First Territorial Capitol of Kansas
Encyclopedia
The First Territorial Capitol of Kansas is the sole remaining building in Pawnee, Kansas
. The town served as the capital city of the Kansas Territory
for five days before it was moved to present day Fairway, Kansas
and the town became part of Fort Riley
. The building now serves as a history museum.
, the Union Pacific Railroad
and the Kansas legislature
took over responsibility for the building and repaired it. It became a history museum in 1928.
Pawnee, Kansas
Pawnee is a ghost town in Geary County, Kansas, United States, which served as the first official capital of the Kansas Territory in 1855. Pawnee was the territorial capital for exactly five days – from July 2 to July 6, 1855 – before pro-slavery legislators voted to move the capital to Shawnee...
. The town served as the capital city of the Kansas Territory
Kansas Territory
The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas....
for five days before it was moved to present day Fairway, Kansas
Fairway, Kansas
Fairway is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. The population was 3,952 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fairway is located at...
and the town became part of Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
. The building now serves as a history museum.
History
After the rest of Pawnee was demolished, the former capitol building served a variety of uses, including housing, warehouse, and a carpenter shop. In the 1920's several civilian organization, including the Kansas Historical SocietyKansas Historical Society
The Kansas Historical Society is the official state historical society of Kansas.Headquartered in Topeka, it operates as "the trustee of the state" for the purpose of maintaining the state's history and operates the Kansas Museum of History, Kansas State Archives and Library, Kansas State Capitol...
, the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
and the Kansas legislature
Kansas Legislature
The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, composed of 125 Representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 Senators...
took over responsibility for the building and repaired it. It became a history museum in 1928.