TOPEKA (KSNT) – A local library exhibit is marking the 75th anniversary of a flood that hit the Capital City in 1951.
The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is using old newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, photographs and videos to tell the story of the flood. The temporary exhibit explores what led to the flood on July 13, 1951, and the recovery efforts that followed.
“I think there are a lot of people who, if you’ve grown up here, you think, oh, well, it’s just Topeka; nothing’s ever really happened,” said Katie Keckisen, local history librarian. “But we have a lot of history here, and some of it is really big events like the tornado, the flood, things of that nature. But we’ve also got a lot of little personal stories that, you know, maybe aren’t as eye-catching as some of the bigger stuff, but they really do hit home that this is a place of stories.”
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You can find the 1951 flood exhibit at the library’s Topeka Room now through to Sept. 20. The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is located at 1515 SW 10th Ave. in Topeka. Next up will be an exhibit showcasing the state hospital that was in Topeka until 1997.
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