River Raisin National Battlefield Park

I live close to this park and will occasionally hear cannonfire, which drives the dogs crazy.
It’s a modest little place with activities scheduled every month. There are dioramas in the lobby and other artifacts. The staff, who are volunteers, do presentations and answer questions.
Years ago, Monroe hosted an event called Old Frenchtown Days, which had re-​enactors and mock battles and was held in the last week in August. I miss that! I like my history with a little dash of panache!

I can safely say that there is a tremendous amount of wonderful history associated with the Battle of Frenchtown and the surrounding area, but this park doesn’t do any justice. I have lived in the area my whole life and have watched little development of the park that is supposed to showcase one of the greatest battles of the War of 1812 and Michigan in general. I don’t even know how this plot of land managed to ascend to «national park» status already, and it is certainly not a tourist attraction at all. I don’t know who comes from afar to visit this park.
I give it 2 stars in generosity, because it has a ton of potential and is surely still in its growing stages. Plus, I have spent a great amount of time learning and teaching the very subject. The park rests in a quiet location on the river; it is very accessible from I-​75 and close to a number of businesses. The park is small, and most of the property given to the park remains undeveloped (especially where the old papermill once stood). The only structure in the park is a modest visitor center that is very nice (if you like the subject). It is fairly bland but is loaded with tons of historic items and information. The grounds themselves consist of a few sidewalks, some nice war relics (like a cannon), and maybe a dozen historic markers. One can circumnavigate the whole park in 10 minutes. The backdrop consists of an overgrown field and a desolate landscape where a major factory once stood.
I’m glad the park is there, but it leaves too much left to desire. Obviously, the park’s growth depends on government funding, but it’s not yet worthy to be considered on par with any other property in the National Park System.

I am a great admirer of the American National Park System. I was surprised to learn there was a National Battlefield located in Monroe, Michigan not far from where I grew up. When I was recently home for a wedding I went with my parents. A bonus was that it’s also the bicentennial of the War of 1812.
The River Raisin was a turning point battle in one of the least understood wars in American history. Overshadowed by the civil war, the war of 1812 was important for the establishment of the United States as a real authority in North America and it kept the British off our doorstep for years. The war took place all around the Great Lakes so Michigan was a huge theater in the war. The River Raisin was a loss for the Americans and one of the bloodiest battles in the war. Fifteen percent of all casualties in the war occurred here. It was the Antietam of the War of 1812 and it’s largely forgotten. However, it was well known during the time and «Remember the Raisin» became a battle cry for Americans until the end of the war, the way «Remember the Alamo» would come to be common vernacular. It’s really sad that most of this history is completely unknown in the country and the region itself.
I recommend that everyone interested in history, Michigan, the Great Lakes, the War of 1812 come visit this historic site. The battlefield is a large field that had a paper factory on it for years but is slowly being restored. In fact there are probably bodies of soldiers still in the field as they were left after being massacred by Native Americans.
The Visitors Center is very nice and full of information and artifacts from the era. There is a light presentation given by a docent that shows the region and it’s importance including how the battle occurred and the major events. It was great and so informative. The docent, a local history teacher, provided a lot of great information and context.
I was thoroughly impressed by the National Battlefield. Everyone passing by or living nearby needs to visit this huge historical place. There are many signs in Monroe to direct you to the Battlefield.