The future fate of two historical markers removed earlier this summer was discussed by the Parkville board of aldermen at a recent meeting.
The marker donated by the Sons of Confederate Veterans was recommended for complete removal.
Alderman Phil Wassmer presented the findings of a committee tasked with determining whether or not the two markers were appropriate at the Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting. One of these markers was located near the Spirit Fountain by the train depot and the other in the traffic triangle at Highway 9 and First Street.
Wassmer said the group’s recommendations were to remove one monument entirely and replace the other with a more updated and detailed marker at a future date, perhaps as part of a larger project. The marker located near the train depot was donated by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group that, according to its website, “is preserving the history and legacy of these heroes so that future generations can understand the motives that animated the southern cause.”
Wassmer said the committee found that this marker, memorializing the “attack on the pawpaw fort,” exemplifies the type of marker that was placed throughout the country by groups like this. Such groups were, he said, instrumental in presenting the history of the south and rewriting textbooks in a way currently out of step with acceptable standards.
According to an article in a publication of the American Historical Association cited in the report, Confederate organizations popularized an interpretation of the American Civil War as a “just cause, while also dismissing slavery as a central issue of the Civil War.” The organizations sought to vindicate the men who fought in the war and the women who supported them.
Alderman Greg Plumb said that proper historical markers need to include information from more than one source, which the Confederate monument does not.
The committee recommended sending this marker back to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
“We appreciate the opinions of the committee and also appreciate those who think we are trying to erase history,” said mayor Nan Johnson.
She said she did like the recommendation that the city replace the markers with more accurate information.
The other marker was installed by the Platte County Historical Society and noted that Parkville was founded by George S. Park in 1838, and the commission found that it was outdated and placed in an area where it was not easily seen and would also soon need to be relocated to accommodate upcoming road work.
While historically accurate, it is oddly worded and punctuated. That sign, too, could be returned to the Platte County Historical Society and replaced by an updated sign, in a different location.
Alderman Brian Whitley, who also served on the commission, stated that the Banneker School project was moving forward and the historic African-American schoolhouse should become a full educational experience within the next two years. Signage could be placed there, or a series of signs could be installed at points of interest throughout the downtown Parkville area.
Committee members were Andres Dominguez, Lucille Douglass, Rondale Dunn, Marcus Flores, Kevin Joseph, Alexandria O’Shea, Michael Pearl, Edina Robinson, Adrian Singletary, Anna Tutera, Wassmer and Whitley.