Northeast Kansas City Kansas Heritage Trail

This tour was curated by: Groundwork NRG

The NE KCK Heritage Trail connects Kaw Point to Quindaro, integrating green infrastructure, job access, expanded transportation options, and way-finding along its path. While the physical trail is in the works, the stories of the community’s rich cultural history are just starting to be told. Visit Groundwork NRG to learn more about this project.

Entries on This Tour

Town Trail

The Town Trail connects the historic Quindaro Townsite with the Jersey Creek area of the neighborhood.

History of the Town of Quindaro

In Wyandot, Quindaro translates to "bundle of sticks," a signifier of strength, and is also the namesake of one of the town's founders. In 1856, Quindaro was created containing fourteen businesses along Main Street. It also included various residences and even Kansas' first public park. Despite the town being destroyed in 1862, the remnants of Quindaro's townsite were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, following community organization to cease a landfill from destroying the site. The Quindaro Ruins overlook is built over what remains of Quindaro’s original townsite, representing the lasting legacy the town had on Kansas City and the US. In 2002, the site secured a designation on the National Register of Historic Places, further protecting the memory of Quindaro.

Quindaro-Parkville Ferry

The Quindaro-Parkville Ferry was a key resource for the daily operations of the Underground Railroad. At night, the ferry carried many formerly enslaved individuals into freedom. In 1861, the Missouri side (pro-slavery) sank the ferry in protest of it being used as a “freedom ferry.” And yes, despite this effort, a number of small transfer boats continued to ferry people across the river, continuing on the spirit of the freedom ferry. In 1862, due to a record cold winter, a ferry was not even needed, as a number of people walked across the frozen river.

Douglass Hospital (1905-1924)

On the intersection of N. 27th St. and Vernon St., one will find the site that housed the third home for Douglass Hospital, which was founded primarily by Doctors Thompson and Unthank. Douglass Hospital was named in honor of African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Minister Calvin Douglass, a reverend at Western University. The idea of Douglass Hospital was born during a meeting between two local doctors and a lawyer in 1898. This idea led to the establishment of a hospital and training school devoted to educating African Americans and others. Ten years later, the school and hospital were chartered, and in 1905, the AME Church's Fifth District began sponsoring the institution. After much success, the school and hospital grew enough to necessitate the expansion to a new location in 1924, where it remained until its closure in 1978.

Freedman’s Elementary + Western University

The Freedman’s Elementary School began educating formerly enslaved African Americans in 1857. It soon expanded into Freedman's University, the first African American University west of the Mississippi River, to include college courses. Freedman's was originally run by Charles Langston with the assistance of Eben Blachly and his wife. When poverty within the community began to rise, student enrollment declined, which led to the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church taking over the university and renaming it Western University.Some of the original buildings were lost to fire and the others, to demolition, as the sites were redeveloped. The last historic structures remaining of the university were three faculty houses, which were demolished near the end of the 20th century. Today, nothing but the cornerstones of the earliest two halls still exist. Currently, the site is home to the statue of John Brown.

John Brown

Abolitionist leader and minister John Brown was father to 20 children and an avid soldier. Leading battles in Kansas in the war against slavery, Brown gathered quite the following. Harriet Tubman referred to Brown as the 'greatest white man to have lived.' Brown vowed to die fighting to end slavery, a promise that was kept following the failed insurrection at Harpers Ferry after which he was charged with treason and then hanged. Students of Western University in 1911 successfully campaigned and funded the commissioning of an Italian sculptor to erect a marble statue of John Brown on this site. While Western University closed in 1948, the statue still stands today.

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 moving away to Kansas to establish new roots, the pair took part in Wyandotte County’s first marriage. After finishing their marriage business in the area, Nancy and Abelard helped negotiate the purchase and gifting of land that then created the town of Quindaro, a safe port of entry for free-state settlers. The Old Quindaro Museum, while currently closed, is a part of the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and was a well-known African American history museum in Wyandotte county. Not only does this site pay tribute to the original townsite of Quindaro, but also to the lives that were shaped in the area that was formerly Quindaro after the town came to an end. Originally established in the 1980’s the museum was open for tourists around 40 years before falling into disrepair. The community still wishes to save this historic site.

