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The State Archives Division houses the research collections of the Kansas Historical Society. The holdings consist of the official state government records of Kansas; unpublished non-government letters, diaries, and other materials; an almost comprehensive collection of Kansas newspapers, primarily on microfilm; an extensive photograph collection with images from all counties in the state; and books, pamphlets, and other published materials related to the history of Kansas and the West. Many of these materials are extremely useful to genealogists. This is a non-circulating collection except for microfilm holdings, the bulk of which are Kansas newspapers. The research materials date from the pre-territorial era to the present.

In 1995, the State Archives Division moved from its original location in the Memorial Building at 10th and Jackson in downtown Topeka to its current location in west Topeka at 6425 SW Sixth Avenue. Its current building contains storage bays with appropriate temperature and humidity controls to promote the preservation of its collections.

The main focus of the Kansas Historical Society research collections is the history of Kansas and the West. The holdings document local history in all parts of the state of Kansas. Research materials document the Santa Fe and other trails through the area that became Kansas, missionary efforts to Native Americans, events and people (John Brown) in the territorial era, Civil War activities and service of Kansas units, the building of railroads, the settlement of all parts of the state, the “cow town” period, the Populist era, experiences of Kansans in World War I and World War II, the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, minority and ethnic groups, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad through company records, and Kansans who have served in the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives. This is just a small sample of the diversity of our holdings. Our goal is to document life in Kansas and the activities of Kansans.

State Archives Division
Kansas Historical Society
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615
785-272-8681, ext. 117 (Reference room)

KHS Reference e-mail address: reference@kshs.org

Website: http://www.kshs.org/
Online digital collection: http://www.kansasmemory.org/