The Wildwood City Council endorsed a state grant application April 13 to develop an African American Heritage Trail along the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Trail, advancing a two-year effort to mark sites tied to enslaved people, Black soldiers, and the historic Westland Acres community in northern Wildwood.

The grant application to the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office — due May 29 — would fund an interpretive and design plan for the trail, which would use signage and monuments to highlight four threads of local Black history: the Historic Westland Acres Community, the United States Colored Troops (USCT) who served during the Civil War, area plantations, and the story of Archer Alexander. Alexander, a formerly enslaved man from the area, became the model for the Emancipation Memorial in Washington, D.C.

More than 8,000 enslaved men in Missouri joined the USCT during the Civil War, including many who had worked the large hemp plantations just north of Babler State Park.

How it started

The project traces back to 2024, when local historian and author Dorris Keeven-Franke approached the city's Department of Planning and Parks about installing signage and pursuing a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom designation for a site along the levee trail. The Historic Preservation Commission endorsed a broader vision in April 2024, expanding the scope to cover the full range of African American history in the area. The city said the commission saw the project's potential to bring more attention to the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Trail and re-engage Great Rivers Greenway about completing a proposed trail extension into Babler State Park.

The project went to the Planning and Parks Committee in May 2024 and received unanimous endorsement, then was presented to City Council the following month.

Milestones already in place

The effort has already produced results. The Missouri River Freedom Crossing at Howell's Ferry earned its National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom designation in 2025, according to city records. A second nomination — for USCT Freedom Seekers associated with the Mount Pleasant Church and Cemetery — has been officially submitted to the National Park Service.

The City Council also recently approved the design and language for a historic marker honoring local USCT soldiers, to be placed in Babler State Park along the future Western Greenway Trail extension.

Community input

The city held an African American and Indigenous Heritage Focus Group in July 2025 as part of its broader Historic Preservation Plan update. Participants included Dr. Harvey Fields, Emeritus Pastor of Union Baptist Church; Maria Frazier, a representative of the Westland Acres community; and Mara Perry of Great Rivers Greenway, among others. Keeven-Franke also participated as a city consultant.

The heritage trail remains a priority in the Historic Preservation Commission's 2026 work program, which was discussed at the HPC's April 23 meeting. City officials hope the project will build momentum for Great Rivers Greenway's proposed trail extension into Babler State Park.

What's next

With the grant application due May 29, the trail project is still in its planning stage — physical signs and monuments would come later. Residents can follow the project on the city's dedicated webpage under the Historic Preservation Commission section at cityofwildwood.com.