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mwhisler

 

Ray House Jamboree 2013

by mwhisleron May 14, 2013 in Battlefield tagged , ,

The Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation’s annual music jamboree at the historic Ray House will take place on Saturday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come out and enjoy the view from the hilltop while you listen to local groups playing a variety of Civil War and old time Ozarks tunes on the Ray House porch.

Schedule of Performers

Time Artist Description
11am The Back Porch Players The Stickley family performs Civil War and traditional music
12pm Rowan’s Crossing Jennifer and James Bennett play and sing traditional Irish and Civil War tunes
1pm Playground Old time music with Gail Morrissey on hammer dulcimer
2pm Ripplin’ Creek Traditional Ozark music with Bill and Ann Riggs, Bill Wood, Mike Latshaw, Fred Keil and Dennis McBride
3pm Ozark Mountain Dulcimers Dennis Norwood

Bring your lawn chairs and plan to stay a while. The Foundation will be serving period refreshments, Janet Caudillo will be doing hand spinning demonstrations, and the Ray House will be open for visitors. The event is free with regular battlefield admission of $5 per person or $10 for a carload. For more information, call the Foundation office at 417-864-3041.

 

Free Admission During National Park Week

by mwhisleron April 22, 2013 in Battlefield tagged , , , , ,

The National Park Service invites everyone to get to know their national parks during National Park Week by waiving entrance fees during April 22-26, 2013, so visitors can enjoy all 401 national park areas.  Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will waive the usual $5.00 per individual or $10.00 per vehicle entrance fee for the entire period of time.  This year’s theme is “Did you know…” provides a way to discover the wonders of America’s national parks.   Did you know that the Battle of Wilson’s Creek:

  • …was the first battle of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River.
  • …resulted in the death of the General Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general to be killed during the Civil War.
  • …saw the Ray House used as a hospital for treating wounded following the battle.
  • …involved soldiers from Louisiana, Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Missouri.
  • …was called “Oak Hills” by the Confederates.

Also, Saturday, April 27, is National Junior Ranger Day, with special programs offered for the younger visitors.  We encourage you to bring your children out to earn their very own Junior Ranger badge!  The park’s regular fees will apply that day.

 

Junior Ranger Day at the Battlefield

by mwhisleron April 9, 2013 in Battlefield tagged , , ,

On Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, the National Park Service and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will be celebrating National Junior Ranger Day.    Designed for children ages 4 yrs to 12 yrs old, the Junior Ranger program, at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, introduces our young visitors to the various resources and the many stories and events associated with the Civil War in SW Missouri.  According to Supt. Hillmer, “Make your plans now to attend this family event designed to educate our youth about the Battle of Wilson’s Creek”.

During this special Junior Ranger Day event, the staff and volunteers at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will be providing different presentations on civilian and military life during the civil war as well as providing tours at the Ray House.  Activities will be available continuously between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.  Children who complete the activity book will receive an official “Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield” Junior Ranger badge, and certificate.  The regular entrance fee will apply:  $5.00 per individual or $10.00 per vehicle.

The National Park Service is dedicated to conserving, unimpaired, the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

Junior Ranger photo is provided courtesy of the National Park Service.

Park Day Clean Up
 

Park Day Clean Up 2013

by mwhisleron March 15, 2013 in Battlefield tagged , , , , ,

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will be holding its twelfth annual “Park Day” clean-up event in partnership with the Civil War Trust on Saturday, April 6, 2013.  Work will consist of cleaning and landscaping the areas around the picnic area, the visitor center, the park’s cemeteries and the Ray House.  A highway clean up along State Route ZZ is planned provided enough volunteers are present.

“Park Day is a great time to be part of Wilson’s Creek NB in making the park a better place to visit”, says Superintendent Hillmer, “Come and enjoy the outdoors and make the battlefield a special place in the greater Springfield area.”

Volunteers are asked to meet at the Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers should wear appropriate outdoor work clothing, work shoes or boots, and to bring work gloves, hat and sunscreen.  Work will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until about 3 p.m., depending on the project.  Persons wishing to volunteer for Park Day should call Park Ranger David Hutson at 417-732-2662, extension 385 to pre-register.

