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83-542: Empire was organized in 1909, although tracing its history goes back beyond the turn of the century as the mining industry grew in the service area. As mining companies were created, electric motors began to replace the mule and steam powered engines in several of the mines. On October 16, 1909, papers of incorporation were filed in Topeka, Kansas , bringing together several small companies to form The Empire District Electric Company, under its parent company, Cities Services. At

166-504: A Century of Service. The current CEO of the company, Bradley P. Beecher, earns an annual salary of $ 1,364,968. In 2015, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled 5–2 against Empire District in a case in which Empire had claimed an exemption from offering solar rebates to its customers. Empire's primary concern has been its shareholders, and therefore has long resisted its customers' profit from the use of solar energy. However,

249-495: A Lawrence resident tells her: "You should always say 'The Kaw' when you speak of our river. Only strangers and Google Maps call it 'The Kansas River'"(Ch. 32). Johnny Kaw is a fictional Kansas settler created in a series of tall tale publications started in 1955 — one of his fictional feats was to have dug the Kansas River Valley. The "Kaw River" is mentioned as a location in the western series Wagon Train , in

332-476: A female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.1% were not families. About 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.29, and the average family size was 2.99. The city's age distribution was 24.4% under age 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24; 26.1% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% were 65 or older. The median age in

415-571: A fort. In August 1819, Maj. Stephen H. Long steered the first steamer into the Kansas River with his 30-ton boat Western Engineer . He made it scarcely a mile up the river before turning back, citing mud bars from the recent floods. The mouth of the Kansas River in the West Bottoms area of Kansas City (at a longitude of 94 degrees 36 minutes West) was the basis for Missouri's western boundary from Iowa to Arkansas when it became

498-583: A state in 1821 (Kansas entered the Union in 1861.) South of the Missouri River, that longitude still remains the boundary between Kansas and Missouri. North of the Missouri River, the state of Missouri extended its boundary further to the west in 1836 with the Platte Purchase . The river has moved slightly since this designation, but the state boundary has remained the same. This line is known as

581-726: A state with an indigenous name. For many millennia , Native Americans inhabited the Great Plains of North America. From the 16th to the mid-18th centuries, the Kingdom of France laid claim to large parts of North America. In 1762, late in the French and Indian War , France secretly ceded Louisiana west of the Mississippi River to Spain in the Treaty of Fontainebleau . In 1800, Spain returned Louisiana to France. In 1803,

664-504: A verb, to avoid the trademark becoming genericized . Topeka is in north east Kansas at the intersection of I-70 and U.S. Highway 75 . It is the origin of I-335 which is a portion of the Kansas Turnpike running from Topeka to Emporia, Kansas . Topeka is also on U.S. Highway 24 (about 50 miles [80 km] east of Manhattan, Kansas ) and U.S. Highway 40 (about 30 miles [48 km] west of Lawrence, Kansas ). US 40

747-575: Is October 15 through April 17. The area receives about 36.53 inches (928 mm) of precipitation during a typical year, with the largest share being received in May and June—the April through June period averages 32.8 days of measurable precipitation. Generally, the spring and summer have the most rainfall, with autumn and winter being fairly dry. During a typical year, the total amount of precipitation may vary from 25 to 47 inches (640 to 1,190 mm). Much of

830-509: Is coincident with I-70 west from Topeka. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 61.47 sq mi (159.21 km ), of which 1.30 sq mi (3.37 km ) are covered by water. Topeka has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfa ) or a subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa ), with hot, somewhat humid summers and cool to cold, fairly dry winters, and

913-460: Is dammed for flood control , but the Kansas River is generally free-flowing and has only minor obstructions, including diversion weirs and one low-impact hydroelectric dam. Beginning at the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers, just east of aptly named Junction City (1,040 feet or 320 metres), the Kansas River flows some 148 miles (238 km) generally eastward to join

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996-714: Is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a. Over the course of a year, the monthly daily average temperature ranges from 30.2 °F (−1.0 °C) in January to 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) in July. The maximum temperature reaches 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 49.6 afternoons per year and reaches 100 °F (38 °C) an average of 6.0 afternoons per year. The minimum temperature falls below 0 °F (−18 °C) an average of 2.7 mornings per year, and 21.7 afternoons per year stay below freezing. The average window for freezing temperatures

