Local officials deeded about 45 acres of land to the federal government Tuesday in a historic ceremony leading to the creation of a new national park in Monroe.

“This donation of real estate today – this cooperative and communal act of intergovernmental and private sector philanthropy – will elevate our River Raisin battlefield from local and state importance to national prominence and visibility,” said William H. Braunlich, president of the Monroe County Historical Society, during the signing Tuesday afternoon in front of the Monroe County Courthouse in downtown Monroe’s Loranger Square.

The event culminated more than a decade of efforts to acquire and rehabilitate the site near N. Dixie Hwy. and E. Elm Ave. where one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812 was fought. Most recently the site of a vacant paper mill, part of the land was acquired by the Society, part by the City of Monroe and part by the County of Monroe.

During the ceremony, Mr. Braunlich also introduced Frank Doughman, chief of interpretation and resource management at the George Rogers Clark National Historic Park in Vincennes, Ind., as the interim superintendent for the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

He noted that designating a national park is a relatively rare event as only 400 parks have been created in the nation’s history.

“The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here,” said Mr. Doughman, reciting a portion of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

“According to Lincoln,” Mr. Doughman said, “we could pave over the site, build a paper mill on the site, or what ever and the story of the site is not affected. “So why is it so important to preserve this site?” he asked. “It’s really quite simple: Resources have meaning. It’s more than the story and more than what historians write. The resource is an icon that helps people connect to the larger meanings.

“One might read all about the battle but will have an entirely different experience visiting the site,” he continued. “Life, death, pride, determination, cold, suffering, patriotism, loss, fear, hate, disbelief, oppression, victory and defeat are but a few of the meanings that are inherent in the site.

“The National Park Service cannot improve on the story which unfolded here, but maybe the recognition of being a national park will focus attention on this truly significant event and the power of this place,” he said.

Mr. Braunlich lauded U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Dearborn, “who adopted the battlefield project as his own, and provided ‘Remember the Raisin’ with unmatched visibility, credibility and momentum in our state, our region and in Washington, D.C.” Mr. Dingell, who drove the effort to get federal legislation authorizing the park and money to clean the site, congratulated all those who were involved in the effort, but added “this is only one step in a long, long journey. We have only begun. There is more to be done.”

He also commended U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, for his role in the effort.

William Sisk, chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, thanked all the partners in the effort, including his board, which backed the concept.

“Today we can declare, once again, with solemn pride, ‘Remember the Raisin,’ ” he said.

Monroe Mayor Robert E. Clark called it a historic day for the City of Monroe and the Monroe region, and he thanked Monroe residents for supporting the battlefield project. “If not for the support of the residents, we would not be here today,” he said.

The site was the scene of the Battle of the River Raisin, where Americans and the British and Indians fought over control of the Old Northwest Territory.

Following an American defeat, prisoners and wounded were massacred the next day, making “Remember the Raisin” a rallying cry that spurred the Americans on in the war. It eventually became the site of a paper mill. The mill’s vacant buildings were razed recently and now the park will be developed into an interpretive park over the next several years.

Read this at the Monroe Evening News