Arkansas Post National Memorial

National Memorial, Established 1960. The Site Of Arkansas Post, Founded By Henri De Tonti In 1686 As The First Semi Permanent European Settlement In The Lower Mississippi River Valley; Later A Spanish, French And American Post, The First Capital Of Arkansas Territory, And The Site Of The 1863 Battle Of Arkansas Post. · Gillett, Arkansas

Henri de Tonti put a trading post here in 1686, which makes Arkansas Post the first semi-permanent European settlement in the lower Mississippi valley and older than New Orleans by a generation. The ground changed hands repeatedly after that - French, Spanish, French again, then American - and it saw the only Revolutionary War action fought in what is now Arkansas, the 1783 Colbert Raid. It became the first capital of Arkansas Territory in 1819 and the territory's first newspaper was printed here. Then the river moved, the capital went to Little Rock, and in January 1863 a Union force of thirty thousand destroyed the Confederate fort that had been built on the remains. What is left is a quiet peninsula of grass, oak and slough where the Arkansas River meets the White, with interpretive markers where the town stood and almost nothing above ground - which is a strange and rather affecting thing to walk round.

1741 Old Post Road, Gillett, Arkansas, 72055, United States

The grounds and trails are open daily during daylight hours and there is no entrance fee. The visitor centre keeps daytime hours and closes on major winter holidays. The site floods: low-lying trails and sections close when the Arkansas and White Rivers are high, which happens most springs. Ranger programmes run on a seasonal schedule. Confirm conditions before driving - this is a long detour off any main route.

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