American Townsite

In the early 1800's, this land was an important center of trade and government on the edge of the Arkansas River wilderness, with the homes, stores, taverns, mills, docks, and busy streets of the Post of Arkansas. It served as the capital of Arkansas Territory from its organization in 1819 until the capital moved to Little Rock in 1821. At the height of the Post's importance in the 1820's and 1830's, the population was about 1,000. The Civil War forced river traffic to cease, and in the resulting economic collapse most residents left. Bombardment by Union gunboats in 1863 destroyed much of the village, and it did not recover after the war. Railroads and highways eventually bypassed Arkansas Post, further isolating it economically, and the Arkansas River washed away part of the land where the townsite stood. None of the structures remain standing today, though the town once also included a law office, church, jail, blacksmith shop, billiard parlor, and a girls' academy.

Arkansas · United States