Kansas Statehood dates to First Territorial Capitol

Michael Bushnell
Publisher


This week’s Historic postcard is a C.T. American Art Blue-Sky postcard published by E.D. Zellner of Junction City, Kan., showing the first Territorial Capitol Building, now located on the Fort Riley Army Post.


The building itself was built in 1855 during the Bleeding Kansas era prior to the American Civil War. It is the only surviving structure of the hastily constructed town of Pawnee, Kan., which was to act as the territorial capitol. Pawnee’s reign as capitol was short lived as the legislature, if one can call it that, met in the building for less than a week, July 2 through 6, 1855.


That legislature was made up of mostly pro-slavery Missouri men who had corrupted the general election process in order to get the new territorial capitol moved closer to Missouri – Shawnee Mission to be exact – and their constituents who illegally elected most of them. Of the 39 legislators seated, only eight had free-state ties. The other 31 were pro-Southern men with the intent to have Kansas admitted to the Union as a slave state.


The new legislature’s first order of official business was to unseat the eight free-state legislators by negating the March election results, following which they would replace the ousted free-staters with pro-slavery legislators. On July 4, the bogus legislature, a term which survives to this day in reference to that elected body, passed their bill to move the capitol back to Shawnee Mission. Newly elected Governor Andrew Reeder attempted to veto the measure but he was quickly voted down.


Two days later, upon adjournment of the session, the legislators packed up their belongings and quickly made their way back to Shawnee Mission, leaving the city of Pawnee and the 40’ by 80’ stone capitol building to fade into the sunset.


Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1861 by a legitimately elected legislative body, but not before bloody border skirmishes between pro-slavery Missourians and free-state minded Kansans grew to a fevered pitch, often leaving farms and fields burning and residents tortured, beaten and hung because their loyalties didn’t agree with whoever was asking the questions at that particular moment.


With the vacation of Pawnee, the building shown on the postcard was essentially left open. The Army used it as a warehouse and carpentry shop for a time as well as chaplains’ quarters. In 1877 the building fell victim to a Kansas wind storm and the roof was torn off and the interior left heavily damaged. Still the building stood, and some 30 years later, a restoration fund was established by Wichita native Colonel Samuel F. Woodard.


Almost $500 was raised through public subscription and work began in earnest on reinforcing the structure. The Union Pacific Railroad provided additional construction funding as the first legislature had granted the UP a franchise to build a transcontinental line through the state of Kansas. Over $20,000 came from the railroad for stabilization and restoration. The state itself kicked in another $1,000 from the annual budget for the cause, as well.


In 1927 the site was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark and on August 1, 1928, the site was dedicated and presented to the state of Kansas during a gala reception that was attended by over 10,000 people.


The building lies roughly a hundred yards west of a bend in the Kansas River, along the Union Pacific right-of-way. It was originally located outside of the boundaries of Fort Riley, but as the post grew, it was absorbed and is now located on post grounds. The museum houses exhibits dedicated to the history of Kansas road to statehood.


The sign in front of the building reads: “Kansas First Territorial Capitol Building. First Territorial legislature convened here July 2, 1855, Adjourned to Shawnee Mission, July 6, 1855. Restored by Union Pacific Railroad Company July 2, 1928. Building and grounds maintained by the Kansas State Historical Society. Revocable license for grounds outside of Union Pacific. Right of Way granted by War Department.”

Want Northeast News articles sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
Enter your email address and click on the Get Instant Access button.
We respect your privacy

Comments are closed.

  • Newspapers essential to community vitality

    18 hours ago
    by

    This real photo postcard spotlights Mr. Roy Powell, former Publisher of the Holt Rustler and the Gower Rustler, two weekly […]


    Remember this? Petticoat Lane

    18 hours ago
    by

    Decades prior to being officially renamed by the City Council, a two block section of 11th Street had earned the […]


    Dining and Dancing at Sni-a-bar gardens

    March 15th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher No publisher’s mark exists on this card postmarked Feb. 18, 1938, which shows the Sni-A-Bar Gardens in Kansas […]


    Remember This?

    March 15th, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor America’s largest cookie sale began with one Girl Scout troop in 1917. The “Mistletoe” troop of Muskogee, Okla., […]


    Remember This?

    March 8th, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor For centuries, books, documents, and letters were written with a simple quill pen that was dipped into ink. […]


    Scarritt Building dominates early KC Skyline

    March 8th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher The Scarritt Building was built in 1907 by the Scarritt Estate Company, formed in 1903 by the children […]


    Remember This?

    March 1st, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor The development of flash photography was, quite literally, explosive. In order to get the lumens necessary for indoor […]


    Mellier Place: an up and coming subdivision of the early 20th century

    March 1st, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher Around the turn of the 20th Century, it was not uncommon for local photo-postcard companies to go door-to-door […]


    Remember This?

    February 22nd, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor The handiest gadget in today’s kitchen drawer was invented several decades following the invention of canned foods. While […]


  • Blossom House, Union Depot key to West Bottoms Economy

    February 22nd, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher The Blossom House Hotel was opened at 1048-50 Union Ave. in 1882 by Major George Newton Blossom to […]


    Remember This?

    February 15th, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor Whether wearing sneakers, playing a guitar, or donning a superhero cape, the cartoon cats drawn by artist B […]


    The Living Flag

    February 15th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher This extremely rare, hand-colored postcard depicts the Living Flag presentation done under the auspices of the Women’s Christian […]


    Swope Park, an admirable site for the country’s best zoo

    February 8th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher “Kansas City cannot be a metropolitan area without a quality zoological garden,” said Barron Fradenburg, founding partner of […]


    Remember This?

    February 8th, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor Whether one thought the embroidered logo was an alligator or crocodile, the Izod Lacoste polo shirt was the […]


    Reclaiming West Terrace Park

    February 1st, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher West Terrace Park was one of Kansas City’s first parks, originally proposed by landscape architect George Kessler in […]


    Remember This?

    February 1st, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor Living 20 minutes into the future and tagging Coke drinkers as “Coke-ologists,” Max Headroom was developed as the […]


    Kansas City, a national leader in flour milling

    January 25th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher This week, we feature a promotional postcard for the Southwest Milling Company showing the company’s A and B […]


    Remember This?

    January 25th, 2023
    by

    Dorri PartainContributor Can you do “The Flake?” If you can, you know the “crazy new dance that’s the talk of […]


  • Northeast Newscast


  • Remember This?

    Remember This?

    January 18th, 2023
    by

  • Want articles sent directly to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
    We respect your privacy and will not distribute your information.