Historian Pushing For Civil War Park
Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007 - 07:17 PM Updated: 08:52 PM
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MORRISVILLE, N.C. -- As more of the triangle gets developed, some folks are fighting harder to preserve historic, wooded areas.
Hundreds of people drive past one such area in downtown Morrisville every day, not realizing exactly what's there.
"Morrisville makes like a valley, so we're pretty much on the western rim of this valley," said historian Ernest Dollar. "And if you would have been here in 1865 you would have had a wonderful view of the battle."
Dollar says Confederate soldiers dug a handful of trenches on one side of the hill, and after they retreated, Northern soldiers did the same on the other.
One of the last Civil War battles took place there, but you won't find it on any historic tours, and the only markers are blue plastic ribbons Dollar put up so he could find the foxholes again.
"The time is now for the town to move on this before it's lost, it's developed," said Dollar.
He said he wants the town to buy the property and turn it into a historic park.
Town officials say they would like to, too.
"We're hoping to get this track in that next round of purchases," said Town Manager John Whitson, and he hopes Morrisville residents agree.
Whitson said he wants them to show their interest with an online survey they're conducting about potential projects.
"We definitely want to know where the citizens stand in relation to all the projects," said Whitson. "And find out from them despite the costs which ones are more important to the citizens as a whole."
One thing working in favor of the push to save the land is that the current property owner has already said he wants it to stay undeveloped.
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