about quindaro
After the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854, territories were open for settlement. Quindaro was one river port town founded in the Kansas Territory, just outside of modern-day Kansas City, Kan.
Developed on a natural rock ledge along the banks of the Missouri River, Quindaro served as an oasis where abolitionists from all over the country settled. Not only did the banks serve as a convenient landing for steamships, but also there was an abundance of wood and rock that people could use to build homes and storefronts. Next to this river bank lay many acres of fertile land that was ideal for farming.
Eventually, a company was formed for this vacant land and riverbank, a name was selected, and then people began promoting the land. One individual who helped handle business affairs of the town was Ableard Guthrie, an early free-state advocate. Guthrie purchased the necessary land from his wife’s fellow tribesman and suggested the new city filled with a team of abolitionists be named after Mrs. Guthrie. Her given Indian name of “Quindaro” means “a bundle of sticks” and was interpreted as the adage “in union there is strength.”
Ultimately, 13 families who were former members of the Wyandot tribe bought individual lots, and the town of Quindaro was born.
It quickly became a thriving port town, drawing settlers of varying races, ethnicities, and social classes.
In the first year alone, numerous buildings, homes, shops, and businesses opened, including the Wyandot House Hotel, which was originally owned by a prominent Wyandot Indian family. Another hotel, the Quindaro House Hotel, could accommodate up to 250 people. And, just south of the Quindaro House Hotel stood the J.B. Upson Building, which is where the town’s abolitionist newspaper, the Chindowan, was housed. connected to the building that housed the newspaper was the town’s largest mercantile store.
Residents also attended one of the two churches in town, and engaged in social activities such as attending the “German Ball” dance, gathering for ice cream and soda at J.V. Fitch’s store, and attending lectures hosted by The Literary Society.
The 200-volume collection that accumulated in the library during its first year alone speaks to the importance residents of Quindaro placed on having an educated public. And, in April of 1857, the first school in Quindaro was organized.
During the three years that followed Quindaro’s incorporation, the city’s population piqued at 1,200 and businesses flourished. At one point the businesses in Quindaro included: three dry goods stores, four grocery stores, one clothing store, two drug stores, two meat markets, two blacksmiths, one wagon shop, and six boot and shoe shops. The only Free State river port, Quindaro also became a stop on the Underground Railroad. Fugitive slaves often escaped from Platte County, Missouri, passed through Parkville, Missouri, and crossed the river into Quindaro.
Although it was a thriving town, Quindaro soon declined as quickly as it had developed. A nation-wide depression followed the economic panic of 1857, and an 18-month drought caused great hardship for many people.
In April of 1861, the Civil War began and much of the male population left to be part of the Union army. Simultaneously, many other people either moved their families to safer regions of the Kansas Territory, or returned to their old homes in the East.
When Free State forces ultimately triumphed, Quindaro no longer served its role of slaves’ path to freedom. And, in 1862, the legislature repealed the act that originally incorporated Quindaro.
Today, professionals continue to excavate the Quindaro ruins hoping to find more artifacts to uncover the town’s history and transform the hillside into a site where the past is brought back to life.
Developed on a natural rock ledge along the banks of the Missouri River, Quindaro served as an oasis where abolitionists from all over the country settled. Not only did the banks serve as a convenient landing for steamships, but also there was an abundance of wood and rock that people could use to build homes and storefronts. Next to this river bank lay many acres of fertile land that was ideal for farming.
Eventually, a company was formed for this vacant land and riverbank, a name was selected, and then people began promoting the land. One individual who helped handle business affairs of the town was Ableard Guthrie, an early free-state advocate. Guthrie purchased the necessary land from his wife’s fellow tribesman and suggested the new city filled with a team of abolitionists be named after Mrs. Guthrie. Her given Indian name of “Quindaro” means “a bundle of sticks” and was interpreted as the adage “in union there is strength.”
Ultimately, 13 families who were former members of the Wyandot tribe bought individual lots, and the town of Quindaro was born.
It quickly became a thriving port town, drawing settlers of varying races, ethnicities, and social classes.
In the first year alone, numerous buildings, homes, shops, and businesses opened, including the Wyandot House Hotel, which was originally owned by a prominent Wyandot Indian family. Another hotel, the Quindaro House Hotel, could accommodate up to 250 people. And, just south of the Quindaro House Hotel stood the J.B. Upson Building, which is where the town’s abolitionist newspaper, the Chindowan, was housed. connected to the building that housed the newspaper was the town’s largest mercantile store.
Residents also attended one of the two churches in town, and engaged in social activities such as attending the “German Ball” dance, gathering for ice cream and soda at J.V. Fitch’s store, and attending lectures hosted by The Literary Society.
The 200-volume collection that accumulated in the library during its first year alone speaks to the importance residents of Quindaro placed on having an educated public. And, in April of 1857, the first school in Quindaro was organized.
During the three years that followed Quindaro’s incorporation, the city’s population piqued at 1,200 and businesses flourished. At one point the businesses in Quindaro included: three dry goods stores, four grocery stores, one clothing store, two drug stores, two meat markets, two blacksmiths, one wagon shop, and six boot and shoe shops. The only Free State river port, Quindaro also became a stop on the Underground Railroad. Fugitive slaves often escaped from Platte County, Missouri, passed through Parkville, Missouri, and crossed the river into Quindaro.
Although it was a thriving town, Quindaro soon declined as quickly as it had developed. A nation-wide depression followed the economic panic of 1857, and an 18-month drought caused great hardship for many people.
In April of 1861, the Civil War began and much of the male population left to be part of the Union army. Simultaneously, many other people either moved their families to safer regions of the Kansas Territory, or returned to their old homes in the East.
When Free State forces ultimately triumphed, Quindaro no longer served its role of slaves’ path to freedom. And, in 1862, the legislature repealed the act that originally incorporated Quindaro.
Today, professionals continue to excavate the Quindaro ruins hoping to find more artifacts to uncover the town’s history and transform the hillside into a site where the past is brought back to life.