First Battle of Newtonia Historic District – Newtonia, Missouri - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The First Battle of Newtonia Historic District is located north of the junction of Highways 86 and 0 (M on some maps) at Newtonia, Newton County. The nominated area encompasses the most significant portions of the First Battle of Newtonia which occurred on September 30, 1862, in and around Newtonia. a small town in southwestern Missouri. The 152-acre district contains five contributing resources that were associated with the battle, which resulted in a rare Confederate victory over Union forces in Missouri. The district is roughly T-shaped, with the base centered in Newtonia above Spring Street/Route EE. The National Register-listed Mathew H. Ritchey House (12/05/78) is within the boundary. Contributing resources consist of the Ritchey barn and barnyard site, a Civil War-era cemetery, the Newtonia Branch stream, the historic Neosho Road and the overall battlefield site. The Ritchey family cemetery and an outbuilding (both listed with the Ritchey House) are also included. Except for the Ritchey House, above ground residential and farm properties from the time of the battle apparently are nonexistent. Archaeological resources are known to exist within the district but their extent is undetermined. Historically, the nominated area contained agricultural fields mixed with scattered wooded lots and a meandering stream, some low stone walls and a handful of residences and outbuildings to house a portion of Newtonia's tiny population...

The First Battle of Newtonia Historic District at Newtonia in Newton County, Missouri, is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A with statewide significance in the area of Military. The nominated battleground is directly associated with the Civil War engagement fought in and around Newtonia on September 30, 1862, which resulted in a rare Southern victory over Union forces in southwestern Missouri. Much of the fighting occurred along Mill Street, then known as Neosho road, with intense combat including an artillery bombardment of the town and higher ground to the north and west. The daylong engagement involved approximately 4,000 men and ended with some 345 casualties. In an uncommon twist, Native Americans fought against each other on both sides of the conflict. Although notions of Confederate superiority were short-lived despite the victory, the outcome nonetheless gave Southern forces temporary control of the region's crucial mineral resources, notably lead for ammunition The historic district encompasses those portions of the battleground that best convey their historic significance and on which most of the fighting is believed to have occurred. The period of significance is September 30, 1862, the date on which the First Battle of Newtonia was fought." – National Register Nomination

The Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association has preserved about 20 acres of land where most of the battle took place. The Ritchey house is operated as a house museum.

Street address: Jct. of MO 86 and MO 0 Newtonia, Missouri County / Borough / Parish: Newton Year listed: 2004 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event Periods of significance: 1850-1874 Historic function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Defense, Funerary, Landscape, Transportation Current function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Funerary, Landscape, Transportation Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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