History

Prior to a accord of 1854, a region nowadays called Shawnee County was inhabited by Shawnee, Kansas, & Pottowatomie indian tribes. Westwards expansiin brought the united states its 1st whiten settler within 1830 whenever Frederick Choteau opened a general store on Western Chief (currently Mission) Creek. Inside 1855, Shawnee became one of the number 1 counties established per Kansas territorial general assembly sustaining a people of 250. General H. J. Strickler, of Tecumseh, world health organizatiin was the member of the council within 1855, & too of the joint committee on Counties, claimed Shawnee for the title of his county. At that instance, Shawnee County borders were totally south of the Kansas Flow of any stream & extended south to include Osage City & Carbondale. A general assembly late desired to produce Topeka a county courthouse & moved a borders of the county to their present locations to produce Topeka centrally in the county.

1855 likewise saw a number one ever meeting of the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners. Tecumseh was a 1st county seat, & a number 1 county courthouse was opened there within 1856. A building was 40x50 feet however was never finished. Topekthe was manufactured a county courthouse by popular vote around 1858, & a freshly courthouse was built at 4th Street & Kansas Avenue inside 1867. Within 1896, the newly big courthouse was constructed at Fifth & Van Buren, by having to a higher degree 50,000 residents so residing in the county. That building remained inside utilise until a todays courthouse at Seventh & Quincy opened inside 1965.

Local etymologies
On a origin of the list therein county, these are usually understood that Shawnee County receives its title from either that swell known tribe of Indians. ;Topeka: occurs as Kaw word, meaning "wild potato." ;Wakarusa: "river of big weeds." ;Shunganunga: "the race course." ;Menoken: "a fine growth." ;Half-Day Creek: known as fallowing the Pottawatomie chief. ;Missiin Creek: therefore known as because of the old Kaw mission on its banks. ;Blacksmith Creek: from either a Kaw blacksmith shop. ;Soldier Creek: because its banks were the favourite camping area for soldiers passing from either Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley.

Geography
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,441 km² (556 mi²). 1,424 kilometre² (550 mi²) of these are l& and Seventeen kilometre² (Half a dozen mi²) of these are water supply. A sum vicinity is One.17% water supply.

Geographic features
A Kansas River runs east across a county existence approach its northerly bank per towns of Rossville, Silver Flow of any stream & Soldier, & in its in the south bank per towns of Willard, Dover, Mission, Topeka & Tecumseh. There exists little or even there are no todays major flow of any stream traffik, however these are utilized extensivly for irrigation in the county. A Wakarusa Flow of any stream, which, flowing east & nor'-east, empties into a Kansas Flow of any stream in the northeastern a share of Douglas County. Major lakes evacuation into a Kansas Flow of any stream include Cross, Soldier, Mission, Indian, & Shunganunga Lakes.

a soil occurs as rich dark loam, varying from either either xv feet around occasionally area of the bottoms, to a uniform surface covering the highland prairie from 1 to 3 feet. A underlying formation is limestone. Beds of clay, come easily distributed. Coal is noticed around detached & non-discontinuous beds, & is mined inside the little way for local purposes within Topeka, Soldier & Menoken.

Along a american border a landscape is cragged by owning a Flint Hills a few miles further west around Wabaunsee County. Burnett's Mound, a greatest point around the county, is placed occasionally iv miles southwest of Topeka, in Mission Township. A l& is described in the government and county studies when "bottom land, 31 per cent; upland, 69 per cent; forest 8 per cent; prairie, 92 per cent." Flow of any stream Shawnee, a human mass produced flow of any stream, is the big water in the county. Wooded areas come primarily discovered along lakes & lakes using there are no admittedly forrests. A incubation consists of elm, cottonwood, black walnut, oak, sycamore, pack elder, hickory & ash.

Major highways & transportation
Interstate Highway 70 crosses a county, when does the Kansas Turnpike. Kansas state highways K-Four, & K-10 help area of the county. Forbes Field airforce base and airdrome is placed in the south of Topeka touching Pauline. More aerodrome in the county include Philip Billard Airport of Oakland.

Adjacent counties
Jackson County, Kansas (north) Jefferson County, Kansas (northeast) Douglas County, Kansas (southeast) Osage County, Kansas (south) Wabaunsee County, Kansas (west) Pottawatomie County, Kansas (northwest)

Demographics

When of the census² of 2000, there are 169,871 people, 68,920 households, and 44,660 families residing in the county. A population density is 119/km² (309/mi²). There are 73,768 housing units at an typical density of 52/km² (134/mi²). A racial makeup of the county is 82.89% White, 9.03% Black or African American, 1.17% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Heptad.26% of the people are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 68,920 home away from which Thirty.70% keep around tykes under a age of Eighteen accept the babies, 49.60% come married couples living together, 11.60% have a female homeowner by owning there is no hubby present, & 35.20% come non-families. Xxix.80% of tons home come processed higher of people & X.00% own somebody residing alone world health organization is 65 years aged or even older. A typical house size is Deuce.39 & a typical personal size is Deuce.98.

In a county the people is spread retired by owning Twenty-five.30% under a age of Xviii, Octad.80% from either 18 to 2 dozen, Twenty-eight.40% from either 25 to 44, Xxiii.70% from either 45 to 64, & Xiii.70% world health organization come 65 years aged or even older. A median age is 37 years. For each Century females there are 93.Fourscore males. For each Hundred females age Eighteen & terminated, there are Ninety.00 males.

the median income for a house in the county is $40,988, & the median income for a personal is $51,464. Males have a median income of $35,586 versus $26,491 for females. A per capita income for the county is $20,904. Nina from carolina.60% of the people & Sextet.30% of families come following a poverty line. Away from a amount people, Twelve.30% of people under a age of 18 & 7.10% of people 65 & older come dwelling in a image below the poverty level.

Cities and towns
Auburn Rossville Silver Lake Topeka Willard

Unicorporated communities
Valencia Wakarusa Grove Pauline Dover Berryton (front yard of Kerry Livgrin, previous guitar player of the rock band Kansas) Elmont Watson Terra Heights Spencer Richland Oakland North Topeka Mathews Park Kiro Menoken Cullen Village (Montara) Belmont

Townships
Rossville Grove Menoken Soldier Tecumseh Monmouth Topeka Williamsport Mission Auburn Dover Silver Lake

Education
Unified school districts
Kaw Vale USD 321 ([http://www.kawvalley.k12.ks.us/ website]) Wabaunsee East USD 330 Jefferson West USD 340 Seaman USD 345 ([http://www.usd345.com/ website]) Silver Flow of any stream USD 372 ([http://www.silverlake.k12.ks.us/ website]) Santa Fe Trail USD 434 Auburn-Washburn USD 437 ([http://www.usd437.net/ website]) Shawnee Heights USD 450 [http://www.snh450.k12.ks.us/district/index.htm website]) Topeka USD 501 ([http://www.topeka.k12.ks.us/index.html website])

Colleges and universities
Washburn University

Vocational/technical schools
Kaw Area Technical School

Points of interest
; Kansas State Capitol, around downtown Topeka : Constructed over a period of 37 years, from either 1866 to 1903, this beautiful building houses the Kansas Legislature. ; Topeka menagerie, inside Topeka : Placed at Gage Park, this globe renowned zoo is easily-known for its flock of eagles.