Battlefield is named for its proximity to the 1861 Battle of Wilson's Creek, the second major battle of the American Civil War.

Wilson's Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and the scene of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in combat. Although a Southern victory, the Southerners failed to capitalize on their success.  Click her for more about the Battle of Wilson's Creek.

Several Battlefield streets, parks, and other landmarks are named for events and people related to the battle - such as Nathaniel Lyon Street, one of the town's main thoroughfares.

The City of Battlefield was incorporated as a 4th class city in 1971.  Battlefield has experienced rapid residential growth in the last five years! We've grown from the 2000 US Census population of 2,385 to our current estimated population of 5,000. Large subdivisions have been planned and are being built in all areas of our city. While the growth has slowed some since the 2003-2004 timeframe, we continue to field inquiries from developers interested in our community.

May 4, 2003 is a date that will long be remembered by many residents in Battlefield and several other communities in southwest Missouri. On that date, an F2 tornado devastated much of the central sections of town and left over 125 residents with moderate to severe damage or total destruction of their homes. The rented location for the Police Department was demolished and City Hall was damaged. As a result, the City was eligible to apply for disaster relief grants for a new facility and was awarded $424,000 to make that possible. Additional financing was obtained to also build the Community Room and City Park. Our current facilities are a testimony to the hard work of many current and former city officials and volunteers!

Sources:

City of Battlefield Website
Wikipedia - Battlefield, MO
National Park Service Website