Good News from Black Jack

We just received some very good news from our friends at the Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park in Douglas County:

Black Jack is ready to make history again! We have raised 93% of our $2.1 million dollar goal to build a

visitor center and adjacent parking lot, and to restore the battlefield to tallgrass prairie – the way it was

when the combatants took aim at each other.

In the pre-dawn hours of June 2, 1856 – five years before Ft. Sumpter – Abolitionist John Brown led

Free-State forces into battle against Pro-Slavery militiamen in the vast prairie of southeast Douglas

County. The Battle of Black Jack is now widely characterized as the first real battle of the Civil War, so

historically significant that the site has been designated a National Historical Landmark.

As Black Jack Battlefield gains recognition, we’ve noticed a steady increase of visitors to our site, but

there is not a visitor center to accommodate the influx of guests who are interested in learning about

Black Jack’s rich history. A visitor center will serve as a space for the community and school children to

learn about Black Jack through exhibits. It will also allow visitors to take shelter during inclement

weather.

Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park is a non-profit, committed to robustly fulfilling our educational

mission, confident that the greater the number of visitors to Black Jack, the greater the economic

development potential for surrounding communities.

Although we are nationally recognized, we are unique in that we are privately owned by the Black Jack

Trust. This means that our members (as stakeholders) get a direct voice in shaping Black Jack's future.

We’ve achieved our goals without direct federal dollars. In fact, over 60% of our pledges have come from

private donors and non-profit organizations. Please consider making a pledge to help Black jack’s story

continue.

We could not be prouder of our hard-working and dedicated friends. The Ivan Boyd Nature Park next to the battlefield contain some of the most obvious ruts of the Santa Fe Trail and the first ones I saw upon moving to Kansas. This area has a special place in my heart and is one of the most important Civil War sites in America.

To donate to the Capital Campaign visit:

www.dccfoundation.org/fund/Black-Jack-Battlefield-The-Story-Continues-Capital-Campaign-Fund

Learn more about the Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park by visiting:

www.blackjackbattlefield.org

www.facebook.com/BlackJackBattlefieldAndNaturePark

Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park

163 E 2000 Road, Wellsville, Kansas

(3 miles east of Baldwin City, KS)