Downtown in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Sold on the Steps of Justice
Gateway Arch National Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Jason Voigt, February 11, 2026
1. Sold on the Steps of Justice Marker
Auctions were once a common site on the stately steps of the Old Courthouse in front of you. The court organized property sales when people went bankrupt or died without a will. Between 1839 and 1862, the court sold more than 500 enslaved men, women, and children here.
Though the issue of slavery divided people, auctions like these were common at courthouses throughout the state. Missouri outlawed slavery in early 1865, just a few months before the Civil War ended.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1839.
Location. 38° 37.518′ N, 90° 11.318′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Downtown. It is on North 4th Street north of Market Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 48 N 4th St, Saint Louis MO 63102, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is 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 walking distance of this marker: International Fur Exchange (within shouting distance of this marker); Dred and Harriet Scott (within shouting distance of this marker); The Old Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Abraham Lincoln Slept Here
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. Sold on the Steps of Justice (has been replaced with this marker); Joseph Pulitzer (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Western Reach of the Revolution (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. This replaced an older marker with Jefferson National Expansion Memorial as the subtitle (the park was re-named Gateway Arch National Park in 2018).
Also see . . .
1. Gateway Arch National Park (National Park Service). (Submitted on March 15, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
2. Gateway Arch National Park on Wikipedia. (Submitted on March 15, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Photographed by Jason Voigt, February 11, 2026
2. Sold on the Steps of Justice Marker
Marker is located in front of the Old Courthouse.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 15, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
