The Historic Ritchie House
Home of John and Mary Jane Ritchie
Kansas Territorial Settlers of Topeka and a stop on the Underground Railroad
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Cox Communications
Heritage Education Center
Shawnee County Historical Society
1116 and 1118 SE Madison Street
Topeka, Kansas 66601
785-234-6097
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Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9 to 1pm However the two sites are closed for the Holidays until Thursday, January 2nd, 2025.
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Adults $2.00 Students $.50
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Learn about the Bleeding Kansas era of the 1850's. And see an Underground Railroad Site and learn about the quest for Freedom before the Civil War.
Click on picture above to learn more about the House built in 1856
In the coming weeks, the Shawnee County Historical Society will present these various programs.
2025 Programs
January 26th Lofts in Topeka 3pm Mark Burenheide at 1118 SE Madison
February 2nd Topeka Radio Stations 3pm Marshall Barber at 1118 SE Madison
February 16th Old Movie Theaters 3pm Bill Shaffer at 1118 SE Madison
March 2nd Nick Chiles 3pm Sonja Czarnecki at 1118 SE Madison
March 16th Civic Theater 3pm Shannon Reilly at 1118 SE Madison
March ?? Show and Tell 3pm 1118 SE Madison
March ?? Rossville Baseball Stadium 3pm Undecided where
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All programs are free to Historical Society members however non members will be asked to donate $5 to attend.
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The Shawnee County Historical Society formed in 1946. It's founders recognized the need to preserve the facts and legends of the early days of our county up to more recent times.
The Historic Ritchie House
and Cox Communications Heritage Education Center
Shawnee County Historical Society
1116 and 1118 SE Madison Ave
P.O. Box 2201 Topeka, Kansas 66601
785 234-6097
Educational Resource Links
The Shawnee County Historical Society and the Ritchie Education Initiative have created quick resource links for research. Both students and teachers will find these resources to be of great assistance for Kansas studies. Click here for a link to the Shawnee County Historical Society's education resource page.
Additional Online Research
Shawnee County Historical Society
Kansas Historical Society
Kansas Memory
Territorial Kansas Online
Historic Sites and Museums
Arabia Steamboat Museum
Black Jack Battlefield
Brown v Topeka Board of Education National Historic Site
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area
Kansas Museum of History
Film and Historic Performance
Kansas Alliance of Professional Historical Performers
Lone Chimney Films
LvngHstry
