Historic Topeka Cemetery's Mausoleum Row: Where Topeka History is Preserved in Stone

The vaults that make up Historic Topeka Cemetery's landmark Mausoleum Row are as unique as the people entombed within them.

Just beyond the quiet tree-lined lanes of Historic Topeka Cemetery lies a stretch of stone and marble unlike anywhere else in Kansas — Mausoleum Row. Facing the west, these ten stone vaults catch the last glimmers of the setting sun at the end of each day. Constructed into the side of a hill, the structures show weathering from time and natural elements.

Here, some of the city’s most prominent families built elegant monuments to honor their dead and make a statement that would endure for generations. Each mausoleum tells a story, not just of the individuals interred within, but of Topeka’s rise as a capital city, of fortunes made and lost, of ambition, grief, and legacy. Walking this row feels like stepping into a chapter of Topeka’s past — one carved in limestone and etched with names that shaped the city.

Sherman family vault along Topeka Cemetery's mausoleum row (Topeka, Kansas)

SHERMAN FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 1

The Sherman limestone mausoleum was constructed in 1891 for Patrick "Pat" Henry Sherman. Reading his obituary, published in the Topeka State Journal on May 11, 1911, Sherman's life was an adventure, particularly in his early years. He was born on March 16, 1842, in Indiana. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by an uncle. That is, until he ran away at the age of 12.

Sherman arrived in Kansas Territory in 1855 at the age of 13. His early career was as a wagon master, transporting supplies and people across the plains. He would also be a city marshal for Topeka and worked on its police force. Sherman then held the position of depot master at the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad for 30 years.

Patrick Sherman married Martha Stewart on February 8, 1865, in Jackson Co. You can view their marriage record in the gallery below. They would have three daughters - Ella, Clara, Frances, and Florence. Martha passed away in 1901. As are Clara and Florence's husbands, all three daughters are in the mausoleum.

An interesting note: George Lamb, the husband of eldest daughter Ella, died in 1891. He is buried in Kansas City. The mausoleum was constructed in 1891. I wonder if George's death spurred the move. The first burial in the mausoleum wouldn't be until 1901, when Martha passed.

Those interred in the vault are:

Patrick Henry Sherman 1842 - 1911

Martha Stewart Sherman 1842 - 1901

Ella Sherman Lamb 1869 - 1928 Clara Frances Sherman Burghart 1872 - 1929 George Burghart 1863 - 1946 Florence Sherman Hodgins 1874 - 1934

Richard Fitzwilliams Hodgins 1865 - 1939

Sources: Topeka State Journal May 11, 1911, Topeka Cemetery Records & Family Member Profiles on Ancestry.com

Reed Family Vault

REED FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 2

The Reed family arrived in Topeka on May 3, 1869, first staying at the Gordon House at Fourth and Kansas. For the first 20 years, Reed worked as a butcher; later, he established W. H. Reed & Son, dealing in furniture at 510 Kansas Ave. 

A native of Pennsylvania, Reed lived in Illinois before coming to Topeka. During the Civil War, he shipped livestock down the Mississippi River to feed Union troops. While in Illinois, he married Elizabeth Davis in 1853. Together they had four children - three daughters, Emily (Emma), Mary (Nona) & Etta, and one son, Briggs Franklin. Their youngest daughter Etta, seems to have died in childhood between 1860 and 1870.

Reed had the limestone mausoleum constructed in 1890. The first internments were his daughter Mary and his infant granddaughter Vivian. Both had died five years before and had already been buried. They were moved to the vault.

Those interred in the vault are:

William Harrison Reed 1830 - 1917

Elizabeth Davis Reed 1834 - 1925

Mary Wenonia "Nona" Reed Quinon 1869 - 1886

Vivian E Quinon 1885 (26 days old) - Infant daughter of Mary

Juanita Bedelia Dignon Bullock - 1887 - 1977

Daughter Emma Reed Dignon is buried at Topeka Cemetery with her husband and children. Son Briggs Franklin Reed is laid to rest in Ellensburg, Washington.

