In 1862 Lone Jack was a thriving town set at a crossroads. On August 16, Union soldiers and local Confederate recruits engaged one another in the center of town. The battle was later described by one soldier who fought there as, “The bloodiest battle fought west of the Mississippi.”
Following the battle, soldiers on both sides who gave their all were laid to rest beneath this hallowed ground. With this honor, Lone Jack is one of only a handful of Civil War battlefields nationwide.
The Lone Jack Historical Society invites you to join them on April 26 as they offer volunteers an opportunity to honor veterans on Park Day.
The historical society will join more than 150 historical battlefield sites across the nation as each honors veterans. Since 1996, the American Battlefield Trust has offered community-minded citizens the opportunity to participate in honoring the sacrifices of American soldiers at Park Day events.
History enthusiasts whether individuals, families, Boy and Girl Scouts, ROTC units, reenactment units, active and retired military and more meet to help keep our nation’s heritage not only preserved but pristine.
In Lone Jack, each volunteer is offered an opportunity to honor our veterans by sprucing up our Civil War battlefield, cemetery and, with enough volunteers, the museum and Cave Hotel for our 2025 visitors. Although it is a small site, they offer visitors from across the country and around the world a glimpse into that time.
To be ready to greet visitors, the historical society is recruiting volunteers to rake leaves and flowerbeds, clear limbs and brush. All the work will be on the park grounds. If enough volunteers report for duty, they will include the museum and cross the street to spruce up the Cave Hotel and grounds, which are owned by the historical society.
Though this is a Civil War battlefield, the historical society honors all American veterans. Join the volunteer brigade on April 26 as they honor these brave men and women.
Help defeat the ravages of winter by cleaning up debris and restoring the battlefield, soldiers’ cemetery, museum and Cave Hotel grounds.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., clean-up begins at 9 a.m. Clean-up should end about 1 p.m. at the Lone Jack Civil War Battlefield Museum, ½ mile south of Hwy. 50. Volunteers are asked to bring your own tools and label them. Remember to dress for the weather and bring gloves. Trash bags will be provided. Lunch will be offered for volunteers.
Additionally, volunteers are asked to bring nonperishable food, new and gently used men’s clothing and hygiene products for a homeless veterans’ camp.
The Lone Jack Historical Society manages the daily maintenance for this Jackson County Park & Recreation museum and cemetery. It is a rewarding job. If you are retired, an empty nester, a family with budding historians, or anyone interested in our country’s history or simply honoring our veterans, consider volunteering at the museum.
To volunteer, call Alinda at 816.805.1815 or email her at [email protected].
