Springfield-Greene County Library launches
"Community and Conflict" site
It was fought—brother against brother—nearly 150 years ago on our own soil, yet the Civil War remains of great historical and personal significance to Americans and a popular topic with the public. The Civil War may be the most thoroughly researched conflict in U.S. history, but the Trans-Mississippi Theater, and, in particular, the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks regions, have not been documented as extensively.
“How many people know that two major battles were fought in this area--Pea Ridge and Wilson’s Creek,” asks Carol Grimes, the Springfield-Greene County Library District’s planning and development coordinator. “Relatively speaking, no one has researched and gathered the documents that tell the stories that need to be told about our region’s involvement.”
Until now, that is. For the past two years, Library employees have worked to create a unique web site and online resource entitled “Community & Conflict: The Impact of the Civil War in the Ozarks.” The project, made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act Digital Imaging Grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and coordinated by the Missouri State Library, is a digitized collection of pre-Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction era artifacts, including letters, maps, diaries, court and government documents and photographs.
The site, says historian Brian Grubbs, contains materials gathered from institutions and individuals throughout the region that “document life in the Ozarks during the tempestuous period of 1850-1875 through the exploration of urban development, slavery, agriculture, military life, women and children, civilian refugees and other issues that represent a crucial period in the history and culture of the region.”
The site, www.ozarkscivilwar.org, opens with a stirring video documentary of moving images of the Civil War, and serves to introduce the themes and topics. A researcher’s dream, the site features high-caliber scans of documents, transcriptions with side-by-side comparisons to scanned images, keyword, geographic and thematic searches, historic interpretation, links to other sites and bibliographic citations. “Most importantly, the materials on the site tell us,” says Grubbs, “how the war affected the people, our ancestors here in the Ozarks, as they lived in one of the most contested regions of the country.”
"Community and Conflict" includes items from the Civil War Museum at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield
"Battle for Fitness"
The "Battle for Fitness" provides four events to allow our visitors to enjoy the battlefield and learn about the importance of preserving Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield and our other national parks. A special award will be given to each participant who successfully completes the challenge between January 2 and December 31, 2009.
To receive a hat, shirt and/or bandanna participants must reach the minimum distance in one of the following categories:
Walking – 100 miles
Running – 200 miles
Biking – 250 miles
Horse riding - 200 miles
The battlefield will provide each participant with a card on which they will record the date and number of miles exercised. Once the number of miles for a category has been reached, simply bring the card to the Visitor Center information desk and a ranger will present your award. It’s that simple.
Please keep in mind that a fee is charged for all those who visit and use the battlefield. Visitors may purchase a yearly pass for $20.00. The pass includes not only the pass holder, but all passengers in the vehicle at the time of the visit.
Marker Dedicated Near Dug Springs Skirmish Site
On October 7, 2008, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources dedicated a new interpretive marker commemorating the August 2, 1861 skirmish at Dug Springs, near Clever, Missouri. Those present for the dedication included Larry Toll, professor of history at Evangel College and member of Phelps Camp, Sons of Union Veterans (Union soldier); Jim Denny, historian, Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Alison Dubbert, historian, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and Robert Clanton, member of Phelps Camp, Sons of Union Veterans (Missouri State Guard soldier). The marker is along the Wire Road on the south side of the Clever Middle School.
