Civil War Battlefield Conservation: Arkansas

Their victory in that battle enabled Union troops to retain control of northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri.

OUR ROLE

From day one at The Conservation Fund, we’ve worked to protect the places where American history was made. At Prairie Grove, we used the Battlefield Revolving Fund established with grants from the Gilder Foundation to purchase historic land overlooking the battlefield from the site of the Confederate line. We held the parcel until the state of Arkansas had the funding to purchase it and add it to the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.

WHY THIS PROJECT MATTERS

There are a total of 384 principal Civil War battlefields designated by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission. Many remain unprotected, and many are threatened by development. Working with partners in the public and private sectors, the Fund has been able to protect land at 83 battlefields in 14 states to honor those that fought and died in the war. Our Civil War Battlefield Campaign enables us to conserve the sacred ground where the war’s key battles took place.

TIME MAGAZINE’S “LIVING THE CIVIL WAR”

This video from Time and photographer Gregg Segal shows how development has affected Civil War battlefields today.

LEARN MORE

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

Cannon at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Photo by J Stephen Conn/Flickr

AT A GLANCE

The battle at Prairie Grove was the last major engagement of the Civil War in northwest Arkansas.
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park conserves one of the most intact battlefield sites of the war.
Prairie Grove is one of 83 battlefields in 14 states that The Fund has helped to protect.

PROJECT PROGRAMS

Conservation Acquisition