Douglas County pledges $250,000 to help Baldwin City buy Blackjack Battlefield, board votes 5-0

Douglas County commissioners voted 5-0 on Sept. 24 to approve a financing agreement and joint ownership agreement with the city of Baldwin City that would provide about $250,000 to assist the city in acquiring the Blackjack Battlefield, a roughly 40-acre historic site tied to the events of Bleeding Kansas.

County staff said the funding would help keep the site in public hands and that the city would manage operations and maintain public access. Sean (staff presenter) said, "the funding agreement speaks to about $250,000 contribution from the county to assist with the acquisition by the city," and that the agreements include forming a joint advisory board with equal representation from Baldwin City and the county.

The motion, moved by Commissioner Reid and seconded by another commissioner, passed unanimously. County staff and Baldwin City officials approved parallel agreements; the county's contribution is conditioned on the city producing a clear title and closing. Sean told the commission the county would only disperse funds after everything was finalized, and there are remedies in the agreement for a defective title discovered after closing.

Why it matters: Blackjack Battlefield is nationally significant and has been the focus of local preservation efforts. County staff said Douglas County has invested roughly $466,000 in preservation work at the site since 2011. Commissioners framed the vote as an opportunity to secure the land's public access and prevent a private sale that could limit future public use. One commissioner said, "I want to see this site preserved" and supported using open-space funds for the acquisition if parties can reach agreement on post-closing governance.

Staff and stakeholders said the acquisition is meant to be the first step; an advisory board would advise on short- and long-term maintenance, programming and capital needs. Caitlin Ammerlin, heritage conservation coordinator for Douglas County, said the county had "been operating on the information that the trust provided to us" and that the preservation committee's report informed the recommendation.

Public participants included representatives of the Blackjack Battlefield Trust and the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society, who urged preservation but expressed differing views about involvement in post-closing governance. Kerry Altonburn, vice president of the Blackjack Battlefield Trust, told the commission the trust felt excluded from parts of the process and sought more opportunity to explain the trust's long-standing financial role in preserving the site. Marta Jardin, a member of the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society, said community members had supported the county's involvement and disputed claims that Baldwin City barred trust members from committee service.

What happens next: The county's funds will be dispersed only after Baldwin City completes the purchase and provides clear title; staff said the agreements include title-defect remedies. If the city and the trust cannot finalize the purchase, the county's role would not advance. The commission then moved on to appointments and administrative items and adjourned.

Sources: county presentation by Sean (staff), comments from Caitlin Ammerlin and public commenters, Douglas County Board of Commissioners vote (5-0).