1079-593: Is large, and the city is home to nine Roman Catholic parishes, five of which feature elementary schools. Grace Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas is a large Gothic Revival structure in the city. Topeka also has a claim in the history of the Baháʼí Faith in Kansas. Not only does the city have the oldest continuous Baháʼí community in Kansas (beginning in 1906), but the community also has roots to

1162-596: Is now 427-429 S. Kansas Avenue. Besides being used as the Kansas statehouse from 1863 to 1869, Constitution Hall is the site where antislavery settlers convened in 1855 to write the first of four state constitutions, making it the "Free State Capitol". The National Park Service recognizes Constitution Hall in Topeka as headquarters in the operation of the Lane Trail to Freedom on the Underground Railroad ,

1245-497: Is under way to continue to redevelop areas along the Kansas River, which runs west to east through Topeka. In the Kansas River Corridor through the center of town, downtown Topeka has experienced apartment and condominium loft development, and façade and streetscape improvements. On March 1, 2010, Topeka Mayor Bill Bunten issued a proclamation calling for Topeka to be known for the month of March as "Google, Kansas,

1328-536: The 2020 census , the population of the city was 126,587. The Topeka metropolitan statistical area , which includes Shawnee, Jackson , Jefferson , Osage , and Wabaunsee Counties, had a population of 233,870 in the 2010 census . The city, laid out in 1854, was one of the Free-State towns founded by Eastern antislavery men immediately after the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Bill . In 1857, Topeka

1411-550: The French-Canadian Pappan brothers established a ferry service allowing travelers to cross the Kansas River at what is now Topeka. During the 1840s and into the 1850s, travelers could reliably find a way across the river, but little else was in the area. In the early 1850s, traffic along the Oregon Trail was supplemented by trade on a new military road stretching from Fort Leavenworth through Topeka to

1494-519: The Kansan glaciation left behind a combination of ice- and meltwater-deposited sediments known as drifta, a poorly sorted mixture of clay, sand, gravel, and even large boulders that cover parts the Kansas River basin from the Big Blue River and eastward. The third is loess , a fine silt that may have originally been deposited by the melting water of the receding glaciers, then redeposited by

1577-685: The Kaw , is a meandering river in northeastern Kansas in the United States . It is potentially the southwestern most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is sometimes in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its two names both come from the Kanza (Kaw) people who once inhabited the area; Kansas was one of the anglicizations of the French transcription Cansez ( IPA: [kɑ̃ze] ) of

1660-458: The Missouri River at Kaw Point (718 feet or 219 metres) in Kansas City, Kansas . Dropping 322 feet (98 m) on its journey seaward, the water in the Kansas River falls less than 2 feet per mile (38 cm/km). The Kansas River valley is only 115 miles (185 km) long; the surplus length of the river is due to meandering across the floodplain . The river's course roughly follows

1743-412: The 1966 tornado and has sustained steady economic growth. Washburn University, which lost several historic buildings, received financial support from the community and alumni to rebuild many school facilities. Today, university facilities offer more than one million square feet of modern academic and support space. In 1974, Forbes Air Force Base closed and more than 10,000 people left Topeka, influencing

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1826-457: The 39th parallel . This map, with virtually no changes except for the translation of French into English, was subsequently published by John Senex, a London cartographer and engraver, in 1721. From June 26 through 29, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped at Kaw Point at the Kansas River's mouth. They praised the scenery in their accounts and noted the area would be a good location for

1909-521: The 54,092 households, 24.1% had children under the age of 18; 38.4% were married couples living together; 34.9% had a female householder with no husband present. 37.3% of households consisted of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 3.0. 22.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

1992-518: The Kansa name for what is now called the Kansas River . Topeka's founders chose the name in 1855 because it "was novel, of Indian origin, and euphonious of sound". Mixed-heritage Kansa Native American Joseph James , called Jojim, is credited with suggesting Topeka's name. Along with Cheyenne, Wyoming and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Topeka is one of three state capitals with an indigenous name in

2075-713: The Kansas City metro area, some streams drain east into the Blue River tributary of the Missouri. The Kansas River flows through what is known as the Stable Interior region. Since this region is near the center of the North American Plate , it has not experienced any extensive geologic faulting , folding , or mountain building in recent geologic time . From the confluence at Junction City,

