Second in a 12-part series

Learning local history in local cemeteries

(Editor's note: This is the second in a yearlong series about famous St. Louisans who are buried in local cemeteries. The material is from author Kevin Amsler's book, "Final Resting Place: The Lives and Deaths of Famous St. Louisans.")

The Bellefontaine Cemetery in north St. Louis is the final resting place for the largest concentration of famous people from the city's early days. Almost everywhere you go, there are grave markers of people who helped form our city and area.

In the first article last month, you met some of them such as William Clark of Lewis&Clark fame, riverboat operator Henry Miller Shreve and St. Louis's first mayor William Carr Lane. (To read that entire article, click here.)

(If you'd like to know more, you can buy Mr. Amsler's book at local bookstores or by visiting www.STL-Books.com.)

This second article continues a tour of the Bellfontaine Cemetery. We visit the final resting places of statesman Edward Bates, soldier Stephen Watts Kearney, educator Wayman Crow, soldier Sterling Price, educator William Greenleaf Eliot, educators Henry and Susan Blow and ship and bridge builder James Eads.

Edward Bates
(September 4, 1793-March 25, 1869)

An early opponent of slavery, Edward Bates was nominated for president in the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago. But, he was swept away by candidate Abraham Lincoln.

However, Lincoln chose him to be his attorney general. Bates became the first cabinet member from west of the Mississippi River. However, Bates opposed many of Lincoln's war policies. He also was against the admission of West Virginia as a state.

He resigned and returned to Missouri. He suffered financial reverses and serious illness.

But, he recovered and again became active. He was the co-founder of the Missouri Historical Society.

Stephen Watts Kearney
(August 10, 1794-October 31, 1848)

Stephen Watts Kearney moved to St. Louis to take over command of Fort Bellefontaine in St. Louis in 1826. He then moved south of St. Louis to oversee construction of Jefferson Barracks.

He went on to build a number of military posts throughout the western U.S., including several in California.

In 1833, he took over command of the first cavalry unit of the U.S. Army. That earned him the nickname, "Father of the U.S. Cavalry." He was named military governor of Mexico City after the Mexican War.

But, his service in Mexico left him seriously ill with yellow fever and dysentery.

Wayman Crow
(March 7, 1808-May 10, 1885)

Wayman Crow had a successful career in business, railroading and politics. But, his biggest accomplishment was drafting in 1853 of the charter to establish Washington University.

He also survived one of the most bizarre accidents in Missouri railroad history. In November, 1855, he was on a train of dignitaries who were making an inaugural trip from St. Louis to Jefferson City.

The train derailed when the Gasconade Bridge over the Missouri River collapsed. Thirty-one people died in that derailment. But, Crow lived for 30 more years.

Sterling Price
(September 20, 1809-September 29, 1867)

Sterling Price had an unusual military and political career during the Civil War period in Missouri.

He served in Congress but resigned to join the Second Missouri Infantry during the Mexican War. He received a brigadier general appointment while in New Mexico.

He returned to Missouri and was elected governor in 1852. But, on the brink of the Civil War, he was training soldiers to serve the Confederates. He contributed to the defeat of Union forces at the battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri.

As it became clear the South was going to lose the war, Price relocated in Mexico. Later, he and his family returned to Missouri where he established a tobacco company. He died in 1867.

William Greenleaf Eliot
(August 5, 1811-January 23, 1887)

William Greenleaf Eliot came to Missouri and established the First Congregational Church in downtown St. Louis. He was a member of a prominent New England family.

Among his ancestors was William Dawes, who accompanied Paul Revere during his famous "midnight ride" at the start of the Revolutionary War.

William was a benefactor of several educational institutions in Missouri. He co-founded Eliot Seminary, which later because Washington University. Eliot became the school's chancellor in 1871. He also was involved in the establishment of Mary Institute.

William and Susan Blow

William Taylor Blow came to Missouri at the age of 13 and attended St. Louis University for two years. Several years later, he went into business with Joseph Charless to make paints, oils and drugs.

Later, he was involved in construction of railroad lines and also mining lead products in southwest Missouri. He was involved in politics, including being a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln.

He served two congressional terms and was appointed ambassador to Brazil.

Susan Blow

Blow and his wife, Minerva, had four daughters and two sons. The most prominent was Susan who is credited with starting the first kindergarten in American schools. She picked up the idea while going to school in Germany.

A year later, she started the first school to train kindergarten teachers. All her work with the St. Louis public schools was without compensation. Her family's fortune took care of her wages.

William Blow died in 1875 and his daughter, Susan, in 1915.

James Eads
(May 23, 1820-March 8, 1887)

The arrival of James Eads and his family in St. Louis was certainly tragic. As they stepped off the riverboat, it was engulfed in flames and they lost all their possessions.

But, James Eads did much more than survive. He went on to become one of the most famous ship and bridge builder in history.

His first invention involved a double-hulled ship to allow recovery of sunken ships. Included was a diving bell and Eads made 500 trips to the bottom of the Mississippi.

During the Civil War, Eads received a contract to build a fleet of ironclad ships for the Union forces. After the war, his doctor suggested retirement. But, Eads had more building to do.

But, he went into bridge building although he had no formal education as an engineer.

The result was the Eads Bridge across the Mississippi River, competed in 1874. He also designed and built a series of jetties to remove sediment at the mouth of the Mississippi. This allowed for a year-round shipping channel in Louisiana.