Exploring the Arboretum
Entering
Section Bissell, you’ll notice a sweeping planting of Yulan magnolias (Magnolia denudata - pictured here) along the Hitchcock
lot coping. These are generally the first magnolias to bloom each spring at
Bellefontaine, often appearing before the more commonly known saucer magnolia.
In the shaded understory of this section, you’ll find Japanese snowbell trees (Styrax japonicus), admired for their delicate,
bell-shaped white flowers that hang beneath the branches. This area offers a
heavily shaded, woodland atmosphere in the heart of the Arboretum.
Significant Figures
Map Reference: Stop 6,
Letter J
Henry Hitchcock
Civil War, Sherman’s staff | Lot #320
The grandson of Vermont’s first Attorney General, Samuel Hitchcock, and great-grandson of Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen, Henry was born into a distinguished legal dynasty. His father served as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Following in their footsteps, Henry graduated from the University of Nashville in 1846 and Yale University in 1848 before moving to St. Louis to practice law. During the Civil War, he served on the staff of General William Tecumseh Sherman, accompanying him on his historic March to the Sea. Returning to St. Louis, Henry cemented his family's incredible legacy by co-founding the national American Bar Association in the summer of 1878.
Map Reference: Stop 6,
Letter K
Nelly Warren
“Aunt Nelly” | Enslaved person & nanny | Lot #74
Nelly Warren—or “Aunt Nelly” as she was affectionately known
to the Collier Family—raised the Collier children. Bound by slavery, Aunt Nelly
passed away prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Believed to have been
brought to the Colliers upon the second marriage of George Collier, Nelly was
laid to rest within the family lot at the direction of her enslaver.
Map Reference: Stop 6,
Letter L
George A. Blistain
World War I Flyer | Lot #212
Second
Lieutenant George A. Blistain served in the Air Service during World War I, the
"War to End All Wars." Originally from Indiana, George found his way
to St. Louis and is buried on the George A. Robinson family lot next to his
wife, Eleanor Robinson Blistain. This oval family lot is subdivided into three
sections, and George and Eleanor are laid to rest in the Archie Robinson
section.
Map Reference: Stop 6,
Letter M
Robert & Virginia Campbell
Campbell House | Lot #257
Robert and Virginia Campbell’s home at 1508 Locust Street
still stands and is open to the public as a museum. It is the only remaining
residence from Lucas Place, which was the first planned residential
neighborhood in St. Louis. Their family lot outline with coping (the low
retaining wall) contains the full family of parents, three adult sons, and 10
children who did not reach adulthood.
