This Past Saturday (October 1) our Great Rivers greenway manager, James and his wife, Kimberly, attended the 20th Annual Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration. James and Kimberly had a great time as the pictures show, and they were absolutely moved by the story of Mary Meachum and the significance of the crossing site. We all know there is a rich history and story to this great city of ours, but few of us know many of the stories.
Mary Meachum was an enslaved woman that was moved to St Louis by her enslavers. Her soon to be husband, John, followed Mary to St Louis after buying his freedom in Virginia. John bought the freedom of Mary and together they established the First African Baptist Church, which was the first black congregation in St Louis. They also established the “Candle Tallow School” after the state banned all education for Black people in 1847, even going as far as holding classes on a riverboat just beyond the reach of Missouri law! The Meachum’s home on fourth street was a safe house for the underground railroad. They helped enslaved people escape to Illinois, and after Mr. Meachum’s passing in 1854, Mary continued the work. And this is just part of the story!
We at Native Landscape Solutions take great pride in our partnership with Great Rivers Greenway, and the opportunity to do our small part in helping them achieve their goal of bringing communities together and telling these amazing stories!
