Nancy Quindaro Brown Guthrie

Daughter of Wyandot clan chief Adam Brown, Nancy Quindaro was a force of nature. Nancy married Abelard Guthrie and they had quite a love story, as Abelard–an abolitionist–was not a member of the Wyandot clan. After running away to Kansas to marry in Wyandotte Countys' first marriage, Nancy and Abelard then helped negotiate the purchase and gifting of land that created the town of Quindaro, a safe port of entry for free-state settlers.

The museum, while currently closed, is a part of the Freedom Frontier’s National Heritage Area (travelks.com). The museum pays tribute to the original townsite of Quindaro and highlights the lives that were shaped in the area that formerly was Quindaro after the town came to an end. Originally established in 1980 the museum lasted around 40 years before falling into disrepair. 

Nancy Quindaro Brown was the daughter of Adam Brown, a Wyandot clan chief of the Big Turtle Clan. Quindaro, her Wyandot name, translates to bundle of sticks and signifies strength in numbers (kckpl.org). Not only did she hold a title within the Wyandot nation, but she was also a force of nature and a trailblazer in her own right. It was recorded in a journal from 1844 that she was the most beautiful of Wyandot women, with a “tall and faultless form” (kckpl.org).

Nancy Quindaro met Abelard Guthrie, an abolitionist, while they were both living in Ohio. At the time, Abelard was a land agent and much disliked by Nancy’s father, a feud that at one point resulted in her father's arrest following his shooting at Abelard (kckpl.org). When the Wyandot were forced out of Ohio, Abelard and Nancy moved off to begin a life together in Kansas. Shortly after making the move, the pair married in 1844, taking part in Wyandotte countys’ first official marriage (kckcc.edu). Although Abelard was not the chief's first choice for his daughter, after their marriage, Abelard was adopted into the tribe. The happy couple went on to have four kids–James, Abalura, Norsona, and Jacob (kckpl.org). 

In 1856, Nancy and Abelard helped broker a deal in which a portion of the Wyandot land distribution from the Big Turtle Clan as a result of the Wyandot Tribal Allotment would create the town of Quindaro. With Abelards’ abolitionist beliefs and Nancys’ family history, the pair made an excellent match to form the free state port town welcome to all. Abelard acquired quite a bit of property throughout the town and the two remained influential throughout the lifespan of Quindaro. 

Following the Treaty of 1867, the status of Nancy and her children as members of the Wyandot nation was revoked despite her wishes to remain within the tribe and they were all declared citizens (kckpl.org). Although Nancy remained in Kansas for the remainder of her life, she did not stay near Quindaro. In Cherokee County Kansas, in 1886 Nancy died quietly in her home that was on Russell’s Creek and she was then buried in Chetopa Kansas(kckpl.org). 

Kansas Historical Society. Quindaro, Kansapedia; Kansas Historical Society. January 1st, 2010. https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/quindaro/15163.

Stokes, Keith . Quindaro & Western University Ruins, Kansas Travel. Accessed April 5th 2022. http://kansastravel.org/kansascitykansas/quindaro.htm.

KCKCC and WYCO Historical Mural, Kansas City Kansas Community College. Accessed April 5th 2022. https://www.kckcc.edu/community/arts-entertainment/arts/kckcc-and-wyco-historical-mural.html.