Near Affton in St. Louis County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
A Slave Plantation
In 1843, Ulysses S. Grant first visited White Haven as a young second lieutenant. In the decades after that first visit, Grant, White Haven, and the country underwent vast changes in response to the turbulent issues that divided the nation.
(captions)
Left Colonel Frederick Dent was a prosperous St. Louis merchant, who purchased the property in 1820 as a summer home, a haven from the heat and pollution of the city. By Grant's first visit in 1843, the Dents were living here year round.
Right The slave plantation consisted of some 850 acres of land. At the center of the estate was the Main House where Colonel Dent lived with his wife, Ellen, and their seven children.
Below This 1840s watercolor depicts the main house as it appeared at the time of Grant's first visit. From Book - Grant: His Life and Character by Hamlin Garland
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1843.
Location. 38° 33.078′ N, 90° 21.107′ W. Marker is near Affton, Missouri, in St. Louis County. Marker can be reached from Grant Road, 0.4 miles north of Gravois Road (State Highway 30), on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on the grounds of the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, just outside the north (back) door of the visitor center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7400 Grant Road, Saint Louis MO 63123, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. White Haven (within shouting distance of this marker); Changes at White Haven / ~150 Years Ago - Grants Horses (within shouting distance of this marker); Grant's Departure / ~150 Years Ago (within shouting distance of this marker); Working Plantation / ~150 Years Ago - Emancipation (within shouting distance of this marker); A Place Called Home / ~150 Years Ago—Petersburg (within shouting distance of this marker); Green Haven? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); White Haven's Outbuildings (about 300 feet away); Early Owners of the Farm (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Affton.
Also see . . .
1. Hardscrabble - The House That Grant Built. National Park Service website entry:
When Ulysses S. Grant resigned from the military in 1854, he longed to spend time with his wife Julia and their young children. Since the army no longer provided him an income, he planned to support his family by farming at White Haven. Cultivating the 80 acres given to the Grants as a wedding gift, Ulysses also managed the rest of the land of his father-in-law, Colonel Frederick Dent. With the help of the Dents’ slaves, Grant planted crops of potatoes and wheat, corded wood, harvested fruit from the orchards, and tended a vegetable garden. He was so dedicated to this future that he commented to a friend, “whoever hears of me in ten years will hear of a well-to-do old Missouri farmer.” (Submitted on August 25, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Ulysses S Grant Mational Historic Site. National Park Service (Submitted on August 27, 2018.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 577 times since then and 75 times this year. Last updated on October 15, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 25, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6. submitted on September 4, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 7. submitted on August 25, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.