Biography and Subject Files
Our local history subject files contain information about Topeka from A–Z. In the files you will find newspaper clippings, photos, and archival material. There are also files dedicated to the people of Topeka and Shawnee County.
View Subject Index
View Biography Index
Local History Digital Collection
The Local History Digital Collection consists of a wide array of digital reproductions of architectural drawings and blueprints, photographs, oral histories and select topics from our Vertical Files.
Newspaper Collection
Local History researchers and genealogists are fortunate because the Topeka State Journal, Topeka Daily Capitol and Topeka Capitol Journal, all three major newspapers serving our area, we have a complete run on microfilm from 1865 to the present.
List of Newspapers on Microfilm
| Title |
Start Date |
End Date |
| Advocate |
08/03/1895 |
03/04/1896 |
| College Hill News |
10/25/1923 |
7/4/1924 |
| Columbia Herald |
11/01/1894 |
03/01/1895 |
| Comet |
9/14/1900 |
10/18/1900 |
| Commonwealth [weekly] |
5/20/1869 |
11/01/1888 |
| Commonwealth |
05/01/1869 |
07/13/1888 |
| Conregational News [single issue] |
10/1/1900 |
|
| Daily Democrate |
02/20/1893 |
1/10/1901 |
| Farmer’s Advocate |
04/19/1899 |
11/28/1908 |
| Kansas Breeze |
04/13/1894 |
09/16/1895 |
| Kansas Construction News |
2/14/1913 |
12/31/1930 |
| Kansas Farmer |
05/01/1863 |
12/28/1892 |
| Kansas State Record |
10/15/1859 |
04/28/1875 |
| North Topeka Mail |
10/20/1882 |
09/01/1896 |
| North Topeka Times [Topeka Weekly Times] |
03/16/1871 |
05/05/1882 |
| Rural Digest |
11/25/1923 |
8/1/1924 |
| Rural Kansan |
8/31/1922 |
11/15/1923 |
| Saturday Evening Lance |
06/09/1883 |
01/11/1896 |
| Shawnee Chief |
4/25/1913 |
12/29/1921 |
| Shawnee Farmer |
1/5/1922 |
8/24/1922 |
| Smasher’s Mail |
3/1/1901 |
12/1/1901 |
| Sunday Morning Commerical |
06/24/1877 |
08/051877 |
| Tall Windows |
5/24/1905 |
5/28/1905 |
| The Daily Critic |
03/1884 |
06/1884 |
| Topeka Commerical Advertiser |
03/25/1877 |
06/17/1877 |
| Topeka Commerical Advertiser [single issue] |
03/05/1879 |
|
| Topeka Advocate |
08/10/1889 |
04/12/1899 |
| Topeka Building Permits |
2/22/1905 |
4/8/1905 |
| Topeka Capitol Journal |
8/1/1980 |
current |
| Topeka Commerical Bulletin |
05/1889 |
|
| Topeka Daily |
04/01/1879 |
7/31/1980 |
| Topeka Daily Herald |
7/1/1901 |
7/22/1901 |
| Topeka Mail |
08/07/1885 |
09/06/1895 |
| Topeka Mail & Breeze |
09/13/1895 |
12/26/1903 |
| Topeka Plain Dealer [African American] |
01/06/1899 |
11/7/1958 |
| Topeka State Journal |
10/01/1879 |
7/31/1980 |
| Topeka Weekly Leader |
12/07/1865 |
11/04/1876 |
Yearbooks
The library’s Local History department is compiling a county-wide collection of school yearbooks starting from the time yearbooks began, to the present. These yearbooks are available in the Topeka Room Suite. What we are looking for:
- Yearbooks in excellent condition (those with handwriting are fine)
- A school located in the city of Topeka or any town in Shawnee County, Kansas.
- Any elementary, Jr. high, middle school and especially high school
- Check our listing of yearbook to see if we have it in our collections.
Contact the Topeka Room at (785) 580-4510 to make arrangements to donate yours today.
View complete list
