Columbia in Boone County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
African-American Heritage Trail
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 21, 2021
1. Doby Flats / Wiggins Medical Clinic / Community Shoe Shop / McQuitty's Barber Shop Marker
Inscription.
African-American Heritage Trail. . Doby Flats, Stephen Doby, born on a S. Carolina plantation in 1854, came to Columbia about 1915. He built/owned Doby Flats (residential buildings) nearby and other houses. Wiggins Medical Clinic, Doby's daughter Ruth, a legendary teacher at Douglass School, married Dr. Roland Wiggins in 1951. He taught and coached sports at Douglass and, after earning two master's degrees, became the Missouri State Superintendent of Negro Schools (1937). He received a medical degree from Meharry Medical School (1947) and was a Fulbright Scholar in France. Circa 1954, he opened a medical practice in their home, 3rd and Ash. He built a medical office at 115 N. Providence after Urban Renewal, providing medical care for blacks for 30+ years. The Community Shoe Shop (circa 1940s) and McQuitty's Barber Shop (circa 1930-1961) operated nearby. They were owned by Hildred Richardson and Tom McQuitty respectively.
Doby Flats—Stephen Doby, born on a S. Carolina plantation in 1854, came to Columbia about 1915. He built/owned Doby Flats (residential buildings) nearby and other houses. Wiggins Medical Clinic—Doby's daughter Ruth, a legendary teacher at Douglass School, married Dr. Roland Wiggins in 1951. He taught and coached sports at Douglass and, after earning two master's degrees, became the Missouri State Superintendent of Negro Schools (1937). He received a medical degree from Meharry Medical School (1947) and was a Fulbright Scholar in France. Circa 1954, he opened a medical practice in their home, 3rd and Ash. He built a medical office at 115 N. Providence after Urban Renewal, providing medical care for blacks for 30+ years. The Community Shoe Shop (circa 1940s) and McQuitty's Barber Shop (circa 1930-1961) operated nearby. They were owned by Hildred Richardson and Tom McQuitty respectively.
Erected 2019 by Sharp End Heritage Committee, Economic Development Inc., City of Columbia; sign courtesy of Robert & Barbara Churchill Family.
Location. 38° 57.228′ N, 92° 20.059′ W. Marker is in Columbia, Missouri, in Boone County. Marker is at the intersection of North Providence Road (State Highway 163) and East Ash Street, on the left when traveling north on North Providence Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 203 N Providence Rd, Columbia MO 65203, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 214 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 26, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
