Marine Villa in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
In 1860 A Scholarly Neighborhood
Cherokee-Lemp Historic District
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 7, 2018
News of impending civil war pushed controversy over Charles Darwin's recently published On the Origin of the Species, and its theory of evolution, to the back pages. At the same time, the first Beadle dime novel — which would popularize characters like Deadwood Dick, Calamity Jane and Kit Carson — appeared on the book shelves.
On the eve of the Civil War, only a few roads crossed this area of open fields, clumps of woods, creeks and scattered farms. Though wild, this was a remarkably scholarly neighborhood.
Just to the south of Cherokee and Jefferson, the faculty of Concordia Lutheran Seminary was teaching philosophy, theology and the classics. The State of Missouri had chartered the fourteen year-old seminary as "Concordia College" in 1853.
In 1860, its staff included three professors of theology, two from Germany and one from Norway, and a professor of the German and English languages and of philosophy.
The census listed over 70 young scholars attending Concordia College. The scholars came from all over the Midwest, including the states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and from the East Coast states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York. The student body also included one student from Tennessee, one from Louisiana, and one born in Germany.
These young students were faced with a dilemma after the State of South Carolina seceded from the Union in December of 1860, and was followed by ten other states. They had to wonder if they should continue their studies, or join the armies of their native states fighting the battles of the Civil War.
Erected 2007 by NiNi Harris.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Missouri, St. Louis, The Cherokee-Lemp History Walk series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1860.
Location. 38° 35.584′ N, 90° 13.466′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Marine Villa. Marker is on Cherokee Street west of Indiana Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2300 Cherokee Street, Saint Louis MO 63118, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 2301 Cherokee (a few steps from this marker); South St. Louis Architect (within shouting distance of this marker); 2225 Cherokee (within
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 7, 2018
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 143 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 9, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.