2158-627: The Kansas River in the late 1800s, and the trials that the fishermen on the river faced. Étienne de Veniard Sieur de Bourgmont 's expedition into the Kansas River valley and the history of the Kanza people in their villages along the river is discussed in The Last Wild Places of Kansas , a book by George Frazier. In Sara Paretsky 's 2017 detective novel "Fallout", in which Paretsky's Chicago-based private detective V.I. Warshawski carries out an investigation in Lawrence, Kansas ,

2241-538: The Osage Boundary. From the 1840s through the early 1870s, the southern ridgelines of the lower section of the Kansas River were the beginnings of the Oregon , California , and Santa Fe trails as they left Kansas City. Beginning in 1854, steamboats operated regularly from Kansas City to Lawrence and Topeka, and sometimes as far as Manhattan , Junction City, and Fort Riley . This traffic continued through

2324-638: The Republican River and its headwater tributaries, the Kansas River system has a length of 743 miles (1,196 km), making it the 21st longest river system in the United States. Its highest headwaters are at about 6,000 feet (1,800 m) and extend nearly to Limon, Colorado . Much of the drainage of the river lies within the Great Plains , but the river itself exists entirely within the Mid-Continent Region . The majority of

2407-542: The Task Force to Overcome Racism in Topeka formed to address the problem in a more organized way. On June 8, 1966, Topeka was struck by a tornado rated F5 on the Fujita scale . It started on the southwest side of town, moving northeast, passing over a local landmark named Burnett's Mound. According to a local Indian legend, this mound was thought to protect the city from tornadoes if left undisturbed. A few years prior to

2490-448: The Topeka tornado stands as one of the most costly on record. It also helped bring to prominence future CBS and A&E broadcaster Bill Kurtis , who became well known for his televised admonition to "...take cover, for God's sake, take cover!" on WIBW-TV during the tornado. (The city is home of a National Weather Service Forecast Office that serves 23 counties in north-central, northeast, and east-central Kansas). Topeka recovered from

2573-503: The United States purchased the territory , which included most of the land of modern Kansas , from France for $ 15 million (~$ 371 million in 2023). In the 1840s, wagon trains made their way west from Independence, Missouri , on a journey of 2,000 miles (3,000 km), following what came to be known as the Oregon Trail . About 60 miles (97 km) west of Kansas City, Missouri , three half- Kansas Indian sisters married to

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2656-751: The capital city of fiber optics ". The name change came from Ryan Gigous, who wanted to "re-brand" the city with a simple gesture. This was to help "support continuing efforts to bring Google's fiber experiment " to Topeka, though it was not a legal name change. Lawyers advised the city council and mayor against an official name change. Google jokingly announced it would change its name to Topeka to "honor that moving gesture" on April 1, 2010 ( April Fools' Day ) and changed its home page to say Topeka. In its official blog, Google announced this change thus affected all of its services as well as its culture, e.g. "Googlers" to "Topekans", "Project Virgle" to "Project Vireka", and proper usage of "Topeka" as an adjective and not

2739-503: The cases. Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor said the DA "would no longer prosecute misdemeanors committed in Topeka, including domestic battery, because his office could no longer do so after county commissioners cut his budget by 10%". The next day, Taylor said his office would "commence the review and filing of misdemeanors decriminalized by the City of Topeka". The same day, 17% of

2822-479: The chief slave escape passage and free-trade road. Although the drought of 1860 and the ensuing period of the Civil War slowed the growth of Topeka and the state, Topeka kept pace with the revival and period of growth Kansas enjoyed from the close of the war in 1865 until 1870. In the 1870s, many former slaves, known as Exodusters, settled on the east side of Lincoln Street between Munson and 12th Streets. The area

2905-485: The citizens again voted to extend the quarter-cent sales tax, this time for the economic development of Topeka and Shawnee County. In August, 2004, Shawnee County citizens voted to repeal the 2000 quarter-cent sales tax and replace it with a 12-year, half-cent sales tax designated for economic development, roads, and bridges. Each year, the sales tax provides $ 5 million designated for business development and job creation incentives, and $ 9 million for roads and bridges. Planning