Vernon School

Originally named the Colored School of Quindaro, the Vernon School opened its doors prior to the Civil War as the first school in the area for African American children. Utilizing funds from the New Deal program, the Vernon School replaced the original and was then renamed after William Tecumseh Vernon, president of Western University, Register of the U.S. Treasury, and Bishop at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church. After thirteen years, in 1971 the school closed as a result of the integration process which also reduced the population of students. Today, the Vernon Multi-Purpose Center houses a museum that is dedicated to the Underground Railroad as well as a cultural/community center, all of which is in the former Vernon School building. In 2004, the building was added to the National Historic Register, solidifying the legacy of the school as a center for education. To make the building more multifunctional, the school's classrooms were transformed into offices, community space, and the museum, with the original Blackboards and cabinetry still a prominent feature.

Clarina Nichols

Quindaro native Clarina Nichols was an abolitionist and a women's rights activist, holding an influential voice in the community as co-editor of the Quindaro Chindowan Newspaper. Many of her newspaper articles advocated for the Free-State cause, and as a result Clarina became one of the territory’s most prominent free labor and free state proponents. In 1861, Clarina successfully campaigned to allow women the right to vote in the Kansas School Board elections. Clarina also made history as an Underground Railroad conductor, using her home as a safe space for freedom seekers.

Underground Railroad

From 1855 to 1862, Quindaro operated an essential component of the Underground Railroad to help those escaping from Missouri across the river and into the free state of Kansas. Many sites throughout Quindaro's community were a part of the operation.The Vernon Multi-Purpose Center is housed in what once was the Vernon School, which closed in 1971. Now the building serves as a museum honoring the legacy of the school and the role that it played in serving as a stop along the Underground Railroad. Today, the Underground Railroad Museum features the local collections of artifacts and photos.

Nora Douglas Holt

Gifted musician Nora Holt was responsible for writing the score of Western University's school song. Her father, an administrator at the school, wrote the words. From there Nora went on to earn both a BA in music and became the first African American woman to earn a master's degree in music in the United States. After graduating from the Chicago Musical College and pursuing a career in music, Holt composed more than 200 works of music and was associated with the leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance and the co-founder of the National Association of Negro Musicians.

Charles H. Langston

Prominent orator for African Americans, self-appointed abolitionist, and political activist Charles Langston, devoted his life to protecting civil rights and pushing for the end of slavery. Although he wasn't born in Kansas, Langston made great waves in the state and it was where he chose to call home. Charles was appointed the Superintendent for Kansas’ Freedman’s Bureau in 1867 and served as the Freedman’s Elementary School’s president. His grave can be found in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Patchwork Slave Quilts

All along the Underground Railroad, one would find Patchwork Quilts which were representative of codes that provided instructions to slaves working to escape into freedom. These quilts were hung on clothes lines, in windows, or carved into the landscape, with 12-20 codes leading travelers on their secret journey into freedom.

Edward Dwight Jr.

Edward Dwight was born and raised in Rattlebone Hollow, and after becoming the first African American male to graduate from Bishop Ward, went on to pursue an engineering degree from Kansas City Junior College where he also enlisted in the Air Force. Dwight was one of the first African Americans to enlist in the Air Force’s astronaut training program. His successful career led the Kennedy administration to select him as a candidate to become one of NASA’s newest astronauts–a campaign which controversially ended with Edward not being selected. Soon after, Dwight returned to his artistic roots and began designing memorials and sculptures found all over the world, including several locations along the Underground Railroad.

Heart Trail

The Heart Trail creates a loop, centered around Sumner Academy, connecting the edge of Downtown KCK to Quindaro Boulevard.

Parkwood Park

Parkwood Park is a central node of activity for residents and members of the community. The Park Shelter, swimming pool, open spaces and tennis courts are major neighborhood assets. It includes a footbridge designed by the nationally-renowned and local Hare and Hare landscape architecture firm, as well as the Parkwood Park Shelter designed by John G. Braecklin.

Boston Daniels

In 1945, Boston Daniels’ dream of becoming a policeman came true after joining the Kansas City, Kansas Police Force. In Boston’s 25-year career, he worked his way up to become police chief and was known for his non-violent approaches to conflict de-escalation as well as his all-around good nature. Before his death in 1995, Kansas City dedicated a park in his honor–what is today known as Boston Daniels Park, located on the corner of 8th St. and Quindaro Blvd. Recently, Boston’s surviving relatives are restoring the park to a destination fit for the community, working regularly to garner support for their revitalization efforts to carry on Daniel’s legacy of “love, unity, and community.”.

"Something to Live For" Mural

Lucky Easterwood has been painting murals across the Quindaro neighborhood since 1996, when the “Something to Live For” mural was completed. The mural is an expression of the grief he felt for the victims of murder in his neighborhood, including his own nephew. He wanted to provide a message of hope for the area, and while the mural has faded over time, it is now a local landmark, and remains a powerful symbol for all.

