History of Eudora: An Overview

Not only is Eudora’s history fascinating and important, but it also relates to several of the most integral themes of American history!

Eudora’s history predates American settlement. For thousands of years, this region was home to various indigenous tribes. The most notable tribe was the Kansa or Kaw. The Kaw lived along the rivers of this region in villages until they were forcibly removed in the 1820s by the American government to make room for the Shawnee Indian tribe. The Shawnee people occupied this land until 1854, when the American government once again forcibly removed Indian tribes from this region. A Shawnee Chief named Pascal Fish owned most of the land in the area and sold it to a German immigrant group in 1857. The Germans named their new community Eudora after Chief Fish’s daughter.

Paschal Fish and his daughter, Eudora Fish, in CPA Park at 9th & Main
in Downtown Eudora.

The Oregon and Santa Fe Trails passed just a few miles south of Eudora. Countless travelers headed west passed through this region from the 1840s through the 1860s. The Eudora area witnessed significant conflict during the Bleeding Kansas era and the Civil War. Since Eudora strongly supported the Union during the Civil War, many of its men enlisted to defeat the Confederacy. Because of this, William Quantrill stopped just south of Eudora in 1863 on his way to Lawrence to commit his infamous raid. He enlisted the help of a young German boy to lead him to Lawrence in the middle of the night since Quantrill did not know which direction it was. Several Eudora residents attempted to warn Lawrence of Quantrill’s proximity. Two of the men were thrown from their horses and killed, and the others did not make it in time to warn the town.

After the Civil War, relative stability finally arrived in the region. Eudora saw tremendous development in the late 19th century and grew into a self-sustaining community.

The Eudora Central Protective Association (CPA) Lodge #191 was established 1901 as an anti-horse-thief organization. Horse thievery was a big problem in small towns like Eudora in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Very few public resources were available at the time to stop horse thieves. Most small towns like Eudora had minimal law enforcement. Therefore, residents commonly took the law into their own hands. While many members of the CPA were restrained when apprehending alleged horse thieves, some were less restrained and could be considered vigilantes.

Eudora CPA Picnic, Carnival, and Parade have been an annual tradition in Eudora since 1901, making it one of the longest-running events in Kansas.