About this property
The Arkansas Post (French: Poste de Arkansea; Spanish: Puesto de Arkansas), officially the Arkansas Post National Memorial, was the first European settlement located along the Mississippi River, in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and in the present-day U.S. state of Arkansas. In 1686, Henri de Tonti established it on behalf of Louis XIV of France for the purpose of trading with the Quapaw Nation. The French, Spanish, and Americans, who acquired the territory in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase, considered the site of strategic value. It was the capital of Arkansas from 1819 until 1821 when the territorial government relocated to Little Rock. During the fur trade years, Arkansas Post was protected by a series of fortifications. The forts and associated settlements were located at three known sites and possibly a fourth. Some of the historic structures have been lost as the waterfront has been subject to erosion and flooding. The land encompassing the second (and fourth) Arkansas Post site (Red Bluff) was designated as a state park in 1929. In 1960, about 757.51 acres (306.55 ha) of land at the site were protected as the Arkansas Post National Memorial, a National Memorial and National Historic Landmark. Since the 1950s, three archeological excavations have been conducted at Arkansas Post. Experts say the most extensive cultural resources at the site are archaeological, both for the 18th and 19th-century European-American settlements, and the earlier Quapaw villages. Due to changes of the Arkansas River and its navigation measures, the local water level has risen closer to the height of the bluffs, which used to be well above the river. The site is now considered low lying. Erosion and construction of dams, canals, and locks on the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers have resulted in the remains of three of the historic forts now being underwater in the river channel.
Location
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Arkansas Post National Memorial
This page lists Arkansas Post National Memorial. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
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Questions about this property
When was Arkansas Post National Memorial listed on the National Register?
Arkansas Post National Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.
What type of historic resource is Arkansas Post National Memorial?
Arkansas Post National Memorial is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Arkansas Post National Memorial a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Arkansas Post National Memorial has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Arkansas Post National Memorial?
The period of significance for Arkansas Post National Memorial is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1686.
Can I research the history near Arkansas Post National Memorial?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Arkansas Post National Memorial will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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An Aubrey US report for an address near Arkansas Post National Memorial will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.