West End in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Elizabeth Keckley
Born February 1818
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 22, 2019
1. Elizabeth Keckley Marker
Inscription.
Elizabeth Keckley. Born February 1818. Brought to St. Louis in 1847 by her slave owners, Elizabeth Keckley honed her skills as a dressmaker and was able to buy her freedom in 1855. She moved to Washington D.C. in 1860, cultivated an elite clientele, and became the personal dressmaker and confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In 1862 Keckley founded the Contraband Relief Association to provide assistance to recently freed slaves and wounded soldiers. Her 1868 memoir "Behind the Scenes, or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House," is one of the best accounts of the Lincolns' private life, and offers a powerful narrative of Elizabeth Keckley's struggle from slavery to freedom.
Brought to St. Louis in 1847 by her slave owners, Elizabeth Keckley honed her skills as a dressmaker and was able to buy her freedom in 1855. She moved to Washington D.C. in 1860, cultivated an elite clientele, and became the personal dressmaker and confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In 1862 Keckley founded the Contraband Relief Association to provide assistance to recently freed slaves and wounded soldiers. Her 1868 memoir "Behind the Scenes, or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House," is one of the best accounts of the Lincolns' private life, and offers a powerful narrative of Elizabeth Keckley's struggle from slavery to freedom.
Location. 38° 39.326′ N, 90° 17.905′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in West End. Marker is on Delmar Boulevard east of North Skinker Boulevard, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Saint Louis MO 63112, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 29, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 256 times since then and 19 times this year. Photo1. submitted on April 29, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
