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Historic Smith Chapel Cemetery and the Underground Railroad

November 20, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

cemetery
U.S. Colored Troop Alfred Smith and family from the Library of Congress, the only known photo of a USCT soldier and his family.

Join us on Thursday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m. for a special presentation on the Historic Smith Chapel Cemetery, now officially listed on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Historian Dorris Keeven-Franke, Professor Grace Wade Moser, her students from St. Charles Community College, and Cemetery Restoration Professional Jerry Prouhet will share the remarkable story of how formerly enslaved men, veterans of the U.S. Colored Troops, founded the Smith Chapel A.M.E. Church and Cemetery in 1871.

Learn how their legacy continues through ongoing preservation efforts and educational programs that bring local history to life for new generations.