Plaque commemorating Civil Rights leader.
Octavius V. Catto (1839-1871) was a teacher, baseball coach and player, and civil rights activist. He recruited an all black company to fight for the Union in the Civil War. After the war, he worked for desegregation in Philadelphia. He was murdered on this site by Frank Kelly for attempting to vote Republican in the 1871 election. The Republicans sought to end racial intimidation and secure African American voting rights.
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