KC-area congressional reps pitch bill to secure Quindaro as a national landmark
A townsite that cements Kansas City, Kansas’ ties to the Underground Railroad, and the liberation of Black slaves in America, still has a chance at becoming a national landmark.
Three members of Congress that represent parts of the Kansas City metro introduced legislation on Tuesday that, if approved, would grant the Quindaro Ruins Townsite with National Historic Landmark Status.
If approved by Congress, the legislation, called the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act, would circumvent the federal administrative process required to designate the site.
The effort by Derek Schmidt, a Republican, and Democrats Sharice Davids of Kansas and Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri comes almost a year after the National Historic Landmarks Committee unanimously recommended the townsite for the designation. However, the approval process has been delayed since then.
This legislation aims to use a congressional vote to get around administrative delays.
The Quindaro Townsite, located in northeast KCK and founded in 1857, was once a town that ran along the Missouri River. People seeking refuge from slavery in the 1800s crossed into Kansas by way of Quindaro, and the town gained recognition as a safe haven along the Underground Railroad.
“The site served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad prior to and during the U.S. Civil War,” according to a news release from Schmidt’s office.
The ruins have been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002 and as a National Commemorative site since 2019.
Excavations at the town site have given historians “a wealth of important artifacts that have contributed to the understanding of the town and the place of the town in history,” according to the bill text.
The site, with further investment, has a high potential for additional areological pursuits, it reads. Scoring landmark status would allow the site to enter agreements to help protect it and offer educational programming and get financial and technical assistance, according to the bill text.
“Quindaro was a place of courage, hope, and resilience — a sanctuary for those risking everything for freedom,” Davids said in the release. “Designating this site as a National Historic Landmark has been long overdue and would ensure future generations can learn from the sacrifices and triumphs of those who came before us.” Cleaver and Schmidt similarly expressed the importance of preserving the site and recognizing its important role in American history.
