From boarding school to museum, Shawnee Indian Mission seeped in history

The Rev. Thomas Johnson may not be a household name, but residents of Johnson County, patrons of the Shawnee Mission School District and those in the Shawnee Mission U.S. Postal area are beholden to him.

In 1830, Johnson arrived in unorganized Kansas Territory as a missionary at the behest of Shawnee Indian Chief Fish, who wanted a training school for Native American children. Fish was born William Jackson, then adopted and renamed by the Shawnee, said historian John Forbes.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)