Eudora Area Historical Society

06/17/2026

Eudora Then and Now! These two photos were taken in the exact same spot, but around 110 years apart. The first photo shows the sidewalk scene in Eudora at an unspecified date in the 1910s. The first photo was taken in front of the "Lavo Building" at 709 Main Street. This building was immediately north of the Eudora Odd Fellowes Lodge (711 Main Street). 709 Main Street was subsequently demolished, and in its place, the modern Eudora Post Office was built in 1962. In the 1910s, horses outnumbered automobiles in Eudora. In the 1910s, Main Street in Eudora was still dirt, however, Eudora did have some brick sidewalks. The first photo is from the Schopper family photo collection.

06/11/2026

Downtown Eudora looked beautiful during sunset last night! Historic downtown Eudora also looks beautiful right now because of the excellent work that Eudora KS Parks and Recreation Department has done to beautify downtown Eudora! This spring, in downtown Eudora, Eudora Parks and Rec. has installed lights on the light poles, installed potted plants, and planted new flowers. They also continually change out the flags that are on the light poles. We thank Eudora Parks and Rec, and the City of Eudora, for their continuous hard work to make sure that downtown Eudora is a welcoming and attractive place to visit!

In order to understand just how beautiful downtown Eudora is today, you should go to Google Street View, and check out what downtown Eudora (700 Block of Main Street) looked like in 2007, and compare it today. The appearance of downtown Eudora has VASTLY improved since 2007.

The Eudora CPA Picnic starts tonight! The first Eudora Main Street Market event is also tonight! Be sure to visit downtown Eudora tonight to attend both events. You can also check out our vendor space at the Main Street Market event!

06/09/2026

Eudora's oldest and greatest tradition, the Eudora CPA Picnic starts this week! This year marks the 125th anniversary of the first CPA Picnic! The first CPA Picnic in Eudora was held in 1901. Every summer since 1901, except for a few years, the CPA Picnic has been held and has entertained people from all over northeastern Kansas! This year's CPA Picnic will be held at CPA Park in downtown Eudora from June 11th through June 13th. Please make sure to take part in this year's CPA Picnic! For more information, visit the CPA Picnic website: https://eudoracpa.org/

CPA stands for "Central Protective Association." The Eudora Central Protective Association (CPA) Lodge #191 was first established in 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. There were very few public resources 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 and formed various anti-horse-thief organizations. Starting in the summer of 1901, the Eudora CPA Lodge organized a picnic for its members, thus the CPA Picnic was born! The CPA Lodge still exists, but, its goal is no longer apprehending horse thieves, instead, they exist to host the CPA Picnic every summer. Even in the early 1900s, the CPA Picnic was popular, attracting thousands of visitors from around the region. Entertainment, a parade, various contests, dancing, and carnival rides were always the main attractions of the CPA Picnic.

The first Main Street Market event of 2026 will be held on Thursday, June 11th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, and it will be located on Main Street, close to CPA Park. At this event, from its vendor spot, the EAHS will hand out free promotional items for the Eudora Community Museum. The EAHS also plans to bring many of its handling artifacts for children to engage with. For more information on the Main Street Market event: https://www.domoreineudora.com/mainstreetmarket.

06/05/2026

We have 5 announcements!

#1:
We were thrilled to recently host 8 French Osteopathic medicine college students and their professor at the Eudora Community Museum for a tour! The students were on a tour of Douglas County historical sites relating to Osteopathy. Osteopathy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathy) was founded by Dr. AT Still, the son of Dr. Abraham Still. Dr. Abraham Still was the first European American to settle in what would become the Eudora Area in 1850. The Still family also had deep connections to Baldwin City and Baker University.

#2:
The Eudora Community Museum, in collaboration with the other heritage museums of Douglas County, are hosting a "Hands on History Day" tomorrow (June 6th) between 10am and 4pm! During this event, the EAHS will set out all its handling artifacts for children to engage with. Handling artifacts are special artifacts that are designed to give children the chance to see, feel, hear, and smell historical items. Similar activities are going to be held at most of the other heritage sites in Douglas County. For more information on this event: https://www.watkinsmuseum.org/event/douglas-county-hands-on-history-day/.

