Editing Shawnee County, Kansas (section)

==History==
[[Image:Sn1899.gif|frame|right|Map of Shawnee County from ''History of Kansas, 1899'']]

===Early history===
{{See also|History of Kansas}}
For many [[millennia]], the [[Great Plains]] of North America was inhabited by [[nomadic]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. From the 16th century to 18th century, the [[Kingdom of France]] claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the [[French and Indian War]], France secretly ceded [[New France]] to Spain, per the [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]].

===19th century===
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for [[History of Kansas|modern day Kansas]] was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile [[Louisiana Purchase]] for 2.83 [[Penny (United States coin)|cents]] per [[acre]].

In 1854, the [[Kansas Territory]] was organized, then in 1861 [[Kansas]] became the 34th [[U.S. state]]. In 1855, '''Shawnee County''' was established.

Before the treaty of 1854, the Shawnee, Kansas, and Pottowatomie Indian tribes inhabited the area now known as Shawnee County. Westward expansion brought the country its first white settler in 1830 when Frederick Choteau opened a trading post on American Chief (now [[Mission Creek (Kansas)|Mission]]) Creek. In 1855, Shawnee became one of the first counties established by the Kansas territorial legislature with a population of 250. General H. J. Strickler, of Tecumseh, a member of the council in 1855, and the joint committee on Counties, claimed Shawnee for the name of his county. At that time, Shawnee County borders were entirely south of the Kansas River and extended south to include Osage City and Carbondale. The legislature later desired to make Topeka the county seat and moved the borders of the county to their present locations to make Topeka centrally located in the county.

1855 also saw the first ever meeting of the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners. Tecumseh was the first county seat, and the first county courthouse was opened there in 1856. The building was 40x50 feet but was never finished. Topeka was made the county seat by popular vote in 1858, and a new courthouse was built at 4th Street and Kansas Avenue in 1867. In 1896, a new larger courthouse was constructed at 5th and Van Buren, with more than 50,000 residents then living in the county. That building remained in use until the current courthouse at 7th and Quincy opened in 1965.

===Local etymologies===
Concerning the origin of the names in this county, it is generally understood Shawnee County receives its name from that well known tribe of Indians.<ref name="cutler-sc">[https://web.archive.org/web/20030105070052/http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/shawnee/shawnee-co-p1.html ''History of the State of Kansas'' - Shawnee County; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883.]</ref>
;Topeka: A good place to grow potatoes (Prairie potatoes).<ref name="cutler-sc" />
;Wakarusa: River of big weeds.<ref name="cutler-sc" />
;Shunganunga: The race course.<ref name="cutler-sc" />
;Menoken: A fine growth.<ref name="cutler-sc" />
;Half-Day Creek: Named after a Pottawatomie chief.<ref name="cutler-sc" />
;Mission Creek: Named after an old Kaw mission on its banks.<ref name="cutler-sc" />
;Blacksmith Creek: Named after a Kaw blacksmith shop.<ref name="cutler-sc" />
;Soldier Creek: Its banks were a favorite camping ground for soldiers passing from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley.<ref name="cutler-sc" />