2988-547: The city beginning in 1911. Monroe Elementary, a segregated school that figured in the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, through the efforts of the Brown Foundation working with the Kansas Congressional delegation place in the early 1990s, is now Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The Brown Foundation is largely responsible for the content of the interpretive exhibits at

3071-582: The city was 36 years. The city's gender makeup was 47.8% male and 52.2% female. As of the 2000 census , 122,377 people, 52,190 households, and 30,687 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,185.0 inhabitants per square mile (843.6/km ). There were 56,435 housing units at an average density of 1,007.6 per square mile (389.0/km ). The city's racial makeup was 78.5% White , 11.7% African American , 1.31% Native American , 1.09% Asian , 4.10% from other races, and 3.26% from two or more races . Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.9% of

3154-472: The city's growth patterns for years to come. During the 1980s, Topeka citizens voted to build a new airport and convention center and to change the form of city government. West Ridge Mall opened in 1988, replacing the White Lakes Mall , which opened in 1964. In 1989, Topeka became a motorsports mecca with the opening of Heartland Park Topeka . The Topeka Performing Arts Center opened in 1991. In

3237-452: The company was ordered by the court to begin paying solar rebates in May 2015, just as other state electric providers such as Ameren and Kansas City Power had already been doing for over five years. On February 9, 2016, Empire announced its merger with Algonquin Power & Utilities Corporation of Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Empire has been purchased for $ 3.4 billion, and the acquisition

3320-438: The early 1990s, the city experienced business growth with Reser's Fine Foods locating in Topeka and expansions for Santa Fe and Hill's Pet Nutrition. During the 1990s, voters approved bond issues for public school improvements, including magnet schools, technology, air conditioning, classrooms, and a sports complex. Voters also approved a quarter-cent sales tax for a new law-enforcement center, and in 1996, approved an extension of

3403-455: The east wing, and then the west wing, and finally the central building, using Kansas limestone . In fall 1864, a stockade fort, later named Fort Simple , was built in the intersection of 6th and Kansas Avenues to protect Topeka, should Confederate forces then in Missouri decide to attack the city. It was abandoned by April 1865 and demolished in April 1867. State officers first used the state capitol in 1869, moving from Constitution Hall , what

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3486-489: The employees in the district attorney's office were announced to be laid off. Topeka is sometimes cited as the home of Pentecostalism , as it was the site of Charles Fox Parham 's Bethel Bible College , where glossolalia was first claimed as the evidence of a spiritual experience referred to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1901. It is also the home of Reverend Charles Sheldon , author of In His Steps , and

3569-472: The eyes of the Federal government. In the 1860s, the country's goods were increasingly transported by the extensive and comparatively efficient railroad system. On February 25, 1864, the state legislature declared the Kansas River nonnavigable, allowing railroad and bridge companies to build bridges and dams without restriction. The first train to operate in Kansas south of the Kansas River did so by crossing

3652-526: The fight for equality for gays and lesbians". They have sometimes successfully brought lawsuits against the city of Topeka. Directly across the street from them is the Equality House , a pro-LGBT home where volunteers of Planting Peace can stay. It is painted in rainbow colors and serves as a home for social workers caring for the LGBT+ community. Kansas River The Kansas River , also known as

3735-482: The final stretches of the river, near its mouth and the connection to the Missouri River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Land Management operate many reservoirs within the watershed of the Kansas River for local and Mississippi River flood control, with secondary recreational uses. The river is featured prominently in the 2017 documentary When Kings Reigned . The film talks about life along

3818-696: The first Baháʼí community in Kansas, in Enterprise, in 1897. This was the second Baháʼí community in the Western Hemisphere. Topeka is home of the Westboro Baptist Church , a hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center . The homophobic church has garnered worldwide media attention for picketing the funerals of U.S. servicemen and women for what church members claim as "necessary to combat

3901-414: The free-state town from invasion. A militia was organized and stone fortifications were built on Quincy Street. The fortifications seemed to consist of low-lying earthwork levies strengthened by the presence of at least one cannon. The militia manned the fortifications until at least September 1856, when the siege around the town was lifted. After a decade of abolitionist and pro-slavery conflict that gave

