Prairie Grove in Washington County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

The Borden House
⎯⎯⎯
The Legacy of Prairie Grove

The Borden House side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 21, 2023

1. The Borden House side of marker

Inscription. The Borden House The Borden House was the epicenter of what one historian has called “one of the most intense firefights west of the Mississippi” during the Dec. 7, 1862, Battle of Prairie Grove. Union and Confederate troops fought around the house and orchard, suffering hundreds of casualties. The Borden family sought refuge from the fighting with other families in a cellar one mile west of her. The day after the battle the Borden family returned to find that their home had been burned to the ground. The house here now was built on the same site around 1870.

The Legacy of Prairie Grove Prairie Grove was the last major battle in northwest Arkansas and helped seal the fate of Missouri and northern Arkansas. After the Confederate army left, never to return, Union troops and supplies were sent elsewhere. Bushwhackers and jayhawkers then flowed into the region, preying on the civilians left helpless in the power vacuum. The Union army would attempt to root out these lawless brigand bands with varying degrees of success. In the end, the outlaws would reign throughout the Ozarks region until after the Civil War ended in

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1865.

Erected 2011 by Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission • Friends of the Prairie Grove Battlefield, Inc. • Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism • Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park • Preserve America, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. (Marker Number 19.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is December 7, 1862.

Location. 35° 59.097′ N, 94° 18.272′ W. Marker is in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, in Washington County. It can be reached from East Douglas Street (Business U.S. 62) east of South Battlefield Park Road. Marker is in Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. It is on the paved trail leading from the parking area by the public restrooms to the Battlefield Walking Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 506 E Douglas St, Prairie Grove AR 72753, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Arkansas,

on the Ozark Plateau,

in the Cherokee Heritage Region,

and

The Legacy of Prairie Grove side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 21, 2023

2. The Legacy of Prairie Grove side of marker

in Osage Territory.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Ozarks.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Archibald Borden House (within shouting distance of this marker); Herron's Attack (within shouting distance of this marker); Blocher's Arkansas Battery (within shouting distance of this marker); The Dead of Prairie Grove (within shouting distance of this marker); 26th Indiana and 37th Illinois Infantry (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); 29th Arkansas Infantry (about 400 feet away); Lieutenant Colonel John C. Black (about 500 feet away); The Lord's Vineyard (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prairie Grove.

The Borden House / The Legacy of Prairie Grove Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 21, 2023

3. The Borden House / The Legacy of Prairie Grove Marker

The house behind the marker was built in 1870 on the same site as the Borden House, which was destroyed during the battle.

The Legacy of Prairie Grove Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Marc Hayot, May 30, 2026

4. The Legacy of Prairie Grove Marker

There is a second marker on the other side entitled "Archibald Borden House."

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 598 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 3, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on June 2, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

The Borden House⎯⎯⎯The Legacy of Prairie Grove

The Borden House
⎯⎯⎯
The Legacy of Prairie Grove