July 24, 2011

In 1908, a small park was established on the grounds of the 1862 Battle of Prairie Grove in Washington County as a gathering place for Civil War veterans’ reunions. Almost sixty years later, $100,000 was bequeathed by the son of Confederate major general Thomas Hindman, the general who had commanded the troops in the battle. The money was used to construct a park visitor center and museum. Dedicated in 1965 as Hindman Hall, the building became the centerpiece of Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.