Mary Meachum was not afraid to risk everything for freedom. In the mid-1800s, the free Black woman and abolitionist helped enslaved people slip away from Missouri, guiding them across the Mississippi River to the free state of Illinois.
That legacy was brought to life during the two-part re-enactment last week at the Missouri Botanical Garden, with Part 2 scheduled for this weekend. The event, the 23rd Annual Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration, featured live historical performances that immerses visitors in the harrowing decisions faced by freedom seekers.
For Joyce Bradley, witnessing the reenactment was both sobering and inspiring.
“I thought the conversation between the slaves planning to run or stay on the plantation was very significant to the very dangers they were up against — the risks of running or continuing to have a miserable life staying on the plantation,” Bradley said. She added that the costumes made the performance especially powerful. They “brought you into the time they were in.”
The celebration commemorates an 1855 event in which Meachum attempted to lead a group of enslaved people across the Mississippi River. Among those seeking freedom were men and women enslaved by Henry Shaw, whose former land later became the Missouri Botanical Garden, according to the Missouri History Museum.
On Sept. 20, the garden hosted Part 1 of the celebration. It was a day of programming that included historical performances, gospel choirs, vendors and family activities. The event is more than history — it’s about connecting St. Louisans with a legacy of courage and resilience.
On the night of May 21, 1855, Meachum led a small group of enslaved people to the river’s edge, hoping to cross into Illinois. But the group was intercepted. Under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Meachum and several freedom seekers were arrested. The National Park Service notes that Meachum was charged in court for her role in the escape attempt.
Meachum’s story did not end there. She and her late husband, Rev. John Berry Meachum, had long defied Missouri’s restrictive laws. Together, they founded the First African Baptist Church, the city’s first Black congregation, and secretly taught both enslaved and free Black people to read and write at a time when Missouri had outlawed Black education in 1847, according to the Missouri History Museum archives.
The couple even established a floating school aboard a steamboat docked in the federally controlled waters of the Mississippi River, just outside the state’s reach, according to the State Historical Society of Missouri.
Records from the Missouri History Museum show that after Rev. Meachum died in 1854, Mary Meachum carried on their mission, not only as a leader of the Underground Railroad but also as an activist who pushed for broader change in St. Louis. During the Civil War, she worked to integrate the city’s horse-drawn omnibus system and helped educate Black soldiers stationed at the city’s largest military base.
The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Site, located three miles north of downtown along the Mississippi Greenway, stands as a tribute to that history. In 2001, it became the first Missouri site added to the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Today, the crossing connects with the 128-mile Great Rivers Greenway network, offering not just recreation but also an encounter with St. Louis’s history. The site includes a visitor center, murals created by St. Louis artists in partnership with St. Louis Artworks and Logos School, and sweeping views of the Mississippi — reminders of both the peril and promise that defined the journey to freedom.
For attendees like Bradley, learning about Meachum deepened her appreciation for the stories often left out of mainstream history.
“I didn’t realize she was a free Black woman, a minister’s wife,” Bradley said. “I think Black history is important to us. We can look at how they overcame so much with so little. It is encouraging for young people to aspire to accomplish their goals because even if it doesn’t come easily, they have many blueprints they can go back and look at. Those stories teach pride and confidence — they give value to us.”
The annual celebration, much like Mary Meachum’s work, is designed to do just that: shine light on hidden histories, honor the resilience of those who came before, and inspire future generations.
Part 2 of the celebration will be held on Sept. 27, beginning at 10 am at the Mary Meachum Crossing on the Mississippi Greenway.