Why St. Louis County quietly removed a memorial to ‘white colonists’

A historical marker in Clayton, Missouri, declared that St. Louis County was “first visited by white colonists” in the early 1700s. The sign was taken down this past November, but a professor says it was a missed opportunity for change.
In 1955, a sign was erected in Clayton, Missouri, that recounted the history of the founding of St. Louis County. According to the sign, that history began when the county was “first visited by white colonists” in the early 1700s.

In November 2022, the sign was gone. It was quietly taken down by the St. Louis County government – and that act represents a victory of sorts for advocates like Geoff Ward, who has spent years asking for its removal.