Inside the ongoing fight to preserve KCK’s Quindaro Ruins
The Quindaro Ruins in Kansas City, Kansas, a former stop on the Underground Railroad, have sat languishing for decades as advocates seek ways to preserve the key historic site. Community members like Rev. Stacy Evans have led efforts for years, grappling with slow progress, limited funding and calls for stronger unity among local organizations.
A $1 million government settlement could provide new momentum, potentially funding trails, artifact preservation and a long-hoped-for interpretive center. Local leaders are also pushing for the site to become a national historic landmark, a status that would open more grant opportunities.
“The Quindaro Townsite is a vital piece of U.S. history that demonstrates our national commitment to liberty and self-determination, which ought to be celebrated and shared with future generations,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat.
NO. 1: KC BLACK HISTORY: DO YOU KNOW THE TOWN THAT WAS A STOP ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD?
The Quindaro ruins near Kansas City, Kansas, show signs of a thriving town that was a harbor for people seeking freedom from slavery. | Published February 25, 2022 | Read Full Story by Randy Mason
NO. 2: ONCE AN UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STOP, THE QUINDARO RUINS ARE LANGUISHING IN KANSAS. WHY?
A long-vanished town is an important part of Black and Indigenous Kansas history, but preservation advocates have spent decades fighting for resources. | Published June 18, 2023 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman
NO. 3: SAVING THE QUINDARO RUINS: FIGHT TO SAVE BLACK KANSAS HISTORY HAS DRAGGED ON FOR DECADES
“We can’t do any of it without money,” Rev. Stacy Evans, chair of the Quindaro Ruins Townsite Project, says on the struggle to preserve the Civil War-era ruins. | Published June 18, 2023 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman
NO. 4: ‘NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT’: KCK LEADERS UNVEIL HOPES FOR PRESERVING QUINDARO RUINS
Wyandotte County officials hope to preserve the Quindaro Ruins and eventually build a “Smithsonian-style” museum and visitor center that would house artifacts. | Published September 1, 2023 | Read Full Story by Luke Nozicka
NO. 5: KANSAS AND MISSOURI LAWMAKERS PUSH TO GET KCK UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SITE MORE RESOURCES
A Kansas Republican representative teamed up across state and party lines to introduce a bill that would name the Quindaro Ruins a National Historic Landmark. | Published October 3, 2023 | Read Full Story by Daniel Desrochers
NO. 6: QUINDARO RUINS TO RECEIVE $1M DONATION. WHAT COULD IT MEAN FOR THE CIVIL WAR ERA SITE?
It’s a figure advocates and city leaders believe could begin to transform the historic site, but it’s unclear exactly how it will be spent. | Published December 8, 2023 | Read Full Story by Luke Nozicka
NO. 7: KCK’S FADING UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SITE SHOULD BE NATIONAL LANDMARK, LOCAL LEADERS SAY
Landmark designation could unlock federal grant money needed for the KCK site’s long-term preservation after decades of lagging progress. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Matthew Kelly
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.