 |
|
• In 2000, Topeka voters approved a sales tax expressly for economic development, one of the few cities in America to make that commitment.
|
|
• The cost of living is 15% lowen than in Denver. The cost of living is 50% less than Chicago. It costs roughly 10% less to live in Topeka than it does in the median American city.
|
|
• Topeka is the home to the only railroad to inspire a popular song, the Santa Fe Railroad, which was founded as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. In 1995, the Santa Fe merged with Burlington Northern, becoming the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation.
|
|
• May 17, 2004 represents the 50th anniversary of Brown V. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court decision that ended segregation in public schools. Topeka's Monroe School, the school cited in the case, has been converted to a national park.
|
|
• Recent figures indicate 123,993 people live in Topeka or 5% of Kansans. As a comparison, 2% of California's population lives in San Francisco.
|
|
• Lake Shawnee, in southeast Topeka, is the location of the first and only fully staked 400-meter dash rowing course in the world.
|
|
• Topeka is home to the corporate headquarters for Hill's Pet Nutrition, which produces Science Diet and Prescription Diet pet food sold internationally through veterinary offices and pet stores.
|
|
• In 1989 Topeka became a motorsports mecca with the opening of Heartland Park Topeka.
|
|
• Washburn University, the only municipally owned university in the country, is in Topeka. Over 6,000 students are enrolled in Washburn's 90 degree programs, 2/3 of whom are traditional full time students.
|
|
• Hallmark Cards, the internationally known producer of greeting cards, has a major plant in Topeka. The plant produces all the writing papers and notes for Hallmark and Ambassador.
|
|
• Topeka's Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant is the world's largest producer of earthmover tires and a major manufacturer of radial truck tires.
|
|
• Among the first permanent settlers in this area were three French-Canadian brothers. They married three Kanza sisters and produced among them a grandson, Charles Curtis, who would become the only Vice-President of the United States to be of Indian descent. Curtis served with President Herbert C. Hoover from 1929 to 1933.
|
 |
