Mary Meachum and the St. Louis Underground Railroad

Reservations required: Call 314-842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations.
Cost: Free

These meetups will be a little different - there may or may not be a meetup host at these events, so this is more a way to let people in this group know these history talks are taking place. You may or may not see anyone else from the meetup group there if you choose to go.

"St. Louis was an active stop on the Underground Railroad with its close proximity to the free state of Illinois. One of St. Louis's most prominent conductors on the Underground Railroad was Mary Meachum. The widow of a free, black minister John Berry Meachum spent years with her husband teaching both free and enslaved blacks how to read and write, defying Missouri law. In May 1855, Mary led a boat of freedom-seekers on a midnight crossing of the Mississippi River toward Alton, Illinois. Upon arriving at shore, the party was met by law enforcement and all arrested, including Meachum. While the fates of most of the enslaved are unknown, Mary was released from custody shortly after the event and never charged. Local Meachum historian Angela DaSilva will discuss the St. Louis and the Underground Railroad and the brave individuals who sought to help those seeking freedom in a free state." from https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=A303D1EC-D9A0-AF66-F3EE10DBC7D86CAA