The “Bleeding Kansas” battle over slavery that helped spark the Civil War could soon be the heart of a Lawrence-centered, federally sponsored tourist attraction.

U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun on Thursday introduced a bill that would designate Lawrence and 24 Kansas counties as a National Heritage Area featuring that pre-Civil War history.

The bill was co-sponsored by the entire Kansas delegation.

“I think it’s a very important opportunity for all of eastern Kansas,” said Deanell Tacha, chief judge of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and a leader in the effort to attract the federal designation. “It’s one that will have educational, cultural and economic benefits for the area.”

National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress and are part of the National Park Service.

Officials say the federal designation would draw as much as $10 million in federal funds to help Lawrence and northeast Kansas preserve the area’s history and promote it to tourists.

“In addition to boosting the economies of local communities by increased tourism, this bill creates a great opportunity to educate the American public on the vital role Kansas has played in our nation’s fight for freedom and equality,” Ryun, a Republican who represents Lawrence’s west side, said in a news release.

Lawrence officials started the heritage area effort two years ago and were joined by historians and officials from other northeast Kansas counties. On Thursday, they celebrated a milestone in making the goal a reality.

“There’s still a long way to go, but we have come a long way in a very short time,” Mayor David Dunfield said. “There has been a tremendous effort by a lot of people to get us here.”

Tacha agreed.

“There’s sort of a sense of elation today, because it means all that hard work by so many people has reached some fruition,” she said Thursday.

Judy Billings, director of the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau, said much work remained to secure Congress’ approval. She didn’t know how long that will take.

“It’s hard to know, it really is,” she said. “There are about 30 bills that are in the (Resources) committee … and we’re kind of the last one to get in.”

Congressman Dennis Moore, a Democrat who represents Lawrence’s east side, also praised the legislation.

“This is a story that we need to share with the rest of the nation,” he said in a news release. “Passing this bill will bring much-needed federal dollars to Kansas to enable the state to preserve our history and share it with visitors.”