Benjamin Singleton

Benjamin Singleton was coined the 'new Moses' bringing formerly enslaved African Americans to Kansas during the exoduster immigration period. Benjamin was an organizer of parties in the South, acting as a recruiter with promises of freedmen gaining access to farms of their own in the free state of Kansas. In addition to creating a homestead association, he provided access to steamboat and railroad transportation for thousands. This park is in the center of what once was Rattlebone Hollow and was built on top of a former landfill that was created in the neighborhood, much to the dismay and protest of the neighborhood. The landfill ended up seeping toxic waste into the community only a few years after it opened. As a result, a park was built on top of the landfill in the early 1980’s. Because of community pushback, the park closed in the 1990’s, the landfill cap was upgraded (wycokck.org), and the safety remediation efforts were finally completed in 2011. Currently, the park is still under construction in an effort to create a community-driven destination.

McGrew Grove

McGrew Grove is the location of the mansion of James McGrew, the third Lieutenant Governor of Kansas. He was a major player in the early days of Kansas history as a proponent of Kansas’ admission to the Union as a free state. He was one of the first merchants in Wyandotte, the mayor of the City of Wyandotte two terms, and was elected to the State Senate twice.

Wiley M. Pope

In early June, 1860, Colonel Wiley M. Pope approached Judge Chadwick for a “Deed of Emancipation” for himself, his wife, and his children. Pope and his family had just fled Mississippi. He had acquired a significant amount of debt, and because his wife was formerly enslaved and their thirteen children were biracial, under Mississippi laws, they could be sold to recover Pope’s debt. Pope and his brood were one of the first five families to settle in the town of Quindaro, and the entire community rose together to protect them until emancipation was signed. This was the first emancipation in the State of Kansas.

Rattlebone Hollow

Whether the namesake spurred from the early churches using rib bones to make music or as a result of the local meat packing plant's waste being claimed from the rattling neighborhood cart, Rattlebone Hollow is a community rich in history. Originally a small exoduster settlement that formed along the Jersey Creek, this community became home to several significant historical figures including Maxine Clair, Tommy Campbell, Ed Dwight, Marva Whitney, and Floyd and Willie Maywether.Rattlebone Hollow was nestled between Haskell Street on the southern border, Fourth Street on the eastern border, Seventh Street on the western border and the railroad tracks and the bluffs on the northern border.

HUB Bookstore

HUB BookstoreThe Hub Bookstore was founded in 1965 by two local couples and quickly became more than just a bookstore–it was the cultural hotspot for African Americans in the Kansas City community. Opening during the period of awakening for African American literature, music, and art, The Hub was the one-stop-shop for gathering, learning, listening, and creating. When national chains began carrying similar products, The Hub began its decline, leading to its closure in 1975. Despite closing, the store left a lasting legacy on the people and cultural artifacts that spent time in the space.

Jersey South Neighborhood

This neighborhood named after the Jersey Creek, is a historic neighborhood in northeast Kansas City. It is centered on N. 5th St.

Nathan W. Thatcher Sr.

In 1912 Nathan W. Thatcher Sr. founded Thatcher’s Funeral Home at 1514 North 5th Street. Thatcher and his family have been an institution in Turtle Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Douglass State Bank

Named after Frederick Douglass and established by H.W. Sewing, Douglass State Bank opened its doors in 1949 as the first African American financial institution West of the Mississippi. After reaching the status of the nation’s 17th-largest African American-owned bank, the bank was shut down in 1983 by banking authorities because its liabilities had far exceeded its assets. The bank was then succeeded by Douglass National Bank.

Dr. S.H. Thompson Sr. and S.H. Thompson Jr.

Founder of Douglass Hospital, Dr. S.H. Thomspon Sr. ensured that there was equal access and care to all patients in his facility, hiring people who shared this value regardless of their race or ethnicity. The facility was considered the best African American public hospital in the nation. Thompson’s son also left a lasting legacy in the community, serving as Sumner High School’s principal for over 20 years.

Turtle Hill Neighborhood

This neighborhood is generally bound by 5th St. to the east, 7th St. Trafficway to the west, Freeman Ave to the north, and Washington Blvd. to the south. It has a rich history with many important residents including Judge A.B. Howard, Judge Cordell Meeks, and Nathan W. Thatcher Sr.

