Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Shawnee County, Kansas

Indianola

A ghost town site in Shawnee County, Kansas.

Record

About Indianola

Indianola, also known as Indianola townsite, was a settlement in Shawnee County, Kansas north of Topeka. It was established in 1854 along the government and stage road between Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, and received more visitors than the nearby town of Topeka.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Indianola, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Indianola is

USGS topographic map around Indianola
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

9 historic USGS maps cover Indianola

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Indianola

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Kansas index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Indianola, Kansas": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q55614425.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).