John Ritchie (July 17, 1817 - August 31, 1887) was an abolitionist who moved from Franklin, Indiana to Topeka, Kansas Territory, in early spring of 1855 in search of cheap land and to help Kansas enter the country as a "free" state. His wife, Mary Jane Shelledy Ritchie, was the fifth woman to settle in Topeka and their young son, Hale was the third child. Wikipedia
Shawnee County Historical Society site, including focus on history, historic preservation, and the Ritchie House Project; Society news, historic archives and photographs. www.shawneecountyhistory.org/ritchie
The definitive Wikipedia entry for John Ritchie. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ritchie_%28abolitionist%29