Wyandot Nation

Wyandotte County was named after the Wyandot Nation, who have played a vital part in the community landscape since 1843. Originally from Canada, some of the Wyandot nation or "Wendat - people of the island" were relocated to Ohio and then Kansas City, where they aided in the creation of the safe port town of Quindaro. Today, the Wyandot Nation of Kansas is dedicated to the preservation of Wyandot history and culture and the preservation, protection, restoration, and maintenance of the Wyandot National Burying Ground in Kansas City, Kansas.

Dawning of a New Day Mural - Frank Williams Outreach Center

The mural is named "Dawning of a New Day" and was created in 2004 by artists Joe Faus and Alisha Gambino. The artwork was sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission and Bank Midwest. This mural was created to honor the importance of generations, family, and culture in the African American community, with the lefthand side of the mural, emphasizing cultural legacy and the middle features the seven principles of Kwanzaa and shows the hope of children and the future.Finally, there is the righthand side, which mirrors an urban African American skyline.

The Learning Center Mural

This mural is located on the north side of the Pandarama Preschool building facing Nebraska Ave. The building is currently used as a child care center that helps children between the ages of 1 and 12 with early childhood education.

Alex Haley

Acclaimed author Alex Haley served a 20-year career in the Coast Guard prior to pursuing a full-time journalism career. Haley’s role as a journalist began as a writer and senior editor at Reader’s Digest. His career soared when he was featured as one of Playboy Magazines first African American interviewers, with his first piece covering Miles Davis. During his successful journalism career, Alex interviewed many African American cultural icons, most notably Malcolm X. Their conversation became the basis for the “Autobiography of Malcolm X.” Haley also authored award-winning book “Roots,” which told the story of his family’s history and their relationship with slavery.

Sumner High School

Sumner High School was built on the corner of 9th and Washington Blvd. in Kansas City, Kansas following a 1905 law authorizing the segregation of schools within the state. As a countermeasure for the recently passed law, the Governor built a new school to service the growing African American community, with the intent for the courses to be devoted to manual training. After the community objected, a more well-rounded curriculum was adopted that focused on college preparation. A few years after opening (without a name) the school was named in honor of Charles Sumner, an abolitionist and leader who fought for the rights of African Americans. Sumner High School provided an exceptional education for all those in attendance, as many of the educators held high-level degrees and many of the students excelled to the point of state, regional, and national recognition.

Chester C. Owens Sumner Alumni Room

Chester C. Owens Sumner Alumni Room, located at Sumner High School, preserves the history, artifacts, and other memorabilia of Sumner High School, the only high school established for African Americans from 1905 to 1978 in Kansas. The community is very proud of what was accomplished academically, athletically and historically in that time. The exhibit includes photographs, trophies, documents, school newspapers, and books written by Sumner Alumni associates and other materials.

Dr. Albert Porter Davis

Dr. Davis served several prominent roles in Wyandotte County: the first African American Assistant Health Director of the County, County Coroner, president of The National Medical Association, and also remained an active staff member in two area hospitals. Albert also had a keen business sense, founding both the Red Top taxi company and the Service Finance Corp. (savings and loan agency), a first of its kind to be owned by an African American man in the state of Kansas. Dr. Davis was also among one of the first federally-licensed African American pilots and enjoyed flying his personal plane. The A. Porter Davis Residence, also known as Castle Rock, is a historic house located at 852 Washington Boulevard.

Charlie ‘Bird' Parker

Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, a talented saxophonist, was one of the fathers of the Bebop genre of jazz and forever changed music history. Born in Kansas City, Kansas and raised in Wyandotte, Charlie rose to stardom in Kansas City, Missouri’s clubs, several of which are still standing today. Along Big Eleven Lake there is a memorial in his honor, located within the Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker Plaza.

Douglass Sumner Neighborhood

This historic neighborhood was a stop on the Underground Railroad, the birthplace of Charlie “Bird” Parker, and home to many notable local African Americans. Located close to downtown, nearby quarries, steel mills ,and stockyards, Douglass-Sumner was a great place for working-class families for decades.

Big Eleven Lake

Landscape architects, Hare and Hare, turned an ‘unsightly hole’ into a 3.8-acre ‘Waterway Park Complex’ in 1911 that is today known as Big Eleven Lake. Twenty years after their effort, additional improvements were made to the lake, requiring it to be drained. Locals had many suspicions of what lay beneath the surface, including ghosts! Today, Big Eleven Lake is a recreational destination and features a memorial to KCK’s very own, Charlie Parker.

Struggler’s Hill

Struggler’s Hill was established in 1920 and named after the lived experience of the residents who moved there–the idea being that once you moved in, you would then struggle to make payments. While the community had sufficient infrastructure and local businesses, (a majority of which were run by homeowners), housing costs were high. Yet the community endured and the neighborhood was a strong and supportive network, resulting in many talented African American firsts and generations of families that live there to this day.

