Approaching Topeka, KS, US Hwy 40 follows the path of the Oregon Trail and in many places, the two are one in the same. Near present-day downtown Topeka, the Oregon Trail crossed the Kansas River and headed north to Nebraska. Here, about 60 miles west of Kansas City, three Kansas Indian sisters established a ferry service in 1842, allowing travelers to cross the Kansas River.
The city was laid out in 1854, by settlers from Lawrence and New England and was founded as the center for the projected Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. Topeka was selected as the state capital when Kansas was admitted to the Union in 1861. It is the seat of Washburn University of Topeka. Today, a city of broad, tree-shaded streets, it is an important center for agricultural and related industries. The Kansas Museum of History is worth a visit.
