A 1991 photograph of Father Dickson Cemetery, located at 845 Sappington Rd, Crestwood, Mo. 63126 (just North of the historic Sappington House).
Famous Burials at Father Dickson Cemetery:
*Father Moses Dickson: Abolitionist who traveled the South, organizing a secret anti-slavery organization known as the "Knights of Liberty"; Minister of the African Methodist Church; founded the International Order of Twelve; Educator and activist for black suffrage.
* John Vashon: Renowned attorney, linguist and teacher for whom Vashon
High School in St. Louis is named. [Note: Vashon's headstone has been
illegally removed and the theft has been reported to Crestwood Police.]
* James Milton Turner: Educator, founder of Lincoln University and first
U.S. Ambassador to Liberia;
* Henry Lewis; Popularly known as "Steamboat", an entrepreneur and
personal
barber to Augustus Busch, Sr. (pictured below)
Besides their notable achievements, these Missourians have something else in
common: All were former slaves or descendants of slaves. They also are
buried in a cemetery in southwest St. Louis County named for Father Moses
Dickson.
WHO WAS FATHER DICKSON?
Born free in Ohio in 1824,
Moses Dickson traveled throughout the pre-war
South as an itinerant barber. Despite the unspeakable hardships of slavery,
he saw within the Black community a wealth of talent, courage and strength.
He later became a minister and dedicated his life to social activism on
behalf of freed slaves. In recognition of his many contributions (including
the relocation of 16,000 freed slaves, and co-founding what is now Lincoln
University), the cemetery was dedicated and named for Father Dickson. It
stands as a tribute to his belief that as individuals and as a people, we
can make a difference.
Rev. Moses Dickson tombstone. In 1872 he founded
the organization, The International Order of Twelve,
of Knights
and Daughters of Tabor. The above stone was erected by the order in August of
1915.
Photographic Walk Through Father Dickson Cemetery
WHO ARE FRIENDS OF FATHER DICKSON CEMETERY?
As one of the first public cemeteries available to Black people in the St.
Louis area, Father Dickson Cemetery was the site of 12,000 burials before it
closed in the 1970's. Without a perpetual care endowment, the cemetery fell
victim to abuse and neglect. Friends of Father Dickson Cemetery organized in
1988 to repair, restore and preserve the historic site. Their vision was to
reclaim the natural beauty of this local landmark, and prevent the loss of
its historic value to commercial development.
The vision of the organization has expanded to include ownership of the
cemetery, and community awareness and education. Besides its efforts to
raise funds for maintenance of the 13-acre tract, the group works to involve
other volunteer organizations and youth groups dedicated to community
service. As with any volunteer effort, the challenge is to do more with
less. We believe we can make a difference; we know we have made a
difference...
The question to ask yourself is, "Will I make a difference?"
WILL YOU?
If you'd like more information on how YOU can make a difference, contact
FRIENDS OF FATHER DICKSON CEMETERY
Ernest Jordan, President (314) 822-8221 email:
friendsoffather@aol.com
Karen Mozee, Vice-President (314)822-8221
Write to us at:
Friends of Father Dickson Cemetery
P.O. Box 220612
Kirkwood, MO 63122
We welcome your interest and participation, and encourage you to become a
Friend of Father Dickson Cemetery. We are a 501(c)(13) organization, with no
required fees or dues.
CEMETERY RECORDS:
Friends of Father Dickson Cemetery has donated microfilm of its burial records dating from 1904 to 1983 to the St Louis County Library's Julius K Hunter and Friends , African-American Research Collection.
"This microfilm contains burial records of more than 6000 African-Americans who were former slaves or descendants of slaves. The records will now be available to the public for family research at the County Library HQ at 1640 S Lindbergh Blvd."
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Please take a moment to Photo Walk Through Father Dickson Cemetery
Friends Of Father Dickson Cemetery desire to acknowledge
the
contributions of funds, labor and or services donated by individuals and groups including:
History's Time Portal to Old St. Louis
You are the 52030th Visitor to this Site. This page was last updated Saturday, 25-Aug-2012 20:45:23 CDT by Scott K. Williams, Florissant, Mo.