News Release

National Park Service Awards $1.18 Million to Preserve Sites of Armed Conflict

Armed United Mine Workers of America, Ludlow Tent Colony 1914.

Courtesy of Denver Public Library

News Release Date: July 10, 2024

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WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) today awarded $1,183,993.50 to eight recipients of Preservation Planning Grants through the American Battlefield Protection Program, helping recipients from the metropolitan edge of New York City to the grasslands of Las Animas County, Colorado, preserve battlefields and other sites of armed conflict. 
 
“The diverse grant opportunities provided through the American Battlefield Protection Program help our preservation partners study and protect almost 400 years of conflict history,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “By supporting these localized efforts, all Americans gain the opportunity to learn from these conflicts and understand their impact on the foundation and growth of this country." 
 
Historic battlefields and sites of armed conflict are powerful reminders of the shared heritage of all Americans. To learn and heal from the past, NPS promotes the preservation and interpretation of these important places. 
 
One of the projects funded will support the development of a comprehensive preservation and interpretation plan for the Ludlow Tent Colony Site, a pivotal location of the 10-day armed conflict between the United Mine Workers of America and the Colorado National Guard, known as the Colorado Coalfield War or “War of 1914.” After several attempts to get major coal companies to meet their demands – including honoring the eight-hour workday and Colorado’s existing mine safety rules – the United Mine Workers declared a general strike to force the issue. On April 20, 1914, National Guardsmen aligned with the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company attacked the Ludlow Tent Colony to try and break the strike, killing 21 people (including 11 children) in what became known as the “Ludlow Massacre.” The act of collective violence ignited 10-days of continuous warfare in Colorado, until President Woodrow Wilson ordered federal troops to disarm both sides and restore order.  
 
The grant recipient, the United Mine Workers of America, will work with local and national preservation partners to plan for the long-term preservation and interpretation of the Ludlow site, a National Historic Landmark, in a sustainable and ethical manner, and will include the lesser-known contributions of immigrants, women, and children to the story of this turning point in U.S. labor history.   
 
Today’s awards include: 
 

• $108,660.84 to the University of North Alabama for their project titled “The Tennessee River and the Civil War in Northwest Alabama” in six counties of Alabama.   

• $151,976.15 to the United Mine Workers of America for their project titled “Master Plan of the Ludlow Tent Colony Site: National Historic Landmark” in Las Animas County, Colorado.  

• $169,121.00 to the University of Michigan for their project titled “A More Complete Story of the River Raisin: Phase II of The River Raisin Archaeological Project” in Monroe County, Michigan.  

• $200,000.00 to the Stockbridge-Munsee Community for their project titled “The Stockbridge Militia and the Battle of Kingsbridge: Tribal Survey Project” in the Bronx, New York City.  

• $149,501.59 to the Friends of Camp Security for their project titled “The Pen at Camp Security: Mapping a Revolutionary War Prison Camp Stockade” in York County, Pennsylvania. 

• $113,440.32 to the University of Pennsylvania for their project titled “Archaeology at Fort Mifflin” in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  

• $91,260 to the Newport Historical Society for their project titled “Interpretive Planning for the c. 1697 Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, Anchor Site on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Historic Trail” in Newport, Rhode Island.  

• $199,973.60 to the Town of Barrington for their project titled “A Place Called Nockum and the Inception of King Philip's War, Phase II” in Barrington, Rhode Island.  

 
Preservation Planning Grants from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program support the preservation and interpretation of battlefields and sites of armed conflict on American soil. The program administers three other grant opportunities as well: Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants,  Battlefield Interpretation Grants, and Battlefield Restoration Grants. This financial assistance generates community-driven stewardship of historic resources at the state, Tribal, and local levels. 
 
Preservation Planning Grants are available on an annual basis. To learn more about how to apply for a grant, visit NPS ABPP’s website, or email your questions to the program inbox.  
 

www.nps.gov 

 
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 429 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.