3984-406: The historic site. The National Historic Site was opened by President George W. Bush on May 17, 2004. Topeka has struggled with the burden of racial discrimination even after Brown . New lawsuits attempted unsuccessfully to force suburban school districts that ring the city to participate in racial integration with the inner-city district. In the late 1980s, a group of citizens calling themselves

4067-687: The home of Oliver Brown, the named plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education , which was the case responsible for eliminating the standard of "separate but equal", and requiring racial integration in American public schools. In 1960, the Census Bureau reported Topeka's population as 91.8% White and 7.7% Black. At the time the suit was filed, only the elementary schools were segregated in Topeka, and Topeka High School had been fully integrated since its inception in 1871. Furthermore, Topeka High School

4150-467: The late 1860s, Topeka had become a commercial hub that offered many Victorian era comforts. Topeka was a bastion for the free-state movement during the problems in Kansas Territory between abolitionist and proslavery settlers (the latter of whom controlled the legal government based out of Lecompton ). After southern forces barricaded Topeka in 1856, Topeka's leaders took actions to defend

4233-545: The maximum extent of a Pre-Illinoian glaciation, and the river likely began as a path of glacial meltwater drainage. The Kansas drains 34,423 square miles (89,160 km ) of land in Kansas (almost all of the northern half), along with 16,916 square miles (43,810 km ) in Nebraska and 8,775 square miles (22,730 km ) in Colorado , making a total of just over 60,000 square miles (160,000 km ). When including

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4316-613: The needs of approximately 4,500 customers. In 2006, Empire acquired natural gas distribution rights and created The Empire District Gas Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Empire District Electric Company. Empire District Gas serves over 45,000 customers. Additionally, in an effort to help customers control their energy usage, Empire offers a variety of energy efficiency programs in each state. Programs range from rebates for upgrading to more efficient electric or natural gas equipment to free online home energy audits providing customized suggestions for customers. In 2009, Empire celebrated

4399-578: The newly established Fort Riley . In 1854, after completion of the first cabin, nine men established the Topeka Town Association. The group included Cyrus K. Holliday , an "idea man", who became mayor of Topeka and founder of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad . Soon, steamboats were regularly docking at the Topeka landing, depositing meat , lumber , and flour and returning eastward with potatoes , corn , and wheat . By

4482-416: The original kką:ze . The city of Kansas City, Missouri , was named for the river, as was later the state of Kansas. The river valley averages 2.6 miles (4.2 km) in width, with the widest points being between Wamego and Rossville , where it is up to 4 miles (6.4 km) wide, then narrowing to 1 mile (1.6 km) or less in places below Eudora and De Soto . Much of the river's watershed

4565-401: The population. Of the 52,190 households , 28.0% had children under 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were not families. About 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size

4648-425: The racial counts and placed in their own category) was 64.18% (81,243) White (non-Hispanic) , 9.93% (12,574) Black (non-Hispanic) , 0.92% (1,169) Native American (non-Hispanic) or Alaskan Native (non-Hispanic) , 1.61% (2,043) Asian (non-Hispanic) , 0.11% (135) Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic) , 0.36% (458) from other race (non-Hispanic) , 6.49% (8,216) Multiracial , and 16.39% (20,749) Hispanic or Latino . Of

4731-469: The railway started moving westward from Topeka, where general offices and machine shops of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad system were established in 1878. During the late 1880s, Topeka passed through a boom period that ended in disaster. Vast speculation on town lots occurred. The 1889 bubble burst, and many investors were ruined. Topeka, however, doubled in population during the period, and

4814-844: The rainfall is delivered by thunderstorms. These can be severe, producing frequent lightning , large hail , and sometimes tornadoes. An average of 100 days of measurable precipitation occur per year. Winter snowfall is light, as is the case in most of the state, as a result of the dry, sunny weather patterns that dominate Kansas winters, which do not allow for sufficient moisture for significant snowfall. Winter snowfall averages 17.1 in (43 cm). Measurable (≥0.1 in or 0.25 cm) snowfall occurs an average of 12 days per year, with at least 1.0 in (2.5 cm) of snow being received on five of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 17.7 days per year. The 2020 United States census counted 126,587 people, 54,092 households, and 30,361 families in Topeka. The population density

