River Raisin National Battlefield Park

The River Raisin National Battlefield Park was established as the 393rd unit of the United States National Park Service under Title VII of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, which was signed into law on March 30, 2009. The park is located in the city of Monroe in Monroe County, Michigan. It was designated as a Michigan Historic Site on February 18, 1956 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1982. It officially began operation as a national park unit on October 22, 2010 and is the only national battlefield park from the War of 1812.

Background
The area was the site of the devastating Battle of Frenchtown, which saw hundreds of Americans fall at the hands of the British Army and Indian coalition during the War of 1812. The fighting took place from January 18–23, 1813. The first engagement, sometimes referred to as the “first” Battle of the River Raisin, was a success for the American forces against the British and Indian alliance. Angered by their forced retreat, the British and Native Americans counterattacked the unsuspecting American forces four days later on January 22 in the same location along the River Raisin. Many of the Americans were ill-prepared and were unable to even retreat from the surprise ambush.

During the Battle of Frenchtown, American brigadier general James Winchester reported that only 33 of his approximate 1,000 men escaped the battlefield. 397 were killed, and 547 were taken prisoner, which marked the deadliest conflict ever on Michigan soil and the worst single defeat the Americans suffered in the entire War of 1812. Dozens of defenseless and previously wounded Americans were killed by the Native Americans after the battle on January 23 in an act referred to as the River Raisin Massacre. The total casualties among the British and Native American alliance are unknown.

Recent history
The River Raisin Battlefield Site was listed as a Michigan Historic Site on February 18, 1956, although the exact date at which the park was first organized is unknown. The location of the site is bounded by North Dixie Highway, the River Raisin, Detroit Avenue, and Mason Run Creek. While the Battle of Frenchtown is so named because it took place within Frenchtown, the primary the area of the battlefield is within the present-day city limits of Monroe. The area of conflict extended during the three days of battle several miles to the north and south of the current park site. The current park area encompasses some 40 acres (16 ha) of undeveloped land on Monroe’s east side approximately one-quarter mile (0.4 km) east of Interstate 75. The area contains houses on the outer fringe along East Elm Avenue, and much of the area is occupied by urban development. The River Raisin Paper Company built a large paper mill on the site around 1911, which operated under multiple owners until 1995.

The site was recognized nationally when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1982. It was officially listed as the River Raisin Battlefield Site (20MR227). In July 1990, the Monroe County Historic Commission and the Monroe County Historic Society opened the River Raisin Battlefield Visitor Center within the site at 1403 East Elm Avenue. The museum contains a few relics from the original battle that were discovered during archeological investigations. The park holds a memorial service every January to commemorate all the soldiers that fought in the Battle of Frenchtown, including the British and Indian soldiers that fought against the Americans. Expansion to the present-day park boundaries commenced in 1995 with closure of the paper mill, at which time the City of Monroe organized efforts for restoration of the entire battlefield site. The City, Historical Society, and property owner negotiated, acquired and facilitated clean up the former paper mill property and adjacent landfill area for future donation to the park service, as well as transferring a large expanse of wetland marsh to the State of Michigan for expansion of the adjacent Sterling State Park. Acquisitions were complete by 2006, the paper mill was demolished by 2009, the cleanup finished in 2010, and land transfers were completed in 2011.

Promotion to the National Park System
The River Raisin Battlefield Site was chosen to be included as a unit of the National Park System. The first step toward promotion to the national level was the River Raisin National Battlefield Act (H.R. 401.IH), which was passed by the House of Representatives of the 111th Congress on January 9, 2009. This bill stated that the future national battlefield site would include land in both Monroe and Wayne counties that has been deemed significant to the Battle of Frenchtown.

The passing of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act on March 30, 2009 allocated the funding necessary to promote the site to the status of a National Battlefield Park. The park has been authorized as such but was not officially established with the passing of the bill. It was included in the bill largely thanks to the work of Michigan natives and United States senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, as well as history enthusiast and iconic Congressman John Dingell. The site is only the fourth such listing in the United States National Park System. It is the sixth park in Michigan listed on the National Park Service, which includes Isle Royale National Park, Keweenaw National Historical Park, Father Marquette National Memorial, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

The park is still being developed to meet the standards necessary of the National Park Service, and the elements of the park depend largely on the amount of funding. According to the National Park Traveler, the construction of and promotion of a national park typically takes eight years, which includes a variety of obstacles, such as land acquisition, funding, a management plan, and tourism facilities. However, since the county has already preserved and managed the battlefield site, this process took considerably less time. While locals are enthusiastic to have a close area dedicated to the National Park System, the battlefield site is expected to produce a noticeable economic impact. While projected attendance to the park upon its completion was estimated to range from only 20,000–25,000 visitors a year., during FY 2012, the Battlefield was visited by 52,027 people. The other three National Battlefield Parks, which all relate to the Civil War, receive more visitors, based on attendance figures from 2005: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (1,005,510), Manassas National Battlefield Park (715,622), and Richmond National Battlefield Park (68,438).

The battlefield park has also recently been connected to the nearby Sterling State Park through a newly completed nature trail, which may bring in more visitors to both parks. The president of the Monroe County Historical Society, William Braunlich, is hopeful that sufficient funding will be provided in time for the park’s completion before the bicentennial celebration of the Battle of Frenchtown, which will take place on January 22, 2013. The site began operations as a National Park unit on October 22, 2010.