The Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park is an

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

state park located in Prairie Grove. It commemorates the

Battle of Prairie Grove The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. While tactically indecisive, the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas. A division of Union troops in the Army of the Front ...

, fought December 7, 1862, during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The battle secured northwestern Arkansas for the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Description and administrative history

In 1908, the local chapter of the

United Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, ...

purchased at the center of the

. It was maintained by the UDC as a meeting spot and in commemorations of the battle for almost 50 years. A local business owner and politician, J. Sherman Dill, sought funds while serving in the 38th Arkansas General Assembly to improve the park, and was successful in procuring $10,000 ($ in today's dollars). These funds led to the construction of the stone archway at the park entrance, a wooden

bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...

, and gravel driveway around 1925. However, the park fell into disrepair during the Great Depression, and was fenced off from use for years. In 1953, a newly formed

Lions Club The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. It is now headquartere ...

chapter adopted the park as a club project, raising money through community events and constructing benches, picnic tables, and sidewalks. In 1957, a stone chimney from nearby Rhea's Mill was carefully moved to the park site. Other historic buildings from the area, including a 1834 log home and

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

's shop, were moved to the park site in the following years. HINDMAN HALL ON PRAIRIE GROVE BATTLEFIELD

A museum was constructed following a bequest by Biscoe Hindman, the grandson of Major-General Thomas C. Hindman who commanded the 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Army, during the battle. Dedicated on May 31, 1964, the museum is named Hindman Hall. The park was added to the state park system in 1971 in a joint effort among Governor

Dale Bumpers Dale Leon Bumpers (August 12, 1925 – January 1, 2016) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 38th Governor of Arkansas (1971–1975) and in the United States Senate (1975–1999). He was a member of the Democratic Party. Prio ...

and state legislators Morriss Henry, Hugh Kincaid, and Charles W. Stewart. The state park grew through land acquisitions and donations in 1980, 1992, and 2005. The portion of the state park within a triangle formed by North Road on the northwest and Highway 62 was first listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1970. The area of this district was increased in 1992 to and then again in 2005 to . Prominent features of the state park include its battle monument, a chimney carefully relocated here from the site of a skirmish, and the Hindman Museum. The Prairie Grove Airlight Outdoor Telephone Booth, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is opposite the entrance to the park on Highway 62.

Battle of Prairie Grove reenactment

A Civil War reenactment is held at the state park during the first weekend in December of even-numbered years.

References

External links

*
Prairie Grove Battlefield
at

American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization ( 501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. Th ...

{{authority control 1957 establishments in Arkansas American Civil War museums in Arkansas Arkansas Heritage Trails System Arkansas in the American Civil War Battlefields of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas Museums in Washington County, Arkansas National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Arkansas Parks in Washington County, Arkansas Prairie Grove, Arkansas Protected areas established in 1957 State parks of Arkansas State parks of the U.S. Interior Highlands

Description and administrative history

Battle of Prairie Grove reenactment

See also

References

External links