Pardee Butler

A Kansas Portrait

The Reverend Pardee Butler came to Kansas Territory in the spring of 1955, settling on an Atchison County farm. He was a minister in the Disciples of Christ Church and had served as a pastor in Ohio and Iowa.

An outspoken free-stater, he soon had a confrontation with residents of Atchison, a hotbed of pro-slavery politics. On August 16, 1855, Butler was in town and did nothing to conceal his political convictions. Offended pro-slaverites put him on a raft tied with an offensive banner, and set him adrift on the Missouri River, much to the delight of the Atchison editor who called Butler a rogue and a scoundrel. Butler later recalled that he said to his tormentors: "Gentlemen, if I am drowned I forgive you; but I have this to say to you. If you are not ashamed of your part in this transaction, I am not ashamed of mine. Good bye."

Despite his troubles, Butler brought his family to Kansas, but he did not return to Atchison until April of 1856. Before he could conclude his business, he was accosted by pro-slavery men and was threatened with hanging. The mob settled for tar and feathers.

He did not abandon his abolitionist work, but the coming of calmer times to Kansas saved him from additional violent experiences. He helped organize the Republican Party in Kansas, was important to the development of the Christian Church in the West and was a leader in the Prohibition movement. He was widely recognized in the state until his death in 1888.