Kansas' First Newspaper

A Kansas Portrait

Early in 1834, missionary Jotham Meeker set up his printing press, the first press to be used west of the Missouri River, at the Shawnee Baptist Mission [now Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site] in present Johnson County. That year, he printed hymns, religious tracts and other materials that were the first items printed in Kansas.

On February 24, 1835, Meeker printed the first number of the Shawnee Sun, the first periodical publication entirely printed in what is now called Kansas and the first printed entirely in an Indian language. The paper was issued at irregular intervals from 1835 to as late as 1844, probably in limited editions of 150 - 200 copies.

Measuring about 6 ^3/4 inches by 10 ^3/4 inches, the paper had two columns of text per page. The Shawnee Sun circulated among the Indians at the near the mission settlement.

Today, only one copy of one issue is known to have survived. The issue for November 1841, is in the Library of the University of Missouri at Kansas City.