Park Day is an annual event sponsored by the Civil War Trust and the History Channel.  The day is an opportunity for local communities to improve the quality of Civil War battlefield areas in their area.  Volunteers will receive a t-shirt courtesy of the History Channel for their participation.

The Civil War Trust is America’s largest non-profit organization devoted to preservation of our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefield lands.  The Trust also promotes educational programs and heritage tourism initiatives to inform the public about the war and the fundamental conflicts that sparked it.

Volunteer
 

Volunteer Recruitment Fair

by mwhisleron March 5, 2013 in Battlefield tagged , , ,

On Saturday, March 9, 2013 Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is hosting a Volunteer Recruitment Fair from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The day’s activities will begin with a short video introducing the NPS Volunteer in Parks (VIP) program followed by a thirty-minute presentation to address some of the specific volunteer needs for the 2013 spring and summer season. Anyone interested in volunteering at the battlefield is encouraged to attend.  Volunteers should be at least sixteen years of age to participate in activities.   Light refreshments will be served. Reservations are not required for the meeting.

After the 9:00 a.m. presentation, visitors and prospective volunteers will have the opportunity to stop by several volunteer exhibition tables set up throughout the visitor center. Each station will be hosted a park staff member or one of the current volunteers at Wilsons’s Creek NB and provide opportunity for the public to learn first-hand about the various volunteer positions. In addition to answering questions the volunteers will also share personal in-sight as well as some of their own experiences with the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield volunteer program.

According to Superintendent Ted Hillmer, “The programs presented, at the park, are strongly supported by volunteers.  Come and be a part of preserving our nation’s history.”  A registration table will be staffed where new or ‘prospective’ volunteers can stop by for additional information and pick up or fill out the appropriate paperwork.

There is an immediate need for volunteers to assist during the busy spring school season (April/May) with providing educational tours of the historic Ray House as well short programs on Civil War medicine and other Civil War topics. These and other 2013 opportunities to volunteer will be discussed in further detail during the fair.

Battle of Springfield
 

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Springfield

by mwhisleron January 4, 2013 in Battle of Springfield, Foundation, Sesquicentennial tagged , , , , ,

At noon on January 8 the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Springfield with a ceremony at Park Central Square in Springfield. The event will include speakers, living historians in period clothing, Civil War-era music, an authentic cannon, and the unveiling of newly redesigned markers for the Battle of Springfield tour. Following the noon program, a reception will be hosted by the History Museum for Springfield – Greene County, in its temporary location at 155 Park Central Square. In case of inclement weather, the noon event will also be held in the History Museum.

The 12 Battle of Springfield markers, located throughout downtown Springfield, highlight key locations and details of the battle. Although the new markers have not yet been installed, a replica of Marker 1 will be in place on the square, and all of the markers will be on display in the History Museum. The original markers were funded with the support of local donors and designed by the Wilson’s Creek NB Foundation. They were installed by the City of Springfield and dedicated on May 19, 2001.

The 1863 Battle of Springfield took place in what is now downtown Springfield. One hundred fifty years ago, Federal troops and Missouri Militia led by Brig. General Egbert Brown successfully defended the city and the Union supply depot located here against an attack by Confederate cavalry under the command of Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke. The battle lasted from dawn to dusk, ending when the last Confederate assault was repelled and Marmaduke’s forces withdrew to the Phelps Farm (present day Phelps Grove Park). Of the 4,000 Federal and Confederate troops present, more than 400 were killed or wounded.

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Ray House
 

Fall Into Wilson’s Creek History

by mwhisleron October 8, 2012 in Battlefield tagged , , , ,

The oranges and reds of autumn are on display during these warm days and cool nights at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.  Visitors who explore the interconnected trails will be rewarded with cooler weather and pockets of deciduous trees, which change to rich reds, orange, and yellow in the fall.  You can bring history alive as you visit the battlefield and experience the environment that has been preserved for all America. Whether your mode of transportation is walking, jogging, biking, horseback riding, and/or how the majority of our over 200,000 visitors enjoy the park, driving in your favorite vehicle, you will not be disappointed as you experience the battlefield as the soldiers did on that morning of August 10, 1861.