Sources: Topeka Daily Capital Mar 25, 1917, Topeka State Journal May 11, 1911, Topeka Cemetery Records & Family Member Profiles on Ancestry.com 

STANTON FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 3

Herman Staton was a hotel proprietor, managing several hotels along the Union Pacific Railroad line. He had hotels in Kansas City, MO, Topeka, Abilene, Ellis, and Manhattan.

It seems either the person who placed the order for the nameplates or the person who carved them made an error. Both Herman's and Helen's names are misspelled. Herman is "Heman," and Helen is "Hellen." Cemetery records show the correct spelling.

Those interred in the vault are:

Herman Huntington Stanton - 1828 - 1897

Helen H. Stanton - 1835 - 1887

Carrie Stanton - 1859 - 1929

Herman H. Stanton - 1890 - 1908

Source: Topeka Cemetery records,

BURNS FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 4

Laura Burns, the wife of Ross Burns, had the mausoleum built in 1893 for her well-respected husband.

Burn first arrived in Kansas when it was still a territory; between 1858 and 1861, he practiced law in Lynn County and Leavenworth before opening a law partnership with John Martin and John Morton in Topeka. During the Civil War, Burns served as captain of the Topeka Artillery Company; he was wounded in the Battle of the Blue on October 21, 1864.

After the war, Burns continued with his law practice. In 1866, he was elected as the 9th Mayor of Topeka. At that time, a mayor's term was one year. Burns ran again for mayor in 1867; his opponent was Cyrus K. Holliday. Holliday won the election. Burns also ran for Attorney General in 1868 but again lost the election. In 1873, he was appointed Topeka's city attorney. He also became General Attorney for Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Rail Road.

While he made it through the war, the injuries he received continued to worsen and plagued him as he aged. Burns would travel to Las Vegas, Colorado, and St. Louis looking for treatments, but nothing worked. He resigned from the railroad in 1881 due to a severe paralytic stroke. At the age of only 50, Burns died in June 1882.

While his professional career was stellar, he did seem to have some drama in his personal life. Burns married his first wife, Mary Claflin (a female physician), in 1850, and they had four children - two sons and two daughters. Within ten years, the couple had separated. By this time, Burns made his way to Kansas. Going through old Topeka newspapers, I found no mention of his relationship with his children. They're not mentioned in his obituary.

Side note: After his death, Mary, his first wife, came to Topeka to claim her share of his estate despite the fact that they had been divorced for thirty years. Despite the fact she had remarried, her story was that Burns had abandoned his family.

In the mid-1860s, Burns married Laura Smith Horne. Laura's first husband was Leonard Horne, who was murdered in Leavenworth in 1861 while serving during the Civil War. She and Leonard had two children: a daughter who died in infancy and a son, Charles.

Those interred in the vault are:

Ross Burns 1831 - 1882 Laura Smith Horne Burns 1832 - 1900

Leonard Horne is also buried at Topeka Cemetery.

Source: Topeka Cemetery records.

REDDEN FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 5

Judge Alfred (A. L.) Redden was a prominent lawyer in Kansas, first living in El Dorado. One of the most significant cases he worked on in El Dorado was as one of the defense attorneys for Jessie Morrison, who was charged, tried, and found guilty of murdering Clara Wiley Castle in 1900.

This limestone mausoleum was constructed in 1893. The first entombment was Judge Redden's brother, Dr. John W. Redden. Dr. Redden was a well-respected physician who came to Topeka in 1879. He built his family home at 1101 SW Topeka Blvd (now the Charles Curtis House State Historic Site). In 1891, Dr. Redden's health began to fail, and despite all his efforts, he passed away in 1893. At that time, Judge Redden purchased the vault.

Two years later, Judge Redden moved to Topeka, marrying Emma Redden, his brother's widow, which wasn't necessarily uncommon for the time period. Redden also moved into the home at 11th and Topeka Blvd. As a judge in Topeka, Redden was named as assistant district attorney for Shawnee County. He was a staunch supporter of the Prohibition movement and frequently pursued joint operators.

