The Little Rock

The Little Rock is the stone outcrop on the south bank of the Arkansas River that gave Little Rock, Arkansas, its name. Beside the Junction Bridge in the city’s waterfront area, it once rose about 18 feet above the river but has been reduced over time, with part of the formation incorporated into the bridge’s foundations. French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe identified it as an important landmark in 1722, and in 1818 it became the starting point for land surveys south of the river. Its role as both a geographic reference point and the city’s namesake led to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Little Rock, Arkansas · United States