Shawnee, one of the largest and oldest towns in Johnson county, is located in the northeastern part on an electric line running to Kansas City. It was named after the Shawnee Indians, and is the site of the Shawnee Indian mission (See Missions) established in 1831 by Rev. Thomas Johnson. The mission school building was used by the bogus legislature in 1855 for holding its first session. The town was started in 1857, when several families located near the old mission. The first school was taught in the spring of 1858 in the old Indian mission church, which was used until 1866, when a more modern building was erected on the southwest corner of the public square. The Methodist Episcopal church South had erected a church during the mission days but the first sermon preached for the benefit of the white settlers was in Sept., 1857. The postoffice was established in July, 1858, with M. P. Randall as the first postmaster, and the same year a saw and grist mill was built. A store had been opened on Aug. 10, 1857, which was followed by others and great hopes were entertained for the settlement. During the Civil war the village was twice pillaged by guerrillas, first in 1862 and again in 1864, but the town recovered and might have lived up to expectations had a railroad reached it. Shawnee has a few general stores, grocery, harness shop, hotel, blacksmith and wagon shop and is the supply town for a rich farming district. An electric line furnishes transportation facilities to Kansas City, and Shawnee has the benefit of a money order postoffice. In 1910 there were 427 inhabitants.