#3:
We are excited and grateful that our friends at the The Santa Fe Trail Historical Society of Douglas County, KS have included Eudora Area women in their new exhibit: "The Spirit of Kansas Women!" This exhibit features profiles of these Eudora Area women: Eudora Fish, Dr. Mary Miller (one of the first female Medical Doctors in Kansas), and Roberta Nottingham. This exhibit is on display at the Baldwin City Ks. Public Library (800 7th Street). For more information on SFTHS: https://santafetraildouglas.org/.

#4:
Eudora Area Historical Society Executive Director Ben Terwilliger was interviewed on May 18th on the KLWN radio program "Timeline," hosted by Clence Hills. The May 18th program was the 12th time that Ben was the guest on this program; his first guest appearance on the program was in 2013. Ben used the occasion to promote Eudora, the Eudora Community Museum, and all of the EAHS’s upcoming events and projects. You can listen to the interview here: https://www.klwn.com/timeline-radio-w-clenece/.

#5:
We are excited to share that the EAHS has reserved a vendor spot at this year’s first “Main Street Market” event in downtown Eudora! The first Main Street Market event of 2026 will be held on Thursday, June 11th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, and it will be located on Main Street, close to CPA Park. At this event, from its vendor spot, the EAHS will hand out free promotional items for the Eudora Community Museum. The EAHS also plans to bring many of its handling artifacts for children to engage with. Handling artifacts are special artifacts that are designed to give children the chance to see, feel, hear, and smell historical items. For more information on the Main Street Market event: https://www.domoreineudora.com/mainstreetmarket.

05/29/2026

Please attend the Open House at our museum tomorrow (05/30)! The Open House is in commemoration of the “Bleeding Kansas” themed traveling exhibit that we are hosting at the Eudora Community Museum (720 Main Street) through the end of August. The Open House is also being held in commemoration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Open House will be held from 1:00pm through 4:00pm. Free refreshments and souvenirs will be provided. Admission to this exhibit and our museum is free.

The Bleeding Kansas themed exhibit that we are hosting through the end of August is titled: "Stories from the Western Frontier." This fantastic exhibit uses colorful images to explore Bleeding Kansas and the enduring national struggle for freedom and equality for all Americans. "Stories from the Western Frontier" places the violent and turbulent period of Douglas County’s history, known as Bleeding Kansas, within the context of the national struggle for freedom and equality, a struggle that began in 1776. Bleeding Kansas and subsequent civil rights movements are the direct legacy of the concepts explored in the Declaration of Independence, which states that ALL Americans are entitled to equality and freedom. We are grateful to host this exhibit, which was created by Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society and Museum. You can find out more information about this exhibit here:
https://wabaunseecomuseum.org/2016/10/27/freedoms-frontier-stories-from-the-western-border/

The Eudora Area was of course heavily impacted by Bleeding Kansas; therefore, this exhibit has significant connections to the Eudora Area. The first European/American to settle in what would become Eudora was Dr. Abraham Still, a fervent abolitionist. The Eudora Area community of Hesper was established by abolitionist Quakers. Eudora was of course established by German immigrants. The German immigrants who settled Eudora were largely “Moderate Free-Staters;” they were opposed to slavery spreading into Kansas. Eudora was a strongly pro-Union or Northern community. During the US Civil War (1861-1865), nearly 50% of all Eudora Area men enlisted in Union militia units. On August 21st, 1863, Confederate guerrilla William Quantrill and his men rode through the Eudora Area where they killed several Eudora Area residents. Later that day, Quantrill and his men murdered over 160 Lawrence residents, including children, and destroyed most of the City, in what became known as the Lawrence Massacre, or Quantrill’s Raid. The Lawrence Massacre was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in American history.

05/26/2026

You can now watch the EAHS program: "Eudora's Veterinarian: Dr. Ron Lee" our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6RQ47bsh2Y.

Dr. Ron Lee established his Veterinary Clinic, the Eudora Animal Hospital, in Eudora in 1975 when he was only 25 years old. Over the next several decades, Dr. Lee became a beloved Eudora Area icon because of his ability to medically treat and serve Eudora’s pets and livestock. Dr. Lee also became heavily involved in the community in several capacities. Dr. Ron Lee has since retired from his Veterinary Practice. However, the practice he established, the Eudora Animal Hospital, continues to serve the Eudora community.

