Downtown West in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Virgil Akins
Born March 10, 1928
Erected 2005 by Gateway Community Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is June 6, 1958.
Location. 38° 38.194′ N, 90° 12.424′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Downtown West. Marker is on Doctor Martin Luther King Drive (Missouri Route D) west of North 20th Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1934 Dr Martin Luther King Dr, Saint Louis MO 63106, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Reuben C. and Katherine J. Anderson (here, next to this marker); Representative Wyvetter Younge (here, next to this marker); Dr. Ruth M. Harris (here, next to this marker); Wiley Price, Jr. (here, next to this marker); Russ Mitchell (here, next to this marker); Osborne Earl Smith (here, next to this marker); James Thomas Bell (here, next to this marker); Montford Point Marines of St. Louis (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.
Also see . . . Virgil Akins on Wikipedia. Akins (1929-2011) fought many fights at the Kiel Auditorium and the Arena in St. Louis, as well as other cities including Chicago, Boston and Washington, DC. He was given the nickname "Honey Bear" due to him "being vicious like a bear but smooth like honey". (Submitted on February 2, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 66 times since then and 16 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on February 2, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.