Kansas City, Kansas is an area rich in local history and genealogy. Lewis and Clark stopped near this area during their first expedition of the Louisiana Territory in 1804. The Wyandot Indians settled in what is now known as Kansas City, Kansas in 1843. Many African-Americans from the South, known as Exodusters, settled here in the late 1870s. Through the years, various ethnic groups have called this area home. Thus, the Kansas Collection, composed of local history resources, government documents and genealogy resources, is an important part of the Library's Special Collections.
The Kansas Collection is housed in the Kansas Room at the Main Library and may only be used at the library. The core of our collection relates to Kansas City, Kansas; Wyandotte County, Kansas and the State of Kansas.
There are books about Kansas and by Kansas authors. Special attention has been given to Kansas City, Kansas as well as to the greater metropolitan area. There are clipping files on local topics of interest, materials relating to local schools and historic maps.
Local history and genealogy materials located in the reference area are available for use whenever the library is open. These include census, cemetery indexes, city directories, family history books, local and Kansas history books, newspapers and newspaper clippings, and Sanborn maps.
Please Note: Archival material in the Kansas Room, including the Connelley Collection, is available only by appointment. Persons traveling to use these materials should contact the Kansas Collection librarian ahead of time to schedule their use. Call 913-551-3280 or write to: Kansas Collection Librarian, KCK Public Library, 625 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101.