The EAHS deeply thanks Dr. Ron Lee for delivering this fantastic presentation to the EAHS membership and the public on May 21st, 2026! The EAHS was delighted to have a huge turnout for this presentation; around 90 people attended Dr. Lee's presentation!

05/23/2026

Did you know that Eudora used to have a movie theater?! The Victory Theatre, which was located at the northwest corner of 7th and Elm Streets, first opened in Eudora in 1942.

1942 was a monumental year in Eudora's history, because that was the year when construction began on the nearby Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant. The Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant was built as a result of US entry into WWII in 1941. In 1942, thousands of people moved into the region to work on the construction of the Plant. When the Plant became operational in 1943, thousands of more people moved into the area. Over 12,000 individuals worked at the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant after it opened. Many Plant workers and their families moved to Eudora. The population of Eudora increased from 600 to over 2,000 within months. The Victory Theater was largely built to offer Eudora's new residents a form of entertainment. Television sets were a rare luxury in the 1940s. Instead, in the 1940s, people flocked to movie theaters for entertainment.

During World War II, the United States used the theme of "Victory" to unite the country and mobilize the home front. This manifested across American culture, including "Victory Gardens," which were used to supplement food supplies. Therefore, the Eudora movie theater was named the "Victory Theatre" as a show of patriotism, and the optimism that the US and its allies (UK, USSR, China) would be victorious in WWII against the Axis nations (Germany, Japan, Italy).

The Victory Theatre building was also used to house a wide variety of other businesses. For a time, the Victory Theatre building was home to several Eudora Elementary School classes because the actual Eudora Elementary School building was too overcrowded to host all its classes. Sadly, the Victory Theatre building was destroyed by a large fire in 1966. Eudora has not been home to any movie theaters since the closure of the Victory Theater. Today, the site that was formerly home to the Victory Theatre is occupied by two buildings owned by the City of Eudora.

Do you have any memories or stories to share about the Victory Theatre? If so, please share!

05/16/2026

Dr. Ron Lee established his Veterinary Clinic, the Eudora Animal Hospital, in Eudora in 1975 when he was only 25 years old. Over the next 33 years, Dr. Lee became a beloved Eudora Area icon because of his ability to medically treat and serve Eudora’s pets and livestock. Dr. Lee also became heavily involved in the community in several capacities. Dr. Ron Lee retired from his Veterinary Practice in 2008. The practice he established, the Eudora Animal Hospital, continues to serve the Eudora community.

We are very excited that the May EAHS program is: "Eudora's Veterinarian: Dr. Ron Lee!" This free program will be presented by Dr. Ron Lee. This program will be on Thursday May 21st, at 7:00pm, and it will be held at the Eudora Community Center (1630 Elm Street). At this program, you will learn about the history of Dr. Lee's Veterinary practice, all the people he worked with, and fascinating stories from his 33 years as Eudora’s beloved Veterinarian. This program is free and is open to the public.

YOU COULD WIN A DOOR PRIZE IF YOU ATTEND THIS PROGRAM! The door prize for this program is a $15 gift certificate to Zeb’s Coffeehouse in Eudora (located at 724 Main Street). If you are an EAHS member, your membership dues pay for our six annual programs. Accordingly, these programs are one of the main benefits of EAHS membership. Therefore, please get your “money’s worth” and attend our interesting and educational programs! Our programs are free and open to the public; we hope to see you there!

05/13/2026

The Eudora Community Museum relocated to the former Nottingham Elementary School building 15 years ago today! On May 13th, 2011, the Eudora Area Historical Society (EAHS) moved its entire museum from the former Eudora High School and Middle School building (EHS&EMS building) at 10th and Main Streets into the former Nottingham Elementary School (1428 Elm Street). City of Eudora Public Works Department very generously helped the EAHS relocate its museum, the EAHS would not have been able to relocate its museum without their help!

The EAHS was established in 1980, but its museum, the Eudora Community Museum (ECM) was not established until 2004. In 2004, the Eudora School District allowed the EAHS to use two rooms at the former EHS&EMS building at 10th and Main Streets for its museum for free. The Eudora School District vacated the former EHS&EMS building in 2003. By 2004, the EHS&EMS building was in a state of disrepair. The original ECM at EHS&EMS building lacked heating, cooling, water, restrooms, reliable lighting, and working door locks. The building was also infested with mice, rats, and insects. Nevertheless, the two rooms at the former EHS&EMS building gave the EAHS a place to establish its first museum.

