A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers from Kansas and Missouri introduced legislation this week to designate the Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City, Kan., as a National Historic Landmark, a move that supporters say would secure federal recognition for a site that played an outsized role in the fight against slavery and the advancement of African American life in the years that followed.

Congressmen Derek Schmidt (KS-2), Sharice Davids (KS-3), and Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5) introduced the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act, which would bypass a stalled administrative review process and designate the site through a direct act of Congress.

“Quindaro holds an important place in the history of our region and nation,” Schmidt said. “Designating the site as a National Historic Landmark would ensure its legacy is properly preserved and recognized for generations to come.”

A town born of resistance

Founded in 1857 along the banks of the Missouri River, Quindaro emerged as a strategic haven during the violent struggle over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state, when it became known as “Bleeding Kansas.” The town’s location made it a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers crossing into Kansas, and it served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, providing refuge for slaves seeking freedom.

A particularly remarkable alliance built Quindaro. The town was founded through a collaborative effort among the Wyandot Nation, New England abolitionists, and African American settlers, a partnership that stood in stark contrast to the division and violence defining the era around it.

“Quindaro was a place of courage, hope, and resilience, a sanctuary for those risking everything for freedom,” Davids said. “Designating this site as a National Historic Landmark has been long overdue.”

More than a Civil War landmark

Quindaro’s significance extended well beyond the antebellum period. After the Civil War, the town became a center of African American advancement in the region. The Quindaro Freedman’s School, later known as Western University, is recognized as the first Black school established west of the Mississippi River. Douglass Hospital, also founded in the community, reflected the town’s enduring investment in education and healthcare for its residents.

Archaeological excavations at the site have yielded a significant collection of artifacts that have deepened historians’ understanding of daily life among Quindaro’s diverse inhabitants. The bill notes that the site “maintains a high level of archaeological integrity, with the potential for additional discoveries” in the future.

The townsite has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002 and was designated a National Commemorative Site in 2019. Local government, private organizations, and individual community members have also long invested time and resources into preserving the site’s physical remains and cultural legacy, efforts that a landmark designation would help amplify and sustain.

Administrative process stalled

The push for National Historic Landmark status gained significant momentum last May, when the National Historic Landmarks Committee unanimously recommended Quindaro for designation. However, the administrative process through the National Park Service subsequently stalled, prompting the three lawmakers to pursue a legislative path instead.

The bill, if passed, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with public and private entities for the protection of historic resources at the site and for the development of educational and interpretive programs for the public. It also explicitly states that the designation would not restrict property owners or affect the existing administration of the landmark by Kansas City or the state of Kansas.

“By designating Quindaro as a National Historic Landmark, we can ensure the story of those who resided on these grounds lives on,” Cleaver said. “I look forward to working with Reps. Schmidt and Davids to ensure it is passed into law.”

Community investment

The legislation arrives as community interest in Quindaro’s preservation has remained strong. Residents, local historians, and civic groups have continued to gather at the site for events honoring its legacy, reflecting a grassroots commitment to keeping the story of Quindaro alive even as the formal designation process has moved slowly through official channels.

With a unanimous committee recommendation already on record and bipartisan support in Congress, advocates for the site are hopeful that the legislative route will finally deliver the recognition they say Quindaro has long deserved.