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The Commemorative Quarter for Kansas





Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Topeka (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Topeka. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Topeka is located in Shawnee County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of Kansas' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Shawnee County: Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, Pottawatomie & Wabaunsee.

Below are the counties that are near Topeka. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Topeka:

  • Shawnee County     (The home county of Topeka)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.
    • Highland Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Highland Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Park
      • Highland Park is located in Shawnee County
    • North Topeka
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Oakland
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Tecumseh
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tecumseh have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tecumseh
      • Tecumseh is located in Shawnee County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tecumseh <2>
    • Pauline
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Spencer
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Spencer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spencer
      • Spencer is located in Shawnee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Spencer
      • From Topeka to Spencer
    • Kiro
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Berryton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Cullen Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cullen Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cullen Village
      • Cullen Village is located in Shawnee County
    • Watson
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Watson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
      • Watson is located in Shawnee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Watson
      • From Topeka to Watson
    • Silver Lake
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
      • Silver Lake is located in Shawnee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,395 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silver Lake <2>
    • Auburn
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Atchison County
    • Arrington
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Douglas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.
    • Big Springs
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Grover
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Grover. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
      • Grover is located in Douglas County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Grover
      • From Topeka to Grover
    • Stull
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stull have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stull
      • Stull is located in Douglas County
    • Lecompton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lecompton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lecompton
      • Lecompton is located in Douglas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 659 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lecompton <2>
    • Kanwaka
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kanwaka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanwaka
      • Kanwaka is located in Douglas County
      • Kanwaka has also been known as:
      • Kanawha
      • Kannaka
      • Kanwaca
    • Clinton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Lone Star
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lone Star have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Star
      • Lone Star is located in Douglas County
    • Lawrence
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Midland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Midland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midland
      • Midland is located in Douglas County
    • Globe
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Bismarck Grove ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Pleasant Grove
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Franklin County
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.
    • Hoyt
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hoyt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoyt
      • Hoyt is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 629 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hoyt <2>
    • Mayetta
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mayetta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayetta
      • Mayetta is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 345 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mayetta <2>
    • Delia
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Denison
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Birmingham
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Holton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holton
      • Holton is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,204 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Holton <2>
    • Larkinburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Larkinburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Larkinburg
      • Larkinburg is located in Jackson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Larkinburg
      • From Topeka to Larkinburg
  • Jefferson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.
    • Grantville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grantville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grantville
      • Grantville is located in Jefferson County
    • Newman
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newman
      • Newman is located in Jefferson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Newman
      • From Topeka to Newman
    • Meriden
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Medina
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Medina. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medina
      • Medina is located in Jefferson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Medina
      • From Topeka to Medina
    • Thompsonville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Hilldale South
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hilldale South have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilldale South
      • Hilldale South is located in Jefferson County
    • Lake Ridge
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Ridge
      • Lake Ridge is located in Jefferson County
    • Hilldale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilldale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilldale
      • Hilldale is located in Jefferson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hilldale
      • From Topeka to Hilldale
    • West Shore
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Shore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Shore
      • West Shore is located in Jefferson County
    • Perry
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Rock Creek
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Indian Ridge
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Ridge
      • Indian Ridge is located in Jefferson County
  • Leavenworth County
    • Fall Leaf
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fall Leaf. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fall Leaf
      • Fall Leaf is located in Leavenworth County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fall Leaf
      • From Topeka to Fall Leaf
  • Osage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.
    • Mineral Springs
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Carbondale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carbondale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbondale
      • Carbondale is located in Osage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,347 people
    • Scranton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scranton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scranton
      • Scranton is located in Osage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 671 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scranton <2>
    • Overbrook
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Burlingame
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burlingame have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlingame
      • Burlingame is located in Osage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 884 people
      • Former name for Burlingame:
      • American Settlement
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burlingame <2>
    • Peterton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Peterton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peterton
      • Peterton is located in Osage County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Peterton
      • From Topeka to Peterton
    • Vassar
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Osage City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Osage City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osage City
      • Osage City is located in Osage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,765 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Osage City <2>
    • Lyndon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyndon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyndon
      • Lyndon is located in Osage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,013 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyndon <2>
  • Pottawatomie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.
    • Saint Marys
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Marys have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Marys
      • Saint Marys is located in Pottawatomie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,652 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Marys <2>
    • Emmett
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emmett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmett
      • Emmett is located in Pottawatomie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 187 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emmett <2>
    • Belvue
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belvue have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belvue
      • Belvue is located in Pottawatomie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 204 people
  • Wabaunsee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.
    • Maple Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maple Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Hill
      • Maple Hill is located in Wabaunsee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 599 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maple Hill <2>
    • Vera
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Harveyville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harveyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harveyville
      • Harveyville is located in Wabaunsee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
    • Wilmington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wilmington. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
      • Wilmington is located in Wabaunsee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wilmington
      • From Topeka to Wilmington
    • Eskridge
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Paxico
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • McFarland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McFarland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McFarland
      • McFarland is located in Wabaunsee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 250 people

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Topeka, see our County-by-County Page for Topeka.

Cemeteries Near Topeka ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Topeka.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Topeka covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.

  • Mt. Auburn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Topeka Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Topeka State Hospital Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Penwell - Gabel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Foster Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Foster Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Foster Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boys Industrial School Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boys Industrial School Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boys Industrial School Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Rochester Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Security Benefit Association Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Security Benefit Association Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Security Benefit Association Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Prairie Home Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prairie Home Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prairie Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (155 more) ...
    • Mission Center Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mission Center Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mission Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Elevation Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elevation Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elevation Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Lynn Creek Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lynn Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lynn Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Topeka had a population of 31,007 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Topeka had a population of 124,558 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Topeka, with the one closest to Topeka listed first.

  • Oakland
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • North Topeka
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Pauline
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Tecumseh
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tecumseh have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tecumseh
    • Tecumseh is located in Shawnee County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tecumseh <2>
  • Menoken
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menoken have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menoken
    • Menoken is located in Shawnee County
  • Grantville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grantville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grantville
    • Grantville is located in Jefferson County
  • Berryton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Watson
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Watson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
    • Watson is located in Shawnee County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Watson
    • From Topeka to Watson
  • Spencer
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Spencer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spencer
    • Spencer is located in Shawnee County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Spencer
    • From Topeka to Spencer
  • Elmont
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmont
    • Elmont is located in Shawnee County
  • Big Springs
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Silver Lake
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
    • Silver Lake is located in Shawnee County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,395 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silver Lake <2>
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Valencia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valencia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valencia
      • Valencia is located in Shawnee County
    • Wakarusa
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wakarusa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wakarusa
      • Wakarusa is located in Shawnee County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wakarusa <2>
    • Grover
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Grover. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
      • Grover is located in Douglas County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Grover
      • From Topeka to Grover

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Topeka. See our List of 1890's Communities around Topeka.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Topeka ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 518 newspapers that have been published in the area around Topeka.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Topeka. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Topeka and those printed in the larger area surrounding Topeka.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6> of Topeka.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Topeka:

The official website for Topeka: www.topeka.org/

The official website for Shawnee County: www.co.shawnee.ks.us/

The official website for State of Kansas: https://portal.kansas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Topeka, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Topeka) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Topeka. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.0460, Longitude: -95.6758    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025