Jefferson City removes Confederate monument

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City Public Works crews removed a Confederate monument from public property Tuesday morning.

Jefferson City Public Works Director Britt Smith said his crews placed the monument in storage and are now awaiting instruction from the city council.

The monument, which stood near Fairmount Boulevard and Moreau Drive, was donated by the Winnie Davis chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy on April 6, 1933.

It marks the October 1864 decision by Confederate Gen. Sterling Price not to attack Jefferson City, where federal troops were stationed.

The Jefferson City Council voted 8-2 in favor of a resolution to remove the monument Monday night.

"City staff felt it was important to go ahead and take the action, as soon as possible," said ward 2 Council member Mike Lester.

The monument has been a topic of conversation and debate after the Jefferson City Human Relations Commission and the city's historic preservation commission sent letters to the city council expressing concerns in late August.

"Hopefully we will pursue getting a grant, to put up markers and monuments that accurately portray the history around the Civil War and other events that have happened in Jefferson City," Lester said. "There are many other historic events that need to be recorded and memorialized with markers or monuments."

We reached out to the United Daughters of the Confederacy for comment but have not heard back.