The Steele Home for Needy Children 1884-1925

The Steele Home for Needy Children 1884-1925 is a Tennessee historical marker in Hamilton County.

Hamilton Co, Chattanooga @ Needy Children the Univ of TN Chattanooga soccer 1884-1925 field, Palmetto St., between 3rd & 5th streets

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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 persecution ranging from slander to fire. However, her philanthropic mission 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 Steele in 1925.

TodayHistorical map

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Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

Historical maps covering this location

1796 · Map of The Tennassee (sic) Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1896 · Map of the Battlefields of Chattanooga and Wauhatchie (E. E. Betts, Chickamauga and… (Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division)
1936 · Chattanooga, Tennessee (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)
1940 · Chattanooga, Tennessee (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)
1941 · Chattanooga, Tennessee (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

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Marker text and location from the Tennessee Historical Commission, as the Commission publishes them on its marker map.

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