Blackjack Battlefield Park
The Park
The Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park is
being developed on the site of the Battle of Black Jack, June 2, 1856. The
goal is to protect it from the suburban growth that threatens to destroy
the very land where John Brown and Henry Clay Pate fought the first battle
in the conflict that was the American Civil War.
The park will
help tell the story of the unique role that the Battle played in our
shared history. By utilizing the historic Robert Hall
Pearson House, it will also tell the story of a late 19th Century
farmstead and the effects of Manifest Destiny on the land and people.
Finally, it will preserve wildlife habitat and provide a place to
experience the beauty and tranquility of a natural Kansas landscape in an
area undergoing rapid urbanization.
Through a concerted effort, the
Battlefield was saved from residential development in 2003. Through an
equally concerted effort, a dedicated group of individuals is working to
have the park ready to be dedicated on June 2, 2006, the 150th anniversary
of the Battle. For more information on events surrounding the
sesquicentennial of the battle, visit the 150th
Anniversary page on this website
We need your help to complete
our goals, and to ensure that future generations can walk this hallowed
ground. For more information, visit the Volunteers
page on this website.
To access a brochure on the battle and battlefield in PDF format, click here. (A new window will open)
To access the most recent issue of The Black Jack Battlefield Courier, our e-mail newsletter, in PDF format, click here. (A new window will open)