The African American Heritage Trail will include interpretive signage and monuments positioned along the existing Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Trail. (Photo courtesy of city of Wildwood)
The city of Wildwood is developing an African American heritage trail that will run alongside the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee trail.
According to Wildwood’s Planning and Parks Department, the project will create a multi-use pathway spanning approximately 11 miles and linking to the Katy Trail. The path’s southern starting point is at the John L. LeCave Memorial Trailhead.
Wildwood has a rich African American heritage rooted in slavery. The Tyler and Coleman families operated large plantations in the area, including properties on Madison Valley (formerly Old Slave Road), Babler State Park, and along Wild Horse Creek Road.
During the Civil War, enslaved individuals from the region joined the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to fight alongside Union forces and secure their liberation.
Over 8,000 enslaved men from Missouri served in the USCT, with many having previously labored on the extensive hemp plantations north of Babler State Park.
Following their emancipation, these formerly enslaved individuals established Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in 1872, which later became Union Baptist Church, and created the Westland Acres community in 1879, founded by former slave William West.
The heritage trail will use interpretive markers and monuments to highlight important locations including the Westland Acres community, USCT soldiers, historical plantation sites, and the account of Archer Alexander.
(Laura Brown photo)
Alexander was among 16 men who attempted to escape to freedom at Howell’s Ferry on the Missouri River in February 1863.
The City Council has recently authorized the design and text for a commemorative marker celebrating the local servicemen of the USCT, which will be installed in Babler State Park near the planned Western Greenway Trail extension.
Several locations along the trail will be submitted for recognition through national programs, including the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and the National Register of Historic Places, bringing national prominence to this important heritage trail.
The city of Wildwood intends to secure grant funding, arrange cost-sharing partnerships, and accept individual donations to finance the trail project.
In 2024, the National Park Service awarded the city two grants to support historical research and facilitate nomination applications to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. These nominations will include the Missouri River Freedom Crossing at Howell’s Ferry and the Mount Pleasant Church and cemetery location, where eight men gained their freedom and enlisted in the USCT.
The city is also pursuing a historic preservation fund grant from the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office to support the new trail development. If approved, the city would need to contribute 40% of the estimated project cost of $35,000, with completion required within 18 months.
The city council approved this grant application at its April 13 meeting.
Beyond promoting the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Trail, the city aims to encourage Great Rivers Greenway to finish the planned trail extension leading to Babler State Park.
The city is also creating a Wildwood Historic Preservation Plan with a key objective of safeguarding historical sites that document the experiences and contributions of Indigenous and African American communities in Wildwood.