One afternoon, suffering from a stomach ailment, Judge Redden made a fatal error. Taking what he thought was mineral water, Redden actually drank cyanide potassium, a deadly poison. Despite efforts from the family, he was dead within 15 minutes. He joined his brother in the family vault in 1905.

Others in the mausoleum include Emma Redden, the wife of both Alfred and John, and Margaret Redden, mother of Alfred and John. As well as the infant son of Ruth Redden Murphy (daughter of Emma and John), and Lee Redden Gordon, the youngest daughter of Emma and John.

Those interred in the vault are:

Judge Alfred Lee Redden - 1844 - 1905

Emma Redden - 1843 - 1933

Dr. John Redden - 1836 - 1893

Margaret Redden - 1825 - 1894

Infant Murphy - 1894 - 1894

Lee Redden Gordon - 1883 - 1966

Source: Topeka Cemetery records.

PRICE FAMILY

Section 62, Lot 6

Margaret Davies Price purchased this mausoleum, which is dated 1895. Built in the Victorian Romanesque style, it is made of limestone with rose granite columns on either side of the entrance.

Originally from Wales, Rhys Price became a successful businessman in Kansas. Starting in the railroad industry, his ventures grew over time. At the time of his death, he was president of the Kansas Salt Company in Hutchinson, Kansas. Dying of complications from appendicitis, Price was 35 years old with an estate worth $500,000. Roughly, what would be $19 million in today's dollars.

The Price's two children, Gladys and Herbert, studied abroad throughout their youth. At 18, on a visit with his mother in Hutchinson, Herbert died due to a morphine overdose. He was brought to Topeka to join his father. In 1908, Gladys would marry Edward Montgomery Stahl (later changing his last name to Steele) in Hutchinson. During World War I, Edward joined the British Royal Army, serving in France. Tragedy struck the family again when, 11 days before his discharge, Edward was killed. According to newspaper records, both Margaret and Gladys continued to reside in Hutchinson. They traveled and lived social lives. Margaret passed away in 1931 at the age of 72. Gladys was the last entombment in 1949.

During my research, I've found that the Price family had little connection with Topeka - outside of business. They lived in Hutchinson. So I found it interesting that Margaret chose Topeka Cemetery for their final resting place.

Those interred in the vault are:

Rhys Richard Price - 1859 - 1894

Margaret Price - 1859 - 1931

Herbert Price - 1887 - 1905

Margaret Steele - 1884 - 1949

MOESER FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 7

Why would a family have a mausoleum but be buried in it? That's the question I have for the Moeser family.

Records note Edward H. Moeser purchased this mausoleum in 1896. Despite family names being engraved on the doors of the compartments, no one actually lives within them. In fact, Edward Moeser is buried at Topeka Cemetery in section 58 with his wife, Ida.

Arriving in Topeka in 1863, Moeser founded the Moeser Ice and Cold Storage business in Topeka. Some of the goods they stored were alcohol, which wasn't a problem until 1888, when prohibition began in Kansas. In 1900, Moeser received a federal permit to possess beer. But that didn't matter to Carry Nation. In 1901, she caused havoc all over Topeka by raiding joints, saloons, and Moeser's business with her hatchet.

Edward and Ida had four children. He died of Bright's Disease in 1905. I noticed (reading the cemetery records) that after Edward's death, Ida purchased the lots in the cemetery. Pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if Ms. Ida wasn't fond of the idea of a mausoleum. So, she instead had her husband's remains buried.

Those interred in the vault are:

None

HORN FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 8

Charles W. Horn start in Topeka came with challenges. He arrived in the capital city March 1890 establishing the Horn & Schluester's Plaining Mill with Henry Schleuter. Unfortunately, a just over a year later the mill was destroyed in a fire. Due to an issue with the policy, the building wasn't insured at the time of the fire. Horn was quoted in the Topeka State Journal, "If I had any insurance money, I would rebuild at once, but I have not a dollar to my name." Not long after the fire, his partnership with Schleuter dissolved.

