Chattanooga's First Black orphanage
N 35° 02.861 W 085° 17.625
16S E 655615 N 3879661
Created by Almira S. Steele
Waymark Code: WMM5M
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 08/14/2006
Views: 59
In post-Reconstruction Chattanooga, no orphanage existed for black children. Almira S. Steele, a white teacher from Boston, met the need by founding the Steele Home for Needy Children on this site. Mrs. Steele suffered persucution ranging from slander to fire. However, her philanthropic mision endured. Over 1600 children were aided, educated, and sheltered. Many were saved from the streets and became productive citizens. The home closed shortly after the death of Almira Steels in 1925.
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