Dade Battlefield Society - ABOUT US OUR PARK Dade Battlefield Historic State Park acquired by the State of Florida in 1921 is the second oldest site in the state whose protection and preservation is designated as being in the best interests of its citizens. Although for two generations its main use was a recreational spot for nearby residents its main focus was never lost a memorial to the brave men both soldiers and Native Americans whose 1835 battle marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War the longest armed conflict in the first 195 years of American history. In the mid1950s the State moved to more formally embrace the 80acre property into its official park system making improvements and other steps to bring the actual battlefields appearance back to what it was when Major Francis L. Dades command had been defeated by a greatly superior Seminole force.