta en un mecanismo de demostrar un orgullo cultural y una manera de generar dinero. En los años de la década de los 1940 esta empresa se convierte en la manera principal de recaudar fondos para la parroquia y ayudó en la construcción del nuevo edificio el cual se completo en el 1948” (Iber, 2016).</div><div> </div><div>Our Lady of Guadalupe Church has been and continues to be a center, a home, a haven, a refuge in time of trouble to thousands of immigrants and Mexican Americans in the community. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is the only parish in the Topeka community which offers masses in Spanish. The parishioners continue to share their faith and rich cultural heritage with Topeka and its surrounding communities through their actions and celebration of the Annual Fiesta Mexicana. The royalty food sales in Our Lady of Guadalupe Church sustain the neighborhood’s vitality and economic independence. Some traditional Mexican American food sold at the royalty food sales include:&nbsp; beef tacos, beef enchiladas, burritos and tostadas, tamales,&nbsp; rice and beans.&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe ha sido y continúa siendo un centro, un hogar y un refugio en tiempos difíciles para miles de inmigrantes y méxico-americanos en la comunidad. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe es la única parroquia en la comunidad de Topeka que ofrece misas en español. Los feligreses continúan compartiendo su fe y su rica herencia cultural con Topeka y las comunidades a su alrededor por medio de sus acciones y la celebración anual de La Fiesta Mexicana. El dinero de las ventas de comida de la parroquia sostiene la vitalidad e independencia económica del vecindario. Algunas comidas mexico-americanas tradicionales se venden incluyendo: tacos de res, enchiladas de res, burritos y tostadas, tamales, arroz y frijoles, siendo todo barato y agradable.&nbsp;</div><div> </div>

Founded in 1914, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish was started and organized because of the enthusiastic interest of twenty families who migrated from Mexico to escape poverty or the Revolution of 1910. The movement was influenced by the growth of railroads and the need for labor during and after World War I. Throughout the history of the parish, no matter the challenges that were faced, the parishioners maintained their faith and strengthened their efforts to keep the parish open. The parishioners have contributed generously to its growth and progress. 



Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

The June 8th, 1966 Tornado
The June 8th, 1966 tornado was part of a massive cell that produced upwards of 57 tornadoes with a Fujita rating between June 2nd and June 12th. Many of these tornados were F2, F1, and F0, and 5 confirmed tornadoes were not given a Fujita rating. Among all the tornadoes and aside from the Topeka tornado, there was only one other death in Cook County, Illinois. The Topeka tornado was also the only F5, and it endures as one of the most infamous tornados in U.S. history due to its intensity, damage, and death toll.&nbsp;
According to reports, the tornado started developing around 6:55 p.m., and it touched down about 8 miles west of Topeka. At the time, the National Weather Service at the Topeka forecast office was using a surplus military radar donated by the U.S. Government, and though many considered the radar to be state-of-the-art, it still couldn’t detect tornado activity like the Doppler radars used today. Therefore, reports of the oncoming tornado were considerably late.&nbsp;The 1/2-mile-wide tornado had made its way into the southeast part of town, passing over the famed tornado-blocker, Burnett’s Mound. It was WIBW-TV reporter Bill Kurtis who famously advised Topeka viewers in a calm and stern manner, “for God’s sake. Take cover!”
WREN Radio station reporter, Rick Douglass, also tried reporting on the storm while taking cover. He was picked up by the tornado and thrown about a block away with the clothes ripped from his body. Amazingly, Douglass survived but said he could smell a mix of “blood, guts, wood, and metal” for a few weeks after the incident.&nbsp;
In the end, the tornado held a northeast pace at about 35mph and it traveled about 22 miles across the heart of the city. The worst damaged occurred along an eight block section in downtown Topeka; every building on the Washington University campus was either destroyed or severely damaged, and even the State Capitol building suffered significant damage.&nbsp;
About 26 minutes after it touched down, the tornado dissipated east of Billard Airport on the city's northeast side. Among ruined homes and businesses, hundreds were left homeless and in some parts of the city, electricity and water were out for weeks. Topeka Mayor Chuck Wright also issued a decree that looters would be shot on site, though no looting ever occurred.&nbsp;
Bill Kurtis, who called for citizens to take cover, is also regarded with having saved thousands of lives. Improved safety rules and regulations also came out of the Topeka tornado. Before the tornado, people were advised to go to the basement and open windows. After the tornado, damage reports showed this to be incorrect, and people should head to a basement, go under a table, or get behind something sturdy to protect from blowing and falling debris.1
Inscription on the Memorial Marker
This memorial is given as a tribute for those who worked unselfishly in restoring our city to normalcy, and as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the tornado of June 8, 1966.
Lisle Grauer • Mary Beasley
Craig Beymer • Calvin Wolfe
John Wells • John Scheibe
W. R. Crouch • Gereford Lee
John D. Culver • Sterling Taylor
Edward J. Lyons • Hattie Anderson
Mrs. Calvin Wolfe • George A. Sklenicka
Oliver J. Milton • Mrs. Bertha Whitney
Donated to the citizens of this city
by Mr. and Mrs. Dana L. Hummer in memory
of their daughter Nancy 1947-19662

Ever since the Wizard of Oz, the connection between tornados and Kansas became a fairly common stereotype. On June 8th, 1966, a massive F5 tornado struck Topeka, Kansas, and showed the entire nation the true destructive power of these deadly storms. 

At the time, the destruction of this tornado cost $250 million (equivalent to about $727 million in 2015), making it one of costliest tornados in U.S. history. Furthermore, around 820 homes were destroyed and 3,000 were damaged, mostly in residential areas on the east side of town. The destruction also included 250 businesses (with 2,390 damaged). 

In the aftermath of the tornado, 17 people had died. The tornado began developing at 6:55 p.m. on June 8th, traveled about 22 miles in a northeast direction, and then dissipated at about 7:29 p.m. 

Reports stated that if the tornado had struck during school and work hours, the death toll would be close to 5,000. The tornado also upgraded rules and regulations, and the effective governmental and media response to the tornado served as a model for other cities.

Highlights of Topeka, Kansas History Tour

Evel Knievel Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information