Tecumseh, Kansas
{{Short description|Unincorporated community in Shawnee County, Kansas}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Tecumseh, Kansas
|settlement_type = CDP
|image_skyline = Tecumseh, KS.JPG
|image_caption = Central Tecumseh
|image_map =
|map_caption =
|image_map1 = Map of Shawnee Co, Ks, USA.png
|map_caption1 = KDOT map of Shawnee County (legend)
|pushpin_map = Kansas#USA
|pushpin_label = Tecumseh
|pushpin_label_position = left
|coordinates = {{coord|39|2|53|N|95|34|45|W|region:US-KS_type:city_source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Kansas
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = Shawnee
|subdivision_type3 = Township
|subdivision_name3 =
|established_title = Founded
|established_date =
|established_title1 = Platted
|established_date1 =
|named_for =
|area_footnotes =
|area_total_sq_mi =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_water_sq_mi =
|unit_pref = Imperial
|elevation_ft = 912
|population_as_of = 2020
|population_total = 696
|pop_est_footnotes =
|pop_est_as_of =
|population_est =
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|population_density_km2 = auto
|timezone = CST
|utc_offset = -6
|timezone_DST = CDT
|utc_offset_DST = -5
|postal_code_type = ZIP code
|postal_code = 66542
|area_code_type = Area code
|area_code = 785
|blank_name = FIPS code
|blank_info = {{FIPS|20|70075}}
|blank1_name = GNIS ID
|blank1_info = 2804537{{GNIS|2804537}}
|website =
}}
Tecumseh is a census-designated place (CDP) in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States, and situated along the Kansas River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 696.{{cite web |title=Profile of Tecumseh, Kansas (CDP) in 2020 |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2070075 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608194452/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2070075 |archive-date=June 8, 2022 |url-status=live}} The community and township are both named for the Shawnee chief.{{Cite book| first=Roy D.| last=Bird|author2=Douglass W. Wallace | editor=Robert W. Richmond & Joseph W. Snell| title=Witness of the Times: A History of Shawnee County| year=1976| pages=351–352| publisher=Shawnee County Historical Society| location=Topeka, Kansas| isbn=0-916934-03-9}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ODXKhgH3e6AC&pg=PA49 | title=Exploring Kansas Highways | author=Heim, Michael | year=2007 | pages=49}}
History
By September 1, 1854, Thomas Stinson platted the townsite of Tecumseh, having settled in the area within the Kansas Territory. It was settled by pro-slavery partisans in the turbulent days of Bleeding Kansas. It temporarily served as the pro-southern capital of the territory and prospered, even having a newspaper. The town's post office opened in March 1855.{{Cite web| title=Kansas Post Offices Database| url=http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/places/postoffices.htm| publisher=Kansas State Historical Society| accessdate=February 9, 2008}} Containing information taken from {{Cite book| first=Robert W| last=Baughman| title=Kansas Post Offices, May 29, 1828–August 3, 1961| publisher=Kansas Postal History Society}} In 1886, the brick courthouse was sold for {{US$|500|1886|round=-2}} and removed. After the Civil War, the town rapidly declined and remained so for the next ninety years.
Construction of the Kansas Power & Light Co. power plant took place in 1924 and 1925. In 1958, DuPont established a cellophane plant east of town, which created a minor boom. As Topeka grew in the 1950s, Tecumseh again started to grow, this time as a suburb of Topeka, with numerous suburban housing subdivisions. In 2018, the Tecumseh Energy Center owned by Westar (later Evergy) closed the plant and the facility was demolished.{{Cite web |last=Chilson |first=Morgan |title=Westar to close Tecumseh facility |url=https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2018/08/02/westar-to-close-tecumseh-energy-center-two-other-plants-in-next-four-months/11171650007/ |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=The Topeka Capital-Journal |language=en-US}}
Geography
Tecumseh is located in Section 36, Township 11 south, Range 16 east. It is situated south of the Kansas River between Tecumseh Creek to the east and Stinson Creek to the west. Contained entirely within Tecumseh Township, it is approximately two miles east of the Topeka city limits.{{Cite web| title=KDOT County Maps| url=http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/Mapscounties.asp| year=1994| accessdate=February 9, 2008}} U.S. Route 40 passes by the south side of Tecumseh. A BNSF rail line—running between Lawrence and Topeka—passes to the north of the town, between the community and the river.
Demographics
{{US Census population
|align= left
|2020= 696
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
}}
Tecumseh is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.{{clear left}}
Economy
The community includes a public school (part of USD 450), two churches, a post office, and a cellophane factory.[http://cjonline.com/news/business/2016-05-18/japanese-firm-invest-30-million-tecumseh-cellophane-plant-last-plant-its# Japanese firm to invest $30 million in Tecumseh cellophane plant, the last plant of its kind in U.S.; The Topeka Capital Journal; May 18, 2016.]
Education
The community is served by Shawnee Heights USD 450 public school district.
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
{{See also|Shawnee County, Kansas#Further reading|l1=List of books about Shawnee County, Kansas}}
External links
- Shawnee County maps: [https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/county-pdf/shawnee.PDF Current], [https://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burtransplan/maps/PastPublishedCounty.asp Historic], KDOT
{{Shawnee County, Kansas}}
{{Authority control}}