Father Dickson Cemetery is a historic
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
cemetery located on 845 South Sappington Road in
Crestwood,
St. Louis County,
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
.
It has been listed as one of the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
since October 6, 2021.
History
The cemetery is named after abolitionist
Moses Dickson
Moses Dickson (1824–1901) was an abolitionist, soldier, minister, and founder of the Knights of Liberty, an anti-slavery organization that planned a slave uprising in the United States and helped African-American enslaved people to freedom thro ...
, who is buried at this cemetery.
It sits on more than 12 acres and roughly 12,000 people are buried there.
Many of the burials include black military veterans, leaders within the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
network, formerly enslaved people, and lynching victims.
In 1988, the Friends of Father Dickson Cemetery group was started in hopes of maintaining the aging cemetery and preserving history.
Other nearby historic African American cemeteries include
Washington Park Cemetery
Washington Park Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery active from 1920 until 1980 and located in Berkeley, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Large-scale disinterment occurred over several decades for various construction pro ...
(1920),
Quinette Cemetery
Quinette Cemetery is a historic landmark and African-American burial ground located in Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburb of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis.
History
The Quinette Cemetery was established in 1866, originally associated wi ...
(1866), and
Greenwood Cemetery (1874).
Notable burials
*
Moses Dickson
Moses Dickson (1824–1901) was an abolitionist, soldier, minister, and founder of the Knights of Liberty, an anti-slavery organization that planned a slave uprising in the United States and helped African-American enslaved people to freedom thro ...
(1824–1901), his body was moved here in 1903 with the dedication of the cemetery.
* Henry Q. "Steamboat" Lewis (1886–1965)
*
Pinetop Sparks (1910–1935), he was buried in an unmarked grave, a headstone was added in 2014.
*
James Milton Turner
James Milton Turner (1840 – November 1, 1915) was a Reconstruction Era political leader, activist, educator, and diplomat. As consul general to Liberia, he was the first African-American to serve in the U.S. diplomatic corps.
Early life
Turn ...
(1840–1915)
See also
*
List of cemeteries in the United States
This is a list of cemeteries in the United States. The list includes both active and historic sites, and does not include pet cemeteries. At the end of the list by states, cemeteries in territories of the United States are included. The list is ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Louis County, Missouri
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1903 establishments in Missouri
Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
Cemeteries in Missouri
History of St. Louis County, Missouri
African-American history in St. Louis
African-American cemeteries in Missouri