In 1854, after completion of Topeka’s first cabin, nine men established the Topeka Town Association. The group included Cyrus K. Holliday, an “idea man”, who became mayor of Topeka and founder of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.
Soon, there after, steamboats were regularly docking at the Topeka landing, depositing meat, lumber, and flour and returning eastward with potatoes, corn, and wheat.
The National Park Service recognizes Constitution Hall in Topeka as headquarters in the operation of the Lane Trail to Freedom on the Underground Railroad, the chief slave escape passage and free-trade road.
The City of Topeka always embraces cultural equality, diversity, inclusion, equity and has many historic business-friendly neighborhoods. Topeka is rolling out the “Welcome to Topeka” welcome mat to new entrepreneurs, new startups, business founders, new residents and more value-added businesses.
In the spirit of many enterprising early settlers, local Topeka entrepreneurs have begun creating business opportunities in the county. With the help of local business leaders, the demand for startup ventures and the need for more goods and services has ignited the spirit of business ownership in the City of Topeka community.