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History · Lecompton

Lecompton dates to 1854, and 33% of its homes were built before 1940

3 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Constitution Hall, a National Historic Landmark. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1949 on, and the census since 1880.

1854founded
3on the National Register
33%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lecompton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lecompton began

When was Lecompton founded?

1854

Lecompton dates its founding to 1854 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 284 in 18802020 census: 588172 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1855.The full story ↓

What stands out about Lecompton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1890 and 1940, then more than doubled.A National Historic Landmark3 places on the National Register, including Constitution Hall, a National Historic Landmark.
★ What stands out · People over time

Lecompton, census by census

010020030040050060070018801900192019401960198020002020450 in 1890Low: 250

Lost a third of its people between 1890 and 1940, then more than doubled.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lecompton’s Wikipedia page.

On the National Register

3 historic places in Lecompton

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmark
1
Constitution Hall
historic buildings protected
3
each building in a district counts
first listed
1971
Lane University
Lane University, built 1882Constitution Hall, built 1856★
BuildingsSites★ landmark
★ Landmark
Constitution HallBuilt 1856
Lane UniversityBuilt 1882
All 3 listings
Lewis-Crowder CemeterySite · listed 2026

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Lecompton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lecompton.

Read it all →

Lecompton was founded in 1854, on a bluff on the south bank of the Kansas River. It was originally called Bald Eagle, and was renamed Lecompton in honor of Samuel Dexter Lecompte, the chief justice of the territorial Supreme Court. In August 1855, the city became the capital of the Kansas Territory after President Franklin Pierce appointed Andrew Horatio Reeder as governor and charged him and his officials with establishing government offices in Lecompton. The city soon became a stronghold of pro-slavery politics and Southern sympathy, which put it in conflict with nearby Lawrence, which had been founded by Free-Staters from Massachusetts.

Chapters19th century20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Lecompton, 1850 to 2010

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1850In the archiveA bad egg for a southern stomach
  3. 1854
    FoundingLecompton is established
  4. 1855Post officeThe Lecompton post office opens
  5. 1856BuiltConstitution Hall is built
  6. 1856Born hereBianca Babb is born here
  7. 1865In the archiveNorthern view at
  8. 1882BuiltLane University is built
  9. 20th century
  10. 1902In the archiveLane College Merges with Campbell College
  11. 1908Born hereWilliam G. East is born here
  12. 1949On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 1966Born hereLaura Kirk is born here
  14. 1974LandmarkConstitution Hall named a National Historic Landmark
  15. 21st century
  16. 2010CensusPopulation peaks at 625
By decade

Lecompton, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1850s–1860s5 items
A bad egg for a southern stomach1850A bad egg for a southern stomachPlanned Lecompton, Kansas state capitol1855Planned Lecompton, Kansas state capitolThe governor's mansion1857The governor's mansionNorthern view at1865Northern view atLecompton, Kansas, in 1867, 50 miles west of Missouri River1869Lecompton, Kansas, in 1867, 50 miles west of Missouri…
1900s1 item
Lane College Merges with Campbell College1902Lane College Merges with Campbell College
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
Supposed Kansas Capitol2012Supposed Kansas CapitolLecompton, Kansas, in 1867, 50 miles west of Missouri River. (Boston Public Library)2010Lecompton, Kansas, in 1867, 50 miles west of Missouri…Lecompton, Kansas, in 1867, 50 miles west of Missouri River. (Boston Public Library) (cropped)2010Lecompton, Kansas, in 1867, 50 miles west of Missouri…A creek2010A creekRadical United Bretheren Church2009Radical United Bretheren ChurchLecompton City Jail2009Lecompton City JailLane University2009Lane UniversityDowntown2009DowntownHumboldt Vitrified2008Humboldt VitrifiedKSMap-doton-Lecompton2004KSMap-doton-Lecompton
On the map

Lecompton on the map, 1949 to 1970

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lecompton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Lecompton on the 1949 USGS mapLecompton on the 1950 USGS mapLecompton on the 1970 USGS map1949Perry sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lecompton.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

A bad egg for a southern stomach
Retake this viewA bad egg for a southern stomach, 1850

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Lecompton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

3 famous people were born in Lecompton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
L
Laura KirkAmerican actress · b. 1966
Bianca Babb1856–1950, pioneer and captive of Native Americ… · b. 1856
W
William G. EastAmerican judge · b. 1908
Places that used to be

Old corners

Lecompton’s post office has been open since 1855.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Mobile Lodge of Lecompton

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Lecompton’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewA bad egg for a southern stomach: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Lecompton’s history

What year was Lecompton founded?

In 1854, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lecompton’s post office opened in 1855, and the census of 1880 counted 284 people here.

What is on the National Register in Lecompton?

Three places: the Constitution Hall (listed 1971), the Lane University (1971) and the Lewis-Crowder Cemetery (2026).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (14), the Library of Congress (2), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.