Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site

Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site. . Sappington Cemetery is the burial place for Dr. John and Jane Sappington, patriarch and matriarch of one of Missouri's most influential families before the American Civil War (1861-1865). The 111 burials in this cemetery are direct or extended family members of the Sappingtons. The eastern red cedar trees predate the cemetery's founding in 1831. Their evergreen nature serve as a reminder of eternal life. The stone wall and iron picket fence were built in 1858. , Dr. John Sappington (1776-1856) was born in Virginia. In 1804, he married Jane Breathitt (1783-1852), who was from a prominent Kentucky family. By 1819, they had settled in Saline County, Missouri. His family achieved prominence and wealth through his business and medical enterprises. In 1832, he experimented with the bark of the Peruvian cinchona tree, which was known for its fever-reducing qualities. From that bark, he isolated a compound called quinine, which he massmarketed in pill form to treat malarial fevers. An education fund started by the doctor continues today as a college scholarship. , Sappington Cemetery , Stone sarcophagi over the graves of Dr. John and Jane Sappington. His inscription reads "A truly honest man is the noblest work of God. He lay like a warrior taking his rest." Her inscription reads "Mrs. Jane Sappington consort of Dr. John Sappington.", Sappington Negro Cemetery , Around 1856, Sappington gave two acres of land to Emanuel Banks, an enslaved man, to be used as a cemetery. From the mid-19th century to mid-20th century, about 350 African-Americans from the Arrow Rock area were buried in that cemetery. , A Family Dynasty , The Sappington family dynasty included three Missouri governors. Two are buried here. , Meredith Miles Marmaduke (1791-1864) was elected Lt. Governor in 1840 and became Missouri's eighth governor upon the death of Gov. Thomas Reynolds in 1844. Marmaduke was a Santa Fe trader from 1824 to 1830 and was married to Dr. John Sappington's daughter Lavinia in 1826. Their son, John Sappington Marmaduke, became Missouri's 25th governor in 1885. Unlike many of his family members, Meredith Marmaduke supported the Union during the Civil War. , Sappington Cemetery , Monument of Gov. Meredith and Lavinia Marmaduke. The arch symbolizes victory over death and the clasped hands a farewell and a hope of meeting in eternity. The Masonic compass signifies his membership status as a Freemason. , Claiborne Fox Jackson (1806-1862) was beginning his term as Missouri's 15th governor at the start of the American Civil War. Jackson supported slavery and the secession of Missouri from the United States. He died while in exile in Little Rock, Ark., and was reburied here following the war. Jackson married three of Dr. Sappington's daughters in succession: Jane in 1831 (died 1832), Louisa in 1833 (died 1838) and Eliza in 1838 (died 1864.) , Sappington Cemetery , Monument of Gov. Claiborne and Eliza Jackson. The classical style columns symbolize "noble qualities" attributed to the life of the Jacksons. , John Sappington Marmaduke (1833-1887) was elected as Missouri's 25th governor in 1885. Prior to winning the election, he played a major role in the American Civil War. , Woodland-Old City Cemetery, Jefferson City, Mo. , Monument of Gov. John Sappington Marmaduke. His inscription includes "…Yale College three years. Harvard College one year. Graduate of West Point Military Academy. Lieutenant in the United States Army, Captain and Colonel, MO. State Guard, Brigadier General and Major General, Confederate States Army. Secretary State Board of Agriculture. Railroad Commissioner of MO and died while Governor of Missouri, December 28, 1887…"