JEFFERSON CITY, MO, FEB. 25, 2025 – Late 19th-century St. Louis was often the scene of a large number of grisly deaths, including homicide, suicide, alcoholism, abortion and workplace accidents. Columbia College associate professor Dr. Sarah Lirley, who specializes in the history of women and gender, 19th century history and the history of death and death investigations, will present this program Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m.
Part of the Landing After Hours series, the program will be held at the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site’s Lohman Building, 100 Jefferson St., Jefferson City.
In her new book, Lirley shines a light on the Gilded Age coroners who investigated the causes of these deaths, finding that their rulings varied drastically depending on who conducted them. Lirley’s talk will feature an excerpt from a chapter about the unexpected suicide of a well-known and respected St. Louis woman, Estelle Johnson. Lirley will explain that investigations into deaths by suicide varied by coroner and along lines of race, class and gender.
Parking for Landing After Hours programs is available in the lot next to the Lohman Building. In addition to being held in person, this program will also be livestreamed on the Missouri State Museum’s Facebook page.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.