Shawnee County, Kansas Genealogy

United States &gt; Kansas &gt; Shawnee County

Parent County
1855--Shawnee County was created 30 August 1855 as an original county. County seat: Topeka

Neighboring Counties

 * Douglas
 * Jackson
 * Jefferson
 * Osage
 * Pottawatomie
 * Wabaunsee

Cemeteries
The Topeka State Hospital, a publicly funded institution for the care and treatment of the mentally ill in Topeka, Kansas, was in operation from 1872 to 1997. For some, the grounds of the hospital became their final resting place. There is a searchable index to the 1157 individuals buried in the hospital cemetery. With only a few exceptions, individuals were buried without a headstone. Because most individuals were buried in unmarked graves, hospital officials used a grid pattern and designated gravesites by their distance from stone markers placed at the end of each row. The 'Location' is the distance in feet and inches from the eastern marker west to the gravesite.

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Topeka

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for European and African American settlers included:


 * Kansas River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah

Military

 * During the Civil War men from this county enlisted in the 1st Infantry Regiment, Company A and the15th Regiment, Kansas Cavalry, Company F.

Newspapers
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Newspaper Index. Click on "newspaper index". The keyword index contains articles, obituaries and events in the Topeka Capital Journal from 1989-1999.

Obituaries
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Obituaries Index. Click on "obituary index". The Index covers 1906-1935 and 1971 to the present.

Also, a considerable number of obituaries from 1936-1971 have been indexed.

Societies and Libraries
Shawnee County Historical Society website: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/orgs/schs/

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Topeka Kansas Family History Center

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Shawnee County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Shawnee County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)