Area 8,094 m² | Phone +1 660-837-3330 | |
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Address Co Rd AA, Nelson, MO 65347, USA Burials Meredith Miles Marmaduke, Claiborne Fox Jackson Similar Ridge Park Cemetery, J Huston Tavern, Down Over Bed & Breakfast, Arrow Rock Information Center, Bunny's Bed & Breakfast | ||
Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site is a Missouri state historic site located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Arrow Rock in Saline County. The cemetery houses the graves of Dr. John Sappington and Missouri Governors Meredith Miles Marmaduke and Claiborne Fox Jackson.
Dr. John Sappington (1776–1856) was a prominent early physician and businessman in Missouri. He was a proponent of using quinine in the treatment of malaria and was at the time the largest importer of the drug in America. Dr. Sappington also wrote the first medical book published west of the Mississippi River.
Sappington and his family were heavily involved in antebellum Missouri Democratic politics. Two of his sons-in-law, Meredith Miles Marmaduke and Claiborne Fox Jackson, became Governors of Missouri. Grandson John Sappington Marmaduke was a noted Confederate General in the American Civil War as well as a Missouri Governor in later years.
Established by Dr. Sappington himself in 1831, the two-acre cemetery holds 111 headstones and grave markers. Sappington Cemetery became a part of the Missouri State Park system in 1967 by act of the Missouri General Assembly. The site has not been modified for ADA accessibility in order to preserve its historic nature and appearance. No restrooms or other facilities are provided. The site is open sunrise to sunset year-round.