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FOX4's Zip Trip to Merriam, Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Merriam, Kansas, is located in northern Johnson County, neighboring KCK, Shawnee, Lenexa, and the north part of Overland Park.
While it's smaller than those neighboring cities, its history is rich.
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In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Shawnee Native American tribe moved to the Kansas Territory, establishing themselves along the Kansas River.
Frontier trails cut through what is now Merriam as hundreds of thousands of people began migrating west. Railroad development soon played a significant role in Merriam's history.
David Gee Campbell, often referred to as the town's founder, relocated his home to the south side of Johnson Drive, near Turkey Creek, in 1864. The house still stands today at 9503 Johnson Drive.
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Another significant piece of Merriam's history involves segregation and civil rights.
Merriam's 'Madam C. J. Walker' grade school was established in 1888 but became segregated 12 years later. Despite the school's poor conditions, the black students stayed, while the white students went to a brand-new school called 'South Park.'
In 1948, activist Esther Brown helped Walker school families sue what was then known as the 'Johnson County Organized School District 90.' It boycotted for a year until the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in their favor, making the case a key precursor to the landmark 'Brown versus Board of Education' case.
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