The battlefield has several key interpretive media and artifacts to assist you in creating a memorable experience for your visit:  the finest Trans-Mississippi River collection of artifacts in the United States, an electric map that describes battle tactics, the largest Civil War library in the National Park Service system, a great Visitor Center to assist you with your visit, the friendliest Park Rangers, a 26 minute film, and a 5-mile tour road with eight wayside stops to explain what occurred on that warm and humid morning of August 10, 1861.  Recently, a cell phone tour was added to our tour road.  You can use your cell phone to access our self-guided driving tour.  Just stop by the Visitor Center to obtain the access number.

Whether you drive or walk, your visit to the park will be filled with the spectacular autumn colors. One can almost hear the soldiers wake from their shelters, prepare the morning coffee as they look around the camp sites with the morning fog laying low to the ground with the sun streaming through the trees.  Come out to the battlefield to learn about the history of this special place located in the greater Springfield area.

God's Chosen People
 

Civil War Author Presentation

by mwhisleron September 7, 2012 in Battlefield tagged , ,

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is honored to host renowned Civil War author George C. Rable, winner of the Lincoln Prize and two Jefferson Davis Prizes, on September 22, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., at the Visitor Center, in the multipurpose room.  Mr. Rable holds the Charles G. Summersell Chair in Southern History at the University of Alabama.  He is author of “Civil Wars: Women and the Crisis of Southern Nationalism”, “The Confederate Republic: A Revolution against Politics”,and “Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!”, which won the Lincoln Prize.

Mr. Rable will talk about his recent book entitled, “God’s Almost Chosen Peoples – A Religious History of the American Civil War”.  Throughout the Civil War, soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict saw the hand of God in the terrible events of the day, but the standard narratives of the period pay scant attention to religion.  Now, in “God’s Almost Chosen Peoples”, Lincoln Prize-winning historian George C. Rable offers a ground-breaking account of how Americans used faith to interpret the course of the war.

Eastern National, management of the bookstore at the battlefield, is sponsoring this once in a lifetime opportunity.  Mark your calendars for the 22nd of September at 1:00 p.m. to attend this presentation by George C. Rable, which is free to the public.

Following Mr. Rable’s presentation and Q&A, Dr. William Piston (Professor of History at Missouri State University and author of several Civil War books) will direct a tour of the battlefield, for the regular fee of $5.00, to interested visitors.

Moonlight Tour
 

Moonlight Tour At The Battlefield

by mwhisleron September 7, 2012 in Battlefield, Foundation tagged ,

The tour will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, between 7:00 p.m. and
10:00 p.m.  Tickets are $6.00 and proceeds are used to cover the cost of
the program.  The remaining tickets are available on a first-come,
first-served basis and are available at the visitor center.  The visitor
center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

In order to prepare for the Moonlight Tour, the battlefield’s tour road
will be closed to ALL entry by vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians at 5 p.m.
the day of the event.

Tours  of  35  persons  will  begin at 7:00 p.m. and will continue every 15
minutes  until  10:00 p.m.  The length of the tour is one and a half hours.
All  those taking the tour are requested to report to the visitor center at
least  30  minutes  before  their  scheduled  tour.   Visitors will then be
transported  via  busses from the visitor center to and from the tour site.
In addition, those taking the tour should be prepared to walk approximately
½  mile on terrain that is grassy and sometimes uneven.

Wheelchairs and strollers are not recommended and the use of flashlights or
illuminated photography/video-taping during the tour is also prohibited.

The Foundation will be serving dessert and coffee from 6:30 to 9 during the Moonlight Tour.   Please come by and learn more about what we do!

The Library of Congress exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War will feature more than 200 unique items, many never before on public view.

One of the highlights will include:

Lithograph, made by Oehmigke & Riemschneider, showing the death of Union Gen. Nathanial Lyon at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in Missouri on Aug. 10, 1861.

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  by mwhisleron September 6, 2012
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