In January of 2011, the City of Eudora hired Ben Terwilliger to work part-time with the EAHS. Ben became the first professional employee to work with the EAHS. One month after hiring Ben, the City of Eudora notified him that the City intended to demolish the EHS&EMS building to build the new Public Safety building. Therefore, the ECM would have to relocate. Thankfully, the City of Eudora and Eudora Schools came together to make sure that the EAHS would get a new home. The Eudora School District generously allowed the EAHS to relocate its museum into the former Nottingham Elementary School building for free. The ECM established at the former Nottingham Elementary School building was a significant improvement over its former location. The ECM at the former Nottingham Elementary School had heating, cooling, water, restrooms, reliable lighting, and working door locks. The building also contained far fewer mice and rats than the former location. The ECM grew greatly and thrived while located at the former Nottingham Elementary School building.

However, immediately after relocating to Nottingham, the EAHS realized that it would eventually be kicked out of the former Nottingham School building. Therefore, the EAHS began a serious effort in the summer of 2011 to find a permanent home for its museum. Thankfully, later that summer, Ben Terwilliger met Pam (Trefz) Staab, who offered to donate her building at 720 Main Street (built in 1866) to the EAHS. 720 Main Street was officially donated to the EAHS for free in 2013 by Pam. However, 720 Main Street required extensive rehabilitation work to make it habitable. Between 2013 and 2022, the EAHS invested the equivalent of $750,000 ($1,000,000+ adjusted for inflation) into the rehabilitation of 720 Main Street. The ECM officially opened at 720 Main Street in on April 4, 2015.

05/05/2026

Thank you The Eudora Times for publishing this great article about our future exhibit on "The Fish Family of Eudora!" The Fish family, who were led by its patriarch Chief Paschal Fish (1804-1893), were members of the Shawnee tribe and were instrumental in the foundation of the City of Eudora. Chief Fish, his family, and his extended family owned all of what is now the Eudora Township in the 1840s and 1850s. In 1857, Paschal Fish sold the land he and his family owned to a German immigrant company for $10,000. The German immigrants were so grateful for the chance to establish a new community on Fish's former land, that they decided to honor Chief Fish by naming the new city "Eudora" after his 8/9-year-old daughter Eudora Fish (1848-1877).

The Eudora Community Museum's "core exhibit" contains an entire section on the Shawnee tribe of Eudora, and a few paragraphs relating to the Fish family. However, the Fish family were so important to Eudora Area history, it was decided that an entire exhibit would be needed to tell their whole story. The Eudora Area Historical Society (EAHS) started the work to create an exhibit on "The Fish Family of Eudora" earlier this year. The EAHS is fortunate to have received help with the creation of this exhibit from two KU students, Tara Mitchell and Sophie Wanamaker. The EAHS thanks Tara and Sophie for their contributions to creating this exhibit!

Originally, the EAHS planned to complete the exhibit "The Fish Family of Eudora" by the spring of 2026. However, it has been determined that it will take more time than originally thought to complete this important exhibit. Essentially, the EAHS wants the content of this exhibit to be based on sources from the Shawnee tribe. Therefore, the EAHS will spend time to locate as many sources from the Shawnee tribe that relate to the Fish family as possible. While the EAHS has ample sources on the Fish family and the Shawnee tribe in its collections, they are not sources from the Shawnee tribe itself. The EAHS is going to invite the Shawnee tribe to give feedback on the content of this exhibit. An exhibit about a Shawnee family should be based on Shawnee sources and it should receive Shawnee feedback. This approach will take more time, but it will ensure that an accurate story is told. History is not "set in stone." History is always changing. History changes as new sources are discovered, and as communities previously excluded from the history writing process are invited to share their stories. This exhibit on "The Fish Family of Eudora" will help us tell a more complete history of the Eudora Area.

Creating a better understanding of Pascal Fish is the goal of a joint project between the Community Museum and KU. Fish, a Shawnee tribe leader, lived in the area from the 1840s until the 1870s. He owned the land that is now Eudora and sold it to a German immigrant company in 1857. They established....