ARKANSAS - When tracing the history of the Natural State, the timeline extends back much further than the American pioneer era. The title of the oldest European settlement belongs to Arkansas Post (Poste de Arkansea). Established in 1686, it predates the founding of New Orleans and St. Louis, making it one of the most significant historical sites in the Lower Mississippi Valley.
The Founding: 1686
Arkansas Post was born from the ambitions of the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, to establish a trade route from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.
- Henri de Tonti: While La Salle was the visionary, it was his lieutenant, Henri de Tonti ("The Iron Hand"), who actually established the post. In 1686, Tonti left six men at a Quapaw village near the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers to establish a trading house.
- The First Capital: For over a century, Arkansas Post was the center of trade, government, and military power in the region. When the United States acquired the Louisiana Purchase territory in 1803, Arkansas Post served as the first territorial capital (1819–1821) before the seat of government moved to Little Rock.
Indigenous Roots
The settlement was only possible because of the Quapaw people. The name "Arkansas" itself comes from the Illinois confederacy's name for the Quapaw: Akansa ("People of the South Wind"). The Quapaw were known for their friendly relations with the French, and the early post relied heavily on them for food, protection, and the fur trade. The settlement was actually a series of different locations (due to flooding and war) that moved up and down the river, but always remained close to the Quapaw villages.
A Technical Distinction: Settlement vs. Existing City
There is a major distinction in Arkansas history between the "first settlement" and the "oldest existing city."
- Arkansas Post: While it was the first settlement and a bustling town for decades, it eventually declined after the capital moved and the railroad bypassed it. During the Civil War, a massive battle destroyed much of the town. Today, it is not a functional city but the Arkansas Post National Memorial, a federally protected park.
- Batesville (1821): Because Arkansas Post is no longer a municipality, Batesville holds the title of the oldest existing city in Arkansas. Surveyed in 1821 and incorporated in 1822, Batesville has been continuously inhabited and governed as a town since the early territorial days.
Arkansas Post is the oldest European settlement in Arkansas, founded in 1686 by Henri de Tonti. It served as the commercial and political hub of the region under French, Spanish, and American rule for over 130 years. However, because the town was eventually abandoned and is now a National Memorial, Batesville (founded in 1821) holds the title of the oldest continuously incorporated city in the state.
Sources
- Arkansas Post National Memorial (National Park Service). "History & Culture."
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas. "Arkansas Post."
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas. "Batesville."
- Arkansas State Parks. "History of Arkansas Post."
- The Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma. "Tribal History."