4897-676: The rest of the state is drained by the Arkansas (and its tributaries, the Neosho , Cimarron , and Verdigris , all three of which drain into the Arkansas in Oklahoma ). A portion of central-eastern Kansas is drained by the Marais des Cygnes River , which flows into Missouri to meet the Missouri River. A small area in the extreme northeast part of the state drains directly into the Missouri. In

4980-430: The river flows through limestone , shale , mudstone , and occasional sandstone strata that, except for diagenesis , remain largely undisturbed since deposition in shallow Carboniferous and Permian seas. The age of the rock exposed by the river becomes progressively older as the river moves downstream for two main reasons. First, downstream areas experience more erosion from increased flow, and second because

5063-566: The river in Lawrence on November 1, 1867. This law remained in effect until 1913, when, after it had been characterized as "a crime against the public welfare of Kansas", it was finally repealed and the river's status was restored to a navigable stream. The status has not since changed, though modern commercial navigation on the river is largely confined to dredging . Recreation along the Kansas River includes fishing , canoeing and kayaking , and rowing . There are 18 public access points along

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5146-652: The river. The Friends of the Kaw organizes many float trips down the river each year (as well as cleanup efforts), and the Lawrence KOA rents canoes for self-guided trips. At least two rowing teams regularly use the river: The University of Kansas rowing team uses the pool above the Bowersock Dam for their training, and the Kansas City Boat Club as well as University of Missouri-Kansas City rows in

5229-587: The rocks in the eastern Kansas valley are sedimentary , ranging from Late Pennsylvanian (300 million years ago) through the Permian, with three notable exceptions from the Quaternary Period. The first is river sand and gravel deposits, which have been carried in largely from erosion of the Ogallala and Cretaceous rocks by the western extents of the Kansas River tributaries. Second, the retreat of

5312-621: The sales tax for the East Topeka Interchange connecting the Oakland Expressway, K-4, I-70, and the Kansas Turnpike. During the 1990s, Shawnee County voters approved tax measures to expand the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. The Kansas Legislature and governor also approved legislation to replace the majority of the property tax supporting Washburn University with a countywide sales tax. In 2000,

5395-781: The slight uplift of the Ozark dome to the southeast caused the strata in Kansas to dip very slightly to the west. The Smoky Hill River and Republican River tributaries reach far to the west into the Cretaceous deposits of the Western Interior Seaway and the Neogene Period deposits of material from the uplift of the Rocky Mountains , which created the Ogallala Formation . All of

5478-411: The territorial period and the early years of statehood, falling off rapidly about 1860. The last steamer to travel the Kansas was the Alexander Majors, which was chartered in 1866 to run between Kansas City and Lawrence until the railroad bridge at the mouth of the river, which had been destroyed by floods, could be rebuilt. This traffic into statehood gave the Kansas legal status as a navigable stream in

5561-402: The territory the nickname Bleeding Kansas , it was admitted to the Union in 1861 as the 34th state. Topeka was chosen as the capital, with Charles Robinson as the first governor. In 1862, Cyrus K. Holliday donated a tract of land to the state for the construction of a state capitol. Construction of the Kansas State Capitol began in 1866. About 37 years were needed to build the capitol, first

5644-415: The time of its organization, Empire had 109 miles of transmission line, 8 megawatts of generating capacity, and 2,400 customers. Today, the Company utilizes over 1,200 miles of transmission line and over 1,300 megawatts of owned capacity to serve over 165,000 electric customers. Empire also provides both water and natural gas service to customers in Missouri. Empire Water Company was created in 1926 and meets

5727-425: The tornado strike, development began near the mound, including a water tank constructed near the top of the mound against the warnings of local Native Americans. The tornado went on to rip through the city, hitting the downtown area and Washburn University. Total repair cost was put at $ 100 million, making it, at the time, one of the most costly tornadoes in American history. Even to this day, with inflation factored in,

5810-424: The wind. The thickest loess deposits can be found in the northwest and north-central part of the Kansas River basin from southern Nebraska into northwest Kansas, as well as near the river's mouth. The first map showing the Kansas River is French cartographer Guillaume de L'Isle 's " Carte de la Louisiane ," which was drawn about 1718. On it, the "Grande Riviere des Cansez" flows into the Missouri River at about

