Not the first choice

By Max Johnson
Submitted to Corner Post

Most high school middle school students these days learn that the capitals of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas are Jefferson City, Des Moines, Lincoln and Topeka, respectively. But students of bygone days would have failed if they gave those answers.

The first capital city in the state of Missouri was St. Charles (1821-1826). Prior to 1821, St. Louis served as a seat of territorial governance. After 1826, legislators occupied a brand new capitol building on a site chosen for its central location in the state. The new town of Jefferson City grew up around it.

Burlington was Iowa’s first territorial capital (1838-1840). From 1841-1854 Iowa City served as Iowa’s original state capital. And Des Moines became the new state capital in 1855, chosen for its central location.

In 1855, the governor of the Nebraska territory convened the first legislature in Omaha. Twelve years later, legislators voted to move to the village of Lancaster to placate residents who were considering annexation to Kansas. Lancaster was renamed in honor of the 16th President after his assassination.

Fort Leavenworth was the territorial capital of Kansas for six weeks (Oct-Nov 1854). The governor conducted some official business there, but the legislature never did. In 1855, the governor designated Pawnee as the official seat of government. That lasted a mere five days, before Shawnee Mission became the new capital.

But when Kansas was admitted into the Union, Topeka became its first state capital.