John B. McLendon Jr.

John B. McLendon Jr. was raised in Northeast Kansas City Kansas, attending Dunbar Elementary and Sumner High School. John was a natural athlete and as such, a major contributor to the sport of basketball - both as a player and a coach. In 1946, he was drafted by the Washington Capitols, a former Basketball Association of America team based in Washington D.C.Upon being drafted by the Capitols, McLendon became the first African American to sign a contract with an NBA team, and he remained on the team until 1951. Following his time as a professional athlete, John began coaching basketball, making history again as the first African American to head coach any sport. McLendon had a very successful coaching career, as he was a three-time winner of the NAIA Coach of the Year award. John also led his team to win three consecutive NAIA championships, making history as the first college coach to have ever done so. Given his many accomplishments both as an athlete and a coach, John was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame. After retiring from coaching basketball, McLendon didn't leave the basketball world behind, instead he worked as a worldwide ambassador for Converse Shoes.

River Trail

The River Trail strengthens the connection between the center of the neighborhood and Kaw Point.

Dr. Marjorie Cates

Following her time at Sumner High School, Marjorie Cates was the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Kansas Medical School. Following her sister’s death from cancer at a very young age, Dr. Cates went on to teach hematology at Howard University where she also served as the Associate Director of the University's Center for Sickle Cell Disease. In 2018, Dr. Cates' legacy was honored by the donation of academic society in her name, The Cates Society.

Judge Cordell Meeks

Kansas’ first African American District Judge, Cordell Meeks, was elected in 1972 and served two terms. Prior to becoming a judge, Cordell owned and operated his own law firm alongside his 19-year career as County Commissioner, where he successfully organized for two low-income housing developments to be built in Kansas City, Kansas (the Gateway Plaza Homes and Gateway Plaza Homes East). Following Judge Meeks’ terms, he retired in 1980, and began writing an autobiography which he published five years later, “To Heaven Through Hell: An Autobiography of the First Black District Court Judge of Kansas.”

Juniper Gardens

The State of Kansas chartered the Kansas City Kansas Housing Authority on August 6, 1957. The first five Commissioners included Leonard Childers, Robert DeVero, Oscar Hall, Allen Sever, and Fletcher Speck. Their goal was to establish a low-rent housing development for the community, and they did that through their first family development, Juniper Gardens. The development was built on a 33-acre plot located in Northeast KCK in 1962. A total of 390 units were built in Juniper Gardens at a cost of $6 Million, making it today the oldest and largest public housing development in the State of Kansas.

Lewis, Clark and York at Kaw Point

Lewis and Clark set upon an exploration of the Louisiana purchase in 1803 alongside York. York was enslaved by William Clark and was the first African American (that was not an escaped slave) to visit Kansas. The team spent several days at Kaw Point and were the first Americans to pass through the county and leave records. Today there is a monument on the campsite where Lewis and Clark surveyed the land on both sides of the river. While York is not represented in the statue at the park, he played a critical role in the expedition. Despite Yorks’ great service and essentiality to the cause, he was neither paid nor freed. Kaw Point Park is a 10-acre wooded area along the confluence or the river and features great views of downtown KCK. This park is also part of the greater “Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail,” which connects park-goers to the Missouri side. Here you can find an amphitheater with limestone seating blocks carved with names of the members of the expedition, and the Confluence of Nations Plaza, containing a memorial to Indigenous peoples. One panel describes the homeland of the Kanza Indians.

This Tour is a Multi-zone Tour.

Northeast Kansas City Kansas Heritage Trail

Created by Groundwork NRG on June 15th 2022, 7:35:00 pm.

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Description

From Quindaro to Kaw's Point Park, this trail includes landmarks and stories about dozens of people who made history in Kansas City, Kansas. The tour starts in Quindaro with stops and stories that share the legacy of a town built around the Wyandot Nation that was later home to abolitionists and freedom seekers. Uncover hidden designs etched into the bluffs along the river and stitched into quilts as codes for those traveling the Underground Railroad. Take in the sights, sounds, and food of the hometown of legendary African Americans, including jazz legend Charlie Parker. And connect to a community whose future is defined by its culture as you work your way through each neighborhood. The tour concludes at Kaw's Point Park where Lewis, Clark, and York’s expedition first arrived at land that would one day be part of Kansas City, Kansas.

Entries on This Tour

Northeast Kansas City Kansas Heritage Trail

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