Elkin's Ferry Battlefield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elkin's Ferry Battlefield |
|
|---|---|
Clark County Historical Association Marker
|
|
| Location | Clark and Nevada counties, Arkansas |
| Nearest city | Prescott, Arkansas |
| Area | 575 acres (233 ha) |
| Established | April 19, 1994 |
| Original use | Field, forest, battlefield |
| Governing body | Private |
| Official name: Elkin's Ferry | |
| Designated | April 19, 1994 |
| Part of | Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark |
| Reference no. | 94001182 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Elkin's Ferry Battlefield is a special place in Arkansas where an important battle happened during the American Civil War. This battle was called the Battle of Elkin's Ferry. It was part of a bigger plan by the Union army called the Camden Expedition. The battlefield is about 10 miles (16 km) north of Prescott, Arkansas. It covers parts of Clark and Nevada counties, right along the Little Missouri River. This historic area is quite large, about 575 acres (233 hectares). On April 19, 1994, it became part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark, which protects several key places from that time.
Contents
What the Battlefield Looks Like
The Elkin's Ferry Battlefield is mostly a wooded area. The Little Missouri River flows through it. Two smaller streams, Middle Creek and Howard Creek, also cross the southern part of the battlefield. These creeks flow from west to east.
Following the Old Paths
Today, if you look at Nevada County Route 37 and Clark County Route 14, they roughly follow the same path that the Union soldiers took during the battle.
The Ferry Site Today
The spot where the ferry used to cross the river is still visible. You can see a deep cut in the river bank near the road. This is where people and goods would have been ferried across the river.
Changes Over Time
- In the 1920s, a wooden bridge was built to replace the ferry.
- This bridge was later washed away by floods sometime between the 1950s and 1960s.
- When Interstate 30 was built, it made the area less important for travel. This actually helped to preserve the battlefield.
- The area often floods, just like it did in the 1860s. Because of this, it's not a good place for building new things.
