Arkansas Post facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arkansas Post |
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Partial reconstruction of the
Revolutionary War era fort |
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| Nearest city | Gillett, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Area | 757.51 acres (306.55 ha) |
| Elevation | 174 ft (53 m) |
| Built | 1686 |
| Built for | Louis XIV of France |
| Restored | February 27, 1929 |
| Restored by | Arkansas General Assembly |
| Visitors | 30,126 (in 2018) |
| Governing body | U.S. National Park Service |
| Official name: Arkansas Post National Memorial | |
| Designated | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference no. | 66000198 |
| Designated | July 6, 1960 |
| Designated by | President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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The Arkansas Post was the very first European settlement in what is now the state of Arkansas. It was started in 1686 by Henri de Tonti for King Louis XIV of France. The main goal was to trade with the local Quapaw Nation.
Over time, the French, Spanish, and later the Americans (who bought the land in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase) all thought this spot was very important. From 1819 to 1821, Arkansas Post was even the capital of the Arkansas Territory.
During the time when fur trade was big, Arkansas Post was protected by several forts. These forts and settlements moved to different spots over the years. Some of the old buildings are now gone because of river erosion and floods. Today, about 757 acres of the site are protected as the Arkansas Post National Memorial. It's a special place that remembers important history.
Since the 1950s, experts have dug up the area to find old things. They say the most important discoveries are from the 1700s and 1800s, showing how Europeans and Americans lived. They also found traces of older Quapaw villages. Because the Arkansas River has changed over time, some of the old fort sites are now underwater.
Contents
History of Arkansas Post
French Control (1686–1763)
First Settlement
Henri de Tonti and other Frenchmen started Arkansas Post in 1686. It was a trading post near a Quapaw village called Osotouy. This spot was about 35 miles up the Arkansas River from where it met the Mississippi River. De Tonti was given this land for his work on an expedition in 1682.
The French traded their goods for beaver furs with the Quapaw. This trade wasn't very profitable because the Quapaw didn't hunt many beavers. But being friends with the Quapaw and other local tribes like the Caddo and Osage was key to the post's survival.
The French first called the post Aux Arcs, meaning "at the home of the Arkansas." This was the first lasting French settlement west of the Mississippi River. It was also the first European settlement in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The first Christian church services in Arkansas happened here.
In 1699, King Louis XIV of France started putting more money into French Louisiana. A company tried to bring German settlers to grow crops here from 1717 to 1724. They brought about 100 slaves and workers. But this plan failed, and the company left Arkansas Post.
By 1720, the post was not as important to the French because it wasn't making much money. In 1723, only thirteen French soldiers were stationed there. In 1731, the post grew with new buildings like a barracks, a powder magazine, and a prison.
On May 10, 1749, during the Chickasaw Wars, the post faced its first fight. About 150 Chickasaw warriors attacked, killing and capturing some settlers.
Experts believe this first post was near what is now called the Menard–Hodges site. This site is also a National Historic Landmark and is protected by the National Park Service.
Second Settlement (Red Bluff)
After the Chickasaw attack, the post was moved upriver. This new spot was safer from attacks and closer to the Quapaw villages. It was called Écores Rouges (Red Bluff) and was on higher ground.
In 1752, the new commander rebuilt many important buildings. He added a chapel, a storehouse, a hospital, and a bake house. To protect these new buildings, he built a strong stockade (a fence of tall, pointed logs).
Third Settlement
In 1756, during the Seven Years' War between France and England, the post moved again. It went to a spot 10 miles from the Mississippi River. This was to help defend against British and Chickasaw attacks. This time, the post was built on the south bank of the Arkansas River.
Spanish Control (1763–1802)
After the British beat the French in the Seven Years' War, France gave its lands west of the Mississippi to Spain. Arkansas Post officially became Spanish in 1763, but Spain didn't take full control until 1771.
Most people at the post were still French. This made it hard for Spain to rule. In 1772, the Spanish commander was told to stop giving so many gifts to the Quapaw. This almost caused a fight, but the commander eventually went back to the old ways, and peace continued.
Fourth Settlement (Red Bluff)
In 1777 and 1778, floods damaged the post. The Spanish captain asked to move the post upriver again. He said the floods were bad and it was too far from the Quapaw. In 1779, the post moved back to the Red Bluff site, where the second French post had been.
Fort Carlos III was built here in July 1781. It had several small buildings inside a stockade. In the late 1700s, many Americans from the new United States settled near the post. They built their own village on the bluffs. Many of them were escaping the American Revolutionary War.
The only battle of the Revolutionary War fought in present-day Arkansas happened here on April 17, 1783. British soldiers and their Chickasaw allies attacked the Spanish forces at Arkansas Post. The Spanish, with help from their Quapaw allies and settlers, defended the fort and won.
