Historic Blakeley State Park

Historic Blakeley State Park is a park located on the site of the former town of Blakeley in Baldwin County, Alabama on the Tensaw River delta. The park encompasses an area once occupied by settlers in what was a thriving community on the river. Later, Confederate soldiers were garrisoned here and fought in the last major battle of the U.S. Civil War against superior Union forces.HistoryThe park was founded by school teacher Mary Grice, of Mobile, Alabama. In 1976 the park was established as a private not-for-profit foundation. The goal was to preserve and redevelop the area. In 1981, the Alabama Legislature named Blakeley a state park and created a separate state authority to oversee operations. Although it is called a state park, it is not operated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. State funding was suspended during 2011, and the park is now fully funded by private contributions and gate receipts.In 1993, Blakeley was named a Class A Civil War site by the United States Congress. The park is part of the Civil War Discovery Trail due to it being the site of the Battle of Fort Blakely. Some remnants of battlefield operations remain including the Confederate breastworks that cross the park. Some effort is underway to restore the Confederate and Union constructs that supported the Battle of Fort Blakeley. That battle, involving over 16,000 soldiers occurred on the same day as the Confederate surrender. African-American troops made up a significant number of the Union forces.