Topeka, << tuh PEE kuh >> (pop. 126,587; met. area pop. 233,152) is the capital and one of the largest cities of Kansas. Topeka is in northeastern Kansas on the Kansas River. The city is an important trade center.
Topeka lies in a region of gently rolling hills. The city has many wide streets lined with tall shade trees. The Capitol towers above Topeka’s downtown area. The building, much of which dates from the late 1800’s, is topped by a copper dome.
Many Topeka residents work for federal, state, or local government agencies. Hospitals and other medical institutions also rank among the city’s chief employers. Topeka factories produce cellophane, greeting cards, pet foods, potato chips, steel products, and tires. Other Topeka industries include grain storage, printing and publishing, and the repair of railroad cars. Topeka is the home of Washburn University and the Topeka Zoo. The Reinisch Rose Garden, one of the largest in the Midwest, is a landmark.
The Topeka area was once occupied by the Kansa (Kaw) Indians. In 1842, Louis Papan, one of the area’s first European settlers, began operating a ferry on the Kansas River. Papan’s ferry transported people who were traveling westward to such places as California and Oregon. Topeka was founded in 1854 by a small group of pioneers at the site of Papan’s ferry. The pioneers were led by Cyrus Holliday, a businessman from Pennsylvania. Holliday later helped found the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (now part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation). In 1878, he helped establish the railroad’s headquarters in Topeka. Topeka was incorporated in 1857, and it became the state capital in 1861.
Topeka’s Sumner Elementary School became the center of national attention in the mid-1900’s. It was involved in the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional (see Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ). The city is the seat of Shawnee County and has a council-manager government. For the monthly weather in Topeka, see Kansas (Climate) .
