Near Nelson in Saline County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Sappington African American Cemetery Burials

Sappington African American Cemetery State Historic Site

Photographed by Jason Voigt, May 14, 2024

1. Sappington African American Cemetery Burials Marker

Inscription. This cemetery has existed since at least 1856. At first set aside as a burial ground for enslaved individuals, members of the Arrow Rock African American community continued to use it after emancipation in 1865 and into the 21st century. The cemetery had a board of directors that managed upkeep and acquired additional property. Although a 1950s fire destroyed most records, thorough research of remaining records has led to this burial list. There are many interred here in unmarked graves, or their markers have worn away, been misplaced or damaged. This list is incomplete, if you have information about a loved one to add, please visit with the staff at Arrow Rock State Historic Site. Letters and numbers beside each name, for example (A1), will assist in locating individuals on the map by following the grid locators along the map borders. The grid locators can also be found along the fence line. The grounds are uneven; depressions may also be evidence of a burial.

(list of names of people buried in the cemetery)

Erected by Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Missouri State Parks.

Topics. This historical

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marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.

Location. 39° 1.965′ N, 93° 0.897′ W. Marker is near Nelson, Missouri, in Saline County. It can be reached from Missouri Route AA north of County Route 216. Marker is located outside the cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Co Rd AA, Nelson MO 65347, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Missouri River Corridor.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor.

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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Enslavement to Freedom (here, next to this marker); Segregation in Life and Death (here, next to this marker); Sappington Negro Cemetery (within

Photographed by Jason Voigt, May 14, 2024

2. Sappington African American Cemetery Burials Marker

Marker is in the middle

shouting distance of this marker); Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site (approx. 0.4 miles away); Brownlee School (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Sanders A.H. Townsend House (approx. 1.2 miles away); "Prairie Park" (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nelson.

Also see . . . Sappington African American Cemetery State Historic Site. Missouri State Parks website entry (Submitted on May 20, 2024, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2024, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 373 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 20, 2024, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.