An ambitious man, Horn would rebuild. Pennyless, he accepted a small loan from his mother. He acquired a small workshop. Within six years, his mill had grown to become a two-story plant that employed 20 men full-time. Finished wood from the mill was used at the Kansas Statehouse and other prominent buildings across the state.

After the death of his first wife, Elizabeth, Horn married Nellie Snyder. Nellie was a widow with three daughters. Charles, not having any children of his own, adopted her youngest daughter, Lucile.

Those interred in the vault are:

Charles W. Horn - 1849 - 1927

Elizabeth Horn - 1850 - 1915

Nellie Snyder Horn - 1873 - 1947

Lucile Horn Sponable - 1904 - 1997

CRANE FAMILY'S HOLDING VAULT

Section 62, Lot 9

The Crane Family mausoleum is different from the others. As a holding vault, this mausoleum is deeper than the others and was used for storage. Now you're asking, what was it storing? Well, before motorized digging equipment, all graves were dug by hand. Once the ground froze during winter, digging graves by hand became next to impossible. Coffins were kept in the vault until the weather warmed and the ground thawed in the spring.

The vault had electricity installed in it. With dimensions of 30 feet by 15 feet, the Crane Mausoleum today is used by the cemetery and Friends group as an event space and, each October, hosts the signature fundraiser Séance in the Crypt.

Something that may be of interest: Dr. Franklin Crane, founder of the cemetery, was a devoted Spiritualist. A religious movement that believes in the possibility of communicating with the spirit of those who have died. While he may never have held a seance in the vault (that we know of), I'm sure seances were held in his home, now the cemetery's office.

Those interred in the vault are:

None

MULVANE FAMILY VAULT

Section 62, Lot 10

If you live in Topeka, you're probably aware of Mulvane Street and the Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University. The Mulvanes are one of Topeka's most prominent families.

Coming from Illinois, medical doctor and surgeon Dr. Guy Junkin Mulvane arrived in Topeka in 1883. Joining his brother, a fellow doctor, they operated the Topeka Medical and Surgical Institute. Their medical practice included Dr. J. A. Munk. In 1891, Guy left the partnership and began a private practice.

Overall, by all accounts in the newspapers, Dr. Mulvane was well respected. They were a well-off family in society. However, all high-society families tend to have a bit of scandal. In 1905, Dr. Mulvane engaged in a physical altercation with Dr. Klemp. While I can't say what it was about, it seems Dr. Klemp was the aggressor. Then in 19.., he crashed his automobile into a freight train. Thankfully, the train wasn't moving, and Dr. Mulvane was not injured.

Most of the scandal tended to follow Dr. Mulvane's daughter, Hazel. Starting in 1906, when she eloped with George "Speck" Hulburt, a strapping baseball player. Her parents were shocked, and local newspapers quickly spread the news. Unfortunately, it was not a forever love. By 1910, they were divorced. This wouldn't be Hazel's last marriage, or her last divorce. She would marry a total of five times, with four of the marriages ending in divorce.

Hazel wasn't the only child of the Mulvanes to elope; their son Paul eloped with Pearl Wells in 1909. The two remained married until Paul's untimely death three years later. He was the first to be entombed in the family vault.

Dr. Mulvane was a cousin to John Ross and Joab Mulvane, banker brothers who are buried at Topeka Cemetery. Joab Mulvane is the namesake of the Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University.

Those interred in the vault are:

Dr. Guy J. Mulvane - 1850 - 1923

Josephine Hollis Mulvane - 1853 - 1923

Paul S. Mulvane - 1881 - 1913

Fred Baker Verity - 1888 - 1938

Hazel Mulvane Verity - 1887 - 1950

Mary E. Hollis - 1870 - 1945

Mausoleum Row is more than a resting place — it is Topeka’s memory, preserved in stone.

The families buried here built legacies. They shaped the very streets we walk today. Visiting this stretch of the cemetery is a reminder that history is not confined to books; it is all around us, waiting to be read in weathered names, graceful columns, and the stories of those who came before. Next time you wander through Topeka Cemetery, pause at Mausoleum Row — you’ll find not just monuments, but the echoes of the city’s soul.