Established in February 10, 1934 Kentucky is rich in Civil War
history. As one of the states that bordered both the Union and
the Confederacy, Kentucky seemed destined to be a battleground.
Despite the state’s attempted neutrality, the commonwealth soon
had troops from both North and South on its soil. The role that
the Columbus-Belmont area played in that conflict had a long
lasting effect on the outcome of the war. On February 10, 1934,
the Columbus-Belmont State Park, originally named Columbus
Belmont Battlefield Memorial Park, became a part of the Kentucky
State Parks System. As early as 1931, efforts had been made to
acquire the site of the Civil War battlefield and trenches.
Attempts at purchasing 110 acres had proven unsuccessful until
then. The executive secretary of the parks commission reported
that he had made “many trips to Columbus and other towns at
which mass meetings and special drives have been made to buy the
110 acres of land which was a part of the old battlefield and
trenches at this site