Fort Towson

Description

Fort Towson was established in 1824 in response to a need to quell conflicts between lawless elements, Native American peoples, and settlers claiming the area as part of Arkansas Territory. The fort also served as an outpost on the border between the United States and Texas, which at that time was part of Mexico. Connected to the East by road, Fort Towson served as a gateway for settlers bound for Texas during the 1830s. Those passing through the area included Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Stephen F. Austin. When the Choctaw and Chickasaw were displaced from their lands in the Southeastern United States, the fort served as a point of dispersal upon their arrival in the west. The fort was also an important staging area for U.S. forces during the Mexican War of 1846. Fort Towson was abandoned in 1856 when the frontier moved west. During the Civil War, however, it served for a time as headquarters for Confederate forces operating in Indian Territory. In 1865 General Stand Watie surrendered his command near the fort to become the last Confederate general to lay down arms.

Website does not specify services available at the site.

McCook Monument [OH]

Description

This roadside monument marks the area where Major Daniel McCook died during the battle of Buffington Island. Daniel McCook, an attorney, came to Ohio from Pennsylvania in 1826, eventually settling in Carrollton. During the Civil War, Daniel, his eight sons, and his brother, John, and his five sons were known as the "Fighting McCooks. " Three of Daniel's sons were killed in the other Civil War battles.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.

Pennsylvania Heritage Society [PA]

Description

"Founded in 1983, the Pennsylvania Heritage Society is the co-publisher of the award-winning quarterly magazine, Pennsylvania Heritage®, and serves a critical role as the non-profit organization supporting the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), the state's official history agency. With the support of over 4,000 members from every corner of the state and beyond, the Heritage Society works with the PHMC on a variety of projects to preserve and interpret Pennsylvania's history, art, and culture."

The site offers an events calendar, information regarding upcoming events, an extensive online bookstore, and visitor information about a the Pennsylvania Trails of History, a statewide trail system.

Umbrella organization; does not appear to be affiliated with a specific historic site.

Buffington Island [OH]

Description

Buffington Island commemorates the only significant Civil War battle that took place on Ohio soil. Here a Union army routed a column of Confederate cavalry commanded by General John Hunt Morgan in 1863. A monument made of broken Ohio glacial boulders is set in a four-acre outdoor park where visitors can enjoy picnics and read the signs describing the history of the area. It is not on an island.

Website does not specify any interpretive services beyond signage offered at the site.

Cultural Heritage Museum [NC]

Description

The Cultural Heritage Museum focuses on exploring the history of the more than 200,000 African American soldiers and their 7,000 white officers who fought with the Union forces in the American Civil War, with emphasis on the U.S. Colored troops from North Carolina; it also pays tribute to African American military veterans from all wars; Carl Long and the Negro Baseball League players; local heroes; and African American history in general.

The site offers information about events and the museum.

Museum does not have a website and does not yet appear to have a physical facility open to the public.

Marais des Cygnes State Historic Site

Description

On May 19, 1858, proslavery men killed five free state men and wounded five others in a ravine that is now listed as a National Historic Landmark. The shootings shocked the nation and became a pivotal event in the "Bleeding Kansas" era. A few months later, abolitionist John Brown came to the site and constructed a fortified cabin. Visitors to the site can learn more about free-staters and border ruffians and their stories.

Website provides no specifics about services offered at this site.

Fort O'Brien State Historic Site [ME]

Description

Fort O'Brien (Fort Machias) was built in 1775 and destroyed by the British in the same year. This state historic site is one of few Maine forts active during three wars—the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Fort O'Brien's layout was altered several times over the 90 years it was active on this site; but the fort's important role in protecting the Machias River and its towns remained unchanged. It was refortified in 1777 and destroyed once again by the British in 1814. Well-preserved earthworks which overlook Machias Bay were erected for a battery of guns in 1863. The first naval engagement of the Revolution was fought offshore in 1775, five days before the Battle at Bunker Hill.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.