Memphis to Little Rock Road-Village Creek Segment

About this property

The Memphis to Little Rock Road (also known as the Military Road) was a settlement road constructed between 1819 and Reconstruction in Arkansas. The project was one of many internal improvements (infrastructure projects) to assist settlement of the Old Southwest as well as military defense of the Arkansas Territory. The city of Memphis was founded on May 22, 1819 by John Overton, James Winchester and Andrew Jackson. Given the advantageous position on the Chickasaw Bluffs above the Mississippi River, the city quickly developed into a trade and transportation center. As King Cotton became more important, the fertile lands of the Mississippi Delta surrounding Memphis becoming cotton plantations, and the city became a major cotton market and brokerage center, as well as a hub for African-American slave trading. At the time of achieving territorial status in 1819, Arkansas was largely a rough and sparsely wilderness covered by swamps and forests rather than populated settlements. The US government thought a road between Memphis, Tennessee and the nascent territorial capital Little Rock would aid development of the frontier territory. Federal support eventually came on January 31, 1824, with $15,000 ($440,000 in today's dollars) allocated for surveying a route. Shortly after setting out from Memphis the team of three surveyors found terrain along the route very wet and swampy. Despite arguments over the best alignment, an alignment of 135.5 miles (218.1 km) was selected, cutting the total distance by over 60 miles (97 km) (prior journeys being via Arkansas Post or Helena, Arkansas). By 1828, the 24 feet (7.3 m) wide dirt road was open, though still subject to closures following seasonal rains. By 1831, the Arkansas General Assembly requested an $20,000 ($605,000 in today's dollars) for repairs. Flooding made the road impassible, sometimes for months at a time, impeding the emigrants to settle Arkansas and points west. Now represented by Ambrose Sevier in the US House of Representatives, Arkansas had the ear of President Andrew Jackson. Studies to determine the necessary improvements produced an additional $106,000 ($3,419,000 in today's dollars) from Congress in 1834 to construct an entirely new road, bridges, levees, and drainage improvements. The right-of-way now exceeded 200 feet (61 m), as trees were cleared on both sides of the road to allow sunlight to dry the roadway. Five preserved segments of the Memphis to Little Rock Road in Arkansas are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite arguments over the best alignment, an alignment of 135.5 miles (218.1 km) was selected, cutting the total distance by over 60 miles (97 km) (previous journeys had been via Arkansas Post or Helena, Arkansas.

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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.

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