Battle of Athens State Historic Site is an historic battlefield and

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

located in

Clark County, Missouri Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,634. Its county seat is Kahoka. The county was organized December 16, 1836 and named for William Clark, leader of the Lewis and Cla ...

, along the banks of the Des Moines River. It is the site of the Battle of Athens, fought in 1861 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 th ...

. The site serves as an open-air museum interpreting the battle and its aftermath. It is one of the northernmost places in the state.

History

The once-thriving river village of Athens, Missouri, had up to fifty businesses and a large mill in antebellum times. In July 1861, it was occupied by pro-

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 ...

forces of the Missouri Home Guard. Wanting to seize the strategically important village for the Confederacy, elements of the pro-Southern Missouri State Guard attacked on August 5, 1861. Despite being outnumbered more than three-to-one, the Home Guard emerged victorious. A small action when compared to other battles, with casualties light, it nonetheless holds the distinction of being the northernmost

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

battle fought west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. Following the battle, many bitter feelings remained among residents. This along with the coming of railroads and less reliance on river shipping sealed the fate of Athens. By the turn of the 20th century Athens was a veritable ghost town. In 1962, remaining area residents worked together to create the Battle of Athens Park, which was donated to the state of Missouri in 1975.

Activities and amenities

In addition to interpretive programs and free tours of the Thome-Benning House, the site offers facilities for camping and fishing plus three picnicking areas and two hiking trails.

References

External links

Battle of Athens State Historic Site
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Battle of Athens State Historic Site Map
Missouri Department of Natural Resources {{Authority control Missouri State Historic Sites Athens State Historic Site Athens State Historic Site Protected areas established in 1975 Museums in Clark County, Missouri Protected areas of Clark County, Missouri