Near Rensselaer in Ralls County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Birthplace of Father Augustine Tolton
First Black Priest of the United States
Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 27, 2024
1. Birthplace of Father Augustine Tolton Marker
Educated in Quincy, Illinois, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in Rome, Italy, April 24, 1886, and celebrated his first public mass at St. Boniface Church in Quincy.
He became pastor of St. Joseph Church in Quincy, and later established St. Monica's Parish for Negroes in Chicago. He died in Chicago July 9, 1897, and is buried in St. Peter's Cemetery, Quincy, Illinois.
Erected 1976 by the priests of the diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 1, 1854.
Location. 39° 37.178′ N, 91° 36.257′ W. Marker is near Rensselaer, Missouri, in Ralls County. It can be reached from Gentry Road west of Sydney Road. Touch for map.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Missouri’s Mark Twain Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad (approx. 7.3 miles away); James Monroe (approx. 7.3 miles away); Trail of Death (approx. 8½ miles away); War Memorial (approx. 8.6 miles away); Jeremiah Vardeman (approx. 10.8 miles away); Site of First Preaching in County (approx. 10.9 miles away); New London (approx. 11.1 miles away); Home of Jane Darwell (approx. 12.4 miles away).
Also see . . .
1. St. Peter's Catholic Church on Wikipedia. Also known as Brush Creek Catholic
Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 27, 2024
2. Birthplace of Father Augustine Tolton Marker
NRHP plaque next to the marker
2. Augustus Tolton on Wikipedia. (Submitted on April 4, 2024, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 27, 2024
3. St. Peter's Catholic Church
The church is also known as Brush Creek Catholic Church
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2024, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 547 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 4, 2024, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