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Fort Carlos III was always being damaged by the river. So, in 1791, the Spanish moved the military part of the post about half a mile away. They built a new fort called Fort San Estevan. It had a commander's house, barracks, a storehouse, and a kitchen, all inside a stockade.
Brief French Control (1802–1804)
Spain gave Louisiana and Arkansas Post back to France in 1800. But no French officials came to take over. The Spanish soldiers stayed in charge until the United States bought the land.
United States Control (1804–Present)
In 1804, Arkansas Post became part of the United States. This happened when the U.S. bought the huge Louisiana Purchase from France. At that time, the post had 30 houses, mostly lived in by French families.
American settlers mostly lived in separate villages north of the post. But more Americans moved to the main post after the purchase. Fort Madison, which was Fort San Estevan, was used until 1810. It was then abandoned because of erosion and floods.
In 1805, the U.S. government built a trading house at the north end of the post. It became an important stop for travelers heading west. Explorers like Stephen Harriman Long and Thomas Nuttall passed through.
In 1813, Arkansas Post was chosen as the capital of Arkansas County. In 1819, it became the first capital of the new Arkansas Territory. It was the center of business and politics in Arkansas. The territory's first newspaper, the Arkansas Gazette, started here in 1819.
A tavern at the post was used as the meeting place for the first Arkansas Territorial General Assembly in 1820. While it was the capital, Arkansas Post grew a lot.
Over time, more people settled further into the Arkansas River Valley. Little Rock became the biggest settlement. When the capital moved there in 1821, many businesses and groups moved too. Arkansas Post lost much of its importance.
The settlement stayed active as a river town through the 1840s, especially with more steamboat traffic. A French businessman, Colonel Frederick Notrebe, ran many businesses there. By the 1850s, the post was declining, and its population got much smaller.
An old well and cistern (a tank for storing water) built in the early 1800s are still at the memorial site today.
Confederate Control (1861–1863)
During the American Civil War, Arkansas Post was still a key military spot. In 1862, the Confederate States Army built a huge fort called Fort Hindman. It was on a bluff 25 feet above the river. From there, soldiers could see a mile up and down the river. The fort was meant to stop Union forces from going upriver to Little Rock.
From January 9–11, 1863, Union forces attacked the fort. They used both land troops and powerful ironclad gunboats. The Union forces had many more soldiers (33,000) than the Confederates (5,500). The Union won easily, capturing the post and most of the Confederate soldiers.
The battle's artillery fire badly damaged the fort and the town. After this, Arkansas Post lost any importance it still had. It became mostly a rural area.
The Union victory helped them control the Mississippi River. It also helped them win the important battle at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
During the time the Confederates held the post, the old state bank building was used as a hospital. You can still see parts of the Confederate road, trenches, and artillery spots at the memorial site today.
Arkansas Post National Memorial
The Arkansas Post National Memorial is a protected area of about 757 acres in Arkansas County. The National Park Service manages most of the land. The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism runs a museum on the rest of the grounds.
The Memorial remembers the long and interesting history of this place. It tells the story of the Quapaw people, the first French settlers, the short time of Spanish rule, a small battle during the American Revolutionary War in 1783, and its role as the first capital of Arkansas. It also remembers the American Civil War battle in 1863.
The site of Arkansas Post became a state park in 1929. It started with 20 acres given by Fred Quandt, whose family still lives in Arkansas. More land was added over the years. Many improvements were made with help from the Works Progress Administration, a government program.
On July 6, 1960, the site was named a National Memorial. It was also recognized as a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960.
Archaeology at Arkansas Post
Digging Up the Past
In 1956–1957, Preston Holder led the first archaeological digs at Arkansas Post. His team found remains of the French colonial village from the 1700s. They found trenches that showed how French colonial houses were built.
By this time, the remains of the 1752 French fort, Fort Carlos III, the 1790s Fort San Estevan, and Fort Hindman were all underwater. This was because the Arkansas River channel had changed. So, no archaeological evidence remains for those forts.
In 1964, the National Park Service started rebuilding some parts of the colonial remains. This included parts of Fort Carlos III, which the Spanish built. More archaeological digs happened in 1966 and 1970–1971. They found buildings from the 1800s, like the state bank and homes.
Most of the homes were built in a French or Spanish colonial style. But the style could change based on the family's culture. Thousands of ceramic pieces were also found.
John Walthall, the state archaeologist for Arkansas, said in the 1990s that the archaeological finds are the most valuable things at the memorial. This includes Quapaw settlements that haven't been fully explored yet. It also includes the European and American settlements from the 1700s and 1800s. Digs have been more successful in the northern part of the site. This area was less affected by erosion and floods. Because of erosion, there are no physical traces left of the post's old waterfront.
Images for kids
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Annie Hatley, Depiction of Arkansas Post in 1689, Arkansas State Archives, 1904
See also
In Spanish: Puesto de Arkansas para niños
