Exploring the Arboretum
In Section Elks, you’ll encounter groves of American smoke
trees (Cotinus obovatus– pictured here) lining the trail. In early summer, their airy, smoke-like
flower plumes give the trees their common name and create a soft, hazy effect
in the landscape. As the season progresses, the smoke trees’ foliage becomes
fiery with yellow, orange, and red fall color. In spring, be sure to look for
Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus),
a shrub with deep red, fragrant blooms. Its spicy-scented flowers and glossy
foliage make it a standout in this section.
Significant Figures
Map Reference: Stop 7,
Letter N
Peter Blow
Original Enslaver of Dred Scott | Lot #240
Peter Blow, the patriarch of the Blow family, brought his family to St. Louis, which included the enslaved man Etheldred (Dred) Scott. Sold by Peter, his children, Henry Taylor, Taylor, and Charlotte “Blow” Charless would all later aid the Scott family in the multiple court cases in which Harriet and Dred sued for their freedom and hence the freedom of their two daughters.
Map Reference: Stop 7,
Letter O
Alexander John Strachan
Broken Column Icon | Lot #144
Alexander died from Phthisis Pulmonans {Tuberculosis}. Little
is known of Alexander’s short 23-year life. The family, upon placement of the
marker, chose the broken column to identify this ‘life interrupted’. This use of iconography allows the
communication of thought and emotion through the use of images. The marker has
recently been treated with D2 in order to remove aerobic activity and bring
this marble marker back to some of its original appearance.
Map Reference: Stop 7,
Letter P
Hugh Campbell
Brother
of Robert | Lot #180
Hugh Campbell arrived in St. Louis before his brother Robert
Campbell of Lot #257. An immigrant at
the age of 21, Hugh lived initially in Milton, North Carolina. He moved to
Philadelphia to be a merchant, and finally settled in St. Louis. The two
brothers impacted early St. Louis as part of the first Irish migration to the
United States.
Map Reference: Stop 7,
Letter Q
Anne R. McColloch
World War I Nurse | Lot #1811
Anne McColloch is one of three known nurses of the World War
I era buried at Bellefontaine. Anne traveled abroad to the European War
Theater, giving aid and comfort to injured soldiers. Once the war ended, Anne
stayed with the Veterans Administration, continuing to nurse the men who
returned from the war effort with life-altering injuries.
