A brief history of Arkansas A Brief History of Arkansas including Cross and St. Francis Counties
Gazette Articles on Area
1879 Arkansas Newspapers
Prepared by Loyd N. Sybert
There is evidence that what is now Arkansas was occupied by numerous Indian tribes one thousand years before Ferdinand De Soto reached the area that is now Arkansas in the year 1541. One hundred thirty-one years later, in the year 1673, Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, French Catholic Missionaries, came down the Mississippi River from Illinois and entered the Arkansas River, but returned to Illinois later. The following important events in the history of Arkansas affected political jurisdictions, family movements, and record keeping;
1682
Chevalier de LaSalle came from France and eventually reached the Indian Villages on the Arkansas River, and on April 9, 1682, he took possession of all country drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries and conferred upon the country thus claimed the name of Louisiana, in honor of his French King.1686
The French established Arkansas Post, the first white settlement in what is now Arkansas. It was the administrative center for the French, Spanish, and United States Governments until 1821 when Little Rock became the capital.1763
France ceded the region to Spain.1800
Spain officially returned the land to France, although Spanish occupancy continued until 1802.1803
The United States acquired the area that is now Arkansas, with the Louisiana Purchase and it became part of the Louisiana Territory which was created in the year 1805. The Louisiana Territory consisted of three districts; those lands east of the Arkansas River were Indian lands, those lands above and west of the Arkansas River were New Madrid and Arkansas Districts. The 1810 census enumerated Arkansas District as Hopefield, St. Francis and Arkansas Post on the Arkansas River.1812
The Missouri Territory was established including Arkansas in its boundaries and changed the districts to counties. After the War of 1812, the Indian population decreased and white settlers arrived to claim bounty land.1813
The territoral legislature established Arkansas County.1819
Arkansas became a seperate territory. By the year 1820 Arkansas was divided into six counties and three Indian tracts and lands; Arkansas, Clark, Hempstead, Lawrence, Phillips and Pulaski Counties; the Cherokee Indian Track surrounded by Lawrence and Pulaski Counties; the Quapaw Indian Tract surrounded by Arkansas, Clark and Pulaski Counties; the Indian lands in northwestern Arkansas surrounded by Lawrence County, the Missouri Territory and Spanish Mexico. Miller County was established in 1820 by the Arkansas territoral legislature which did not clearly understand the U.S. and Spanish Mexico 1819 treaty. Settlers in Miller County living south of the Red River were actually in what is now Texas. 1827
St. Francis County was established October 13 1827. It was bounded on the south by Monroe and Phillips Counties, on the east by Crittenden. on the north by Lawrence, on the northwest corner by Jackson County and on the west by Pulaski County. 1830
By the year 1830 Arkansas had 22 established counties. Miller County vanished north of the Red River when the Indian line was moved east in 1828 to become the present Oklahoma-Arkansas border. Miller County was enumerated entirely inside Texas for the 1830 census and by 1838 had ceased to exist after Red River County, Texas was created in 1836. Modern Miller County, Arkansas was established in 1874. 1836
Arkansas became a state.1840
By the year 1840 Arkansas had 38 established counties. Poinsett County was established in the year 1836. A portion of North St. Francis County was taken to form Poinsett County. St. Francis County was now bounded on the south by Monroe and Phillips Counties, on the east by Crittendedn, on the north by Jackson and Poinsett Counties, and on the west by Pulaski and White Counties. 1850
By the year 1850 Arkansas had 51 established counties. There was no change of the county lines or boundaries of St. Francis County. 1860
By the year 1860 Arkansas had 55 established counties. There was no change of the county lines or boundaries of St. Francis County.1861
Arkansas seceded from the Union. It was readmitted in 1868.1862
Cross County was established November 15, 1862. Cross County was formed from parts of Crittenden, Poinsett, Jackson and St. Francis Counties. Cross County was bounded on the south by St. Francis, on the east by Crittenden, on the north by Poinsett, and on the west by Jackson and Woodruff Counties.1870
By the year 1870 Arkansas had 61 established counties. Large parts of St. Francis County was re-apportioned to the surrounding counties. St. Francis County was now bounded on the south by Phillips, on the east by Crittenden, on the north by Cross, and on the west by Woodruff and Monroe Counties. There was no change in the boundaries of Cross County. 1880
By the year 1880 Arkansas had 74 established counties. Another large tract of land was taken from St. Francis County to form Lee County. St. Francis County was now bounded on the south by Lee County, on the east by Crittenden, on the north by Crittenden and Cross Counties and on the west by Woodruff and Monroe Counties.1890
By the year 1890 Arkansas had 75 established counties. There were only minor changes in the boundaries of Cross County and St. Francis County. It should be noted that the federal census for all Arkansas counties was lost. 1920
By the year 1920 Arkansas still had only 75 established counties and there were only minor changes in the county boundaries. Cross County and St. Francis County boundaries have remained the same to date.
Updated July 29,2012