Prairie Grove:
the antique shopping center of
Northwest Arkansas
Historic
Prairie
Grove:
small
town
charm
with
big
city
amenities
By
Randy
Rice
e
earliest
accounts
of
settlement
in
what
is
now
Prairie
Grove
date
back
to
the
late
1820's.
In
1829,
the
Reverend
Andrew
Buchanan,
"Uncle
Buck"
as
he
was
known,
came
to
Prairie
Grove
aer
hearing
about
a
large
bountiful
spring
located
in
a
grove
of
trees
in
a
beautiful
valley.
at
spring
is
still
visible
in
Mock
Park,
located
in
downtown
Prairie
Grove,
and
looks
much
as
it
did
at
that
turn
of
the
century.
e
spring
was
long
a
gathering
spot
where
locals
would
drink
from
the
cool
waters
and
socialize.
In
1933
the
spring
became
the
first
source
of
water
for
the
newly
constructed
water
treatment
and
distribution
system.
Prairie
Grove
is
perhaps
best
known
as
home
to
one
of
America's
most
intact
Civil
War
battlefields.
With
more
than
900
acres,
this
park
commemorates
the
site
of
the
Battle
of
Prairie
Grove,
where
on
December
7,
1862,
Confederate
and
Union
forces
clashed
in
a
fierce
day
of
fighting
that
resulted
in
2,700
casualties.
is
battle
marked
the
last
major
Civil
War
engagement
in
Northwest
Arkansas.
e
park
offers
walking
and
driving
tours,
programs,
and
weekend
events.
At
the
Hindman
Hall
Museum,
artifacts
recovered
from
the
battle
are
displayed.
Admission
to
the
museum
is
free.
Arkansas's
largest
Civil
War
battle
re-enactment
takes
place
here
biennially
(even-numbered
years)
the
first
weekend
in
December.
4 – 2020 West Washington County Directory
