Smith Chapel AME Church and cemetery was established by nine African American families in 1871. Three of the families, those of Benjamin Ogelsby, Smith Ball, and Martin Boyd had joined the U.S. Colored Troops, by escaping their enslavers, via the Underground Railroad. Today the Cemetery is all that remains and is listed on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
In 2025, the Wesley-Smith Church in Wright City was awarded a grant from the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom to restore this historic Cemetery working with a local preservationist. The grant is also bringing students from the St. Charles Community College together in their American History Class, as a Service Learning Project to collect Oral Histories, do research, and apply for Veterans headstones. In addition to these projects the students also work at the cemetery, cleaning and restoring the headstones that are found there.
By the end of the year, all of this will result in four signs, to be located at the cemetery and funded by the grant. One sign will share the history of the cemetery, one will tell the story of the former Douglass School, the black schoolhouse that was formerly located at the sight, and one will tell the story of Smith Chapel AME church. A fourth sign will share the names of over 100 people, many of which are veterans, that are buried in the Cemetery, but do not have headstones. A tribute to all of their stories, because as long as a name is heard, their story shall be remembered.
We invite you to a program at the Scenic Regional Library in Warrenton on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 6 pm which is located at 912 State Hwy 47. For more information see https://scenicregional.librarycalendar.com/event/adult-library-program-1103
Smith Chapel Cemetery 