KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
—
From the outside, the boarded-up windows and doors of the Vernon Multipurpose Center tell one story.
But inside, two women are working to make sure the history within its walls is never forgotten.
The Vernon Center was built to educate young Black children in the Kansas City, Kansas, area.
In the 1950s, Helen Beteet's mother taught at the Vernon School, which served as a vital resource for local Black students.
Today, the historic building houses the Quindaro Underground Railroad Museum and hosts senior activities.
"Amazing people came through this school, and I think people don't know that,” said Beteet, board president of the Vernon Multipurpose Center. “They're not aware of that. This was not a fancy school, but the teachers were high-quality.”
Beteet has served on the board for seven years and has been board president for three.
Her connection to the building is deeply personal.
"My mom, this was her passion,” Beteet said. “When she retired and before. And when she passed, it started becoming my passion.”
She said keeping the center's history alive has not been easy.
"I think at one point in time Vernon was so overlooked that we were concerned whether the building would be here," Beteet said. "Sometimes when you see the windows, the door, all that stuff, it gives a different message than what's going on inside here. So we're trying to expand it so you can see outside what's going on inside.”
Tai Barber-Gumbs is the new director of the Quindaro Underground Railroad Museum.
She stepped into the role just months ago, following the death of her predecessor, Luther Smith,
Smith ran the museum largely on his own from 2008 until his death in July 2025.
KSHB 41 visited the museum in June 2024.
For Barber-Gumbs, the work is also personal.
Her family has a direct connection to the Underground Railroad in Wyandotte County.
One of her ancestors is documented in the Highland Vidette newspaper on May 15, 1913.
"My family used the Underground Railroad here in Wyandotte to become free," Barber-Gumbs said. "I've always loved history, and I've always been meaning to learn more about my family's history, so I kind of felt like I've been able to do both in this role.”
Beteet said she is confident Barber-Gumbs is the right person to carry the museum forward.
"The history will go away if we don't invest in it,” Beteet said. “So, I'm glad that we have someone of her caliber, and she's a bright young lady willing to carry on what Mr. Smith did for so many years.”
One of Barber-Gumbs' priorities is modernizing how the museum tells its story.
"There's a lot of items here in the museum, but it didn't necessarily tell one cohesive story," Barber-Gumbs said. "I'm hoping to, of course, keep some of the pictures but actually move to more exhibit display panels you would see going to a more traditional museum.”
On Thursday, March 12, the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Kansas Tourism representatives awarded the Vernon Multipurpose Center a $4,000 grant through its attraction development grant program for exhibit panels in the museum.
The Vernon Center matched that amount to receive the full $4,000.
The program, which delivered checks to 22 communities across Kansas, had $1 million to distribute. However, it received requests totaling more than $4 million.
Bridgette Jobe, director of Kansas Tourism at the Kansas Department of Commerce, lives in KCK and said the museum's story resonates far beyond the building's walls.
"The story of Quindaro is the story of Kansas," Jobe said.
Barber-Gumbs also applied for and won a $500 Kansas Museums Association grant in fall 2024 to fund an audio tour, which visitors will be able to access using a QR code.
The exhibit panels will complement the audio tour.
She hopes to have the new features up and running by the FIFA World Cup this year.
She is also waiting to hear back on a $150,000 grant that would fund new windows for the building.
The Vernon Center recently received a $500,000 grant from the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, to help rehabilitate the building.
That money will be used to redo two restrooms, install new HVAC systems and create a Quindaro Visitors Center.
The building also received a new roof within the past few years.
Rick Guinn, volunteer legal counsel for the Vernon Multipurpose Center board, said the $500,000 UG grant represents just the first quarter of what is needed to fully renovate the facility.
A complete rehabilitation is estimated to cost about $3.2 million.
"I think the more people realize what this place means to the community and to the region, the more potential resources will be devoted toward it," Guinn said. “The only way that it comes to fruition is for people in the community to know about it and care about it, and hopefully be able to contribute resources to it.”
Beteet echoed that sentiment, saying community awareness is at the heart of the center's future.
"That's why we're here today, because they do recognize that Vernon does need support,” Beteet said. “We need the community support, and the support is in telling the history.”
There’s a common saying Beteet feels is applicable to this situation.
"If you don't know your past, you have a difficulty moving into the future,” Beteet said. “Whether it's repeating mistakes or not seeing potential. I like possibilities, and I like investing in the past as a way to promote the future.”
The museum is currently open by appointment only, but Barber-Gumbs said she is working toward establishing set hours with the help of a committee of tour volunteers.
"For me, it's just been so inspiring to hear about what my ancestors lived through and what they were able to overcome," Barber-Gumbs said.
Beteet said the progress being made, while still just a beginning, is meaningful.
"It's a start,” Beteet said. “It's a great start. It's a start because it's also recognition.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