5893-464: Was $ 32,634 (+/- $ 944). Approximately, 9.5% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.7% of those under the age of 18 and 7.8% of those ages 65 or over. As of the census of 2010, the city had 127,473 people, 53,943 households, and 30,707 families. The population density was 2,118.5 inhabitants per square mile (818.0/km ). The 59,582 housing units averaged 990.2/sq mi (382.3/km ). The city's racial makeup

5976-409: Was $ 45,803. Males had a median income of $ 32,373 versus $ 25,633 for females. The city's per capita income was $ 19,555. About 8.5% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over. Although Topeka experienced problems with crime in the 1990s, the city's crime rates have improved since. Overall, crime in Topeka

6059-670: Was 2,060.3 per square mile (795.4/km ). There were 60,489 housing units at an average density of 984.5 per square mile (380.1/km ). The U.S. Census accounts for race by two methodologies. "Race alone" and "Race alone less Hispanics" where Hispanics are delineated separately as if a separate race. The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 68.44% (86,642) white , 10.44% (13,218) black or African-American , 1.36% (1,723) Native American , 1.64% (2,073) Asian , 0.12% (153) Pacific Islander , 6.09% (7,707) from other races , and 11.91% (15,071) from two or more races. The racial and ethnic makeup (where Hispanics are excluded from

6142-413: Was 2.94. About 24.3% of the city's population was under age 18, 9.9% was from age 18 to 24, 28.9% was from age 25 to 44, 21.9% was from age 45 to 64, and 15.1% was age 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. As of 2000, the city's median household income was $ 35,928, and the median family income

6225-473: Was 38.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 87.3 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $ 49,647 (with a margin of error of +/- $ 1,860) and the median family income $ 64,454 (+/- $ 1,541). Males had a median income of $ 36,601 (+/- $ 1,727) versus $ 29,303 (+/- $ 1,097) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old

6308-408: Was 76.2% White, 11.3% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 4.8% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 13.4% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 69.7% of the population in 2010, down from 86.3% in 1970. Of the 53,943 households, 29.5% had children under 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 14.2% had

6391-402: Was able to weather the depressions of the 1890s. Early in the 20th century, another kind of boom, this time the automobile industry, took off, and numerous pioneering companies appeared and disappeared. Topeka was not left out. The Smith Automobile Company was founded there in 1902, lasting until 1912. Home to the first African-American kindergarten west of the Mississippi River, Topeka was

6474-426: Was chartered as a city. The city is well known for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka , which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. The name "Topeka" is a Kansa-Osage word that means "place where we dig potatoes", or "a good place to dig potatoes". As a placename, Topeka was first recorded in 1826 as

6557-528: Was down nearly 18% in the first half of 2008, compared with the same period of 2007. Topeka police reported a 6.4% drop in crime from 2007 to 2008, including significant reductions in business robberies and aggravated assaults and batteries, as well as thefts. On October 11, 2011, the Topeka city council agreed to repeal the ordinance banning domestic violence in an effort to force the Shawnee County District Attorney to prosecute

6640-490: Was finalized during the first quarter of 2017. The name of the new entity is Liberty Utilities. Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( / t ə ˈ p iː k ə / tə- PEE -kə ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County . It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States . As of

6723-772: Was known as Tennessee Town because so many of them were from the Volunteer State. Charles Sheldon, pastor of the Central Congregational Church, organized the first African American kindergarten west of the Mississippi in 1893. Lincoln College, now Washburn University , was established in 1865 in Topeka by a charter issued by the State of Kansas and the General Association of Congregational Ministers and Churches of Kansas. In 1869,

6806-511: Was the only public high school in the city of Topeka. Other rural high schools existed, such as Washburn Rural High School—created in 1918—and Seaman High School—created in 1920. Highland Park High School became part of the Topeka school system in 1959 along with the opening of Topeka West High School in 1961. A Catholic high school —Assumption High School, later renamed Capitol Catholic High School, then in 1939 again renamed, to Hayden High School after its founder, Father Francis Hayden — also served

6889-638: Was the site where the famous question " What would Jesus do? " originated in a sermon of Sheldon's at Central Congregational Church. The First Presbyterian Church in Topeka is one of the few churches in the U.S. to have its sanctuary completely decorated with Tiffany stained glass (another is St. Luke's United Methodist in Dubuque, Iowa ; another is the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Cumberland, Maryland ). The Roman Catholic population

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