death of quindaro
What started as a haven of hope and safety on the bluffs quickly grew into a flourishing town at the Quindaro Bend of the Missouri River where Wyandots built their community, people from the New England area settled with hopes for commerce and wealth, and escaped slaves crossed the Missouri border to seek refuge. A town built on humane ideals, Quindaro prospered and successfully served as a safe haven not only for escaped slaves, but also for people who wanted to voice their beliefs about the rights of blacks, women and natives of the land.
Kansas obtained statehood on Jan. 9, 1861. By popular vote, the state had formally rejected slavery and promised to fight on the side of the Union. As a result of this decision, the entire country was forced to address the conflict surrounding the issue of abolition. This strong divisiveness is what ultimately led to the outbreak of the First Battle of Fort Sumter, which occurred only three months later – on April 12, 1861 – when Confederate artillery, at 4:30 a.m., opened fire on troops stationed in the military fortress. So began the Civil War’s violent conflicts that led to the death of more than 620,000 people. Decidedly the most pivotal time in U.S. history, the American Civil War also proved to be a landmark in the history of Quindaro. The first Kansas regiment was called on June 3, 1861, and approximately 1,000 Kansans joined forces.
In a 1957 article, Annals of Quindaro: A Kansas Ghost Town, the author, Alan Farley recounted how the war impacted Quindaro. Farley wrote:
The Civil War really gave Quindaro its knockout blow. All of the young
men left to join the Union army and business stopped completely. From
January 20 to March 12, 1862, the Ninth Kansas Volunteer infantry was
quartered in the empty business buildings and underwent reorganization
to become the Second Kansas cavalry . . . Quindaro’s Officer control was
slack, so the men proceeded to gut the town, tearing up everything movable
for firewood, leaving a mere shell of the abandoned buildings a prey to
weather, fires, and theft. With the outbreak of Civil War the town was
abandoned by most of the inhabitants. The young men enlisted, and their
families moved to other communities for safety. The town's incorporation
was revoked by the Kansas State legislature in 1862. As the town of
Quindaro continued to fade, Union and Confederate forces killed one
another by the thousands. Two years later, the Civil War came to an end,
slavery was abolished, and Quindaro entered into a long period of economic
decline. The once thriving and vibrant community never fully revitalized (Farley, 1956,
p. 323).
men left to join the Union army and business stopped completely. From
January 20 to March 12, 1862, the Ninth Kansas Volunteer infantry was
quartered in the empty business buildings and underwent reorganization
to become the Second Kansas cavalry . . . Quindaro’s Officer control was
slack, so the men proceeded to gut the town, tearing up everything movable
for firewood, leaving a mere shell of the abandoned buildings a prey to
weather, fires, and theft. With the outbreak of Civil War the town was
abandoned by most of the inhabitants. The young men enlisted, and their
families moved to other communities for safety. The town's incorporation
was revoked by the Kansas State legislature in 1862. As the town of
Quindaro continued to fade, Union and Confederate forces killed one
another by the thousands. Two years later, the Civil War came to an end,
slavery was abolished, and Quindaro entered into a long period of economic
decline. The once thriving and vibrant community never fully revitalized (Farley, 1956,
p. 323).
Today, if you look over those bluffs along the Missouri River, you will see the ruins of the town that once served as a haven of safety for fugitive slaves, a haven of promise and opportunity for those migrating to unclaimed territory, and a haven of hope for all.