The Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards received $1,000 in grant funding from Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. The award will help reprint the popular Park’s brochure, which is distributed locally and at Kansas Travel Information Centers across the state.

The Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards manage the 164-acre Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park south of Wamego in Wabaunsee County. The Guards recently completed construction of a new entrance to the Park at 29000 Mount Mitchell Road. Improvements include an accessible trail to the ruts of the Topeka Fort Riley Road used by the Underground Railroad helping enslaved people escape to freedom in Canada.

Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) is a federally funded nonprofit organization and affiliate of the National Park Service dedicated to building awareness of the struggle for freedom along the Missouri-Kansas border. Established by Congress in 2006, its nationally significant themes are the settlement of the frontier, the Missouri-Kansas Border War and Civil War, and the enduring struggle for freedom. These diverse, interwoven, and nationally important stories grew from a unique physical and cultural landscape. FFNHA inspires respect for multiple perspectives and empowers residents to preserve and share these stories. We achieve our goals through interpretation, preservation, conservation, and education for all residents and visitors.