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From: "Diana Boothe" <>
Subject: [AR-RAILROADS] ARKANSAS PLACE NAMES-COUNTIES AND COUNTY SEATS-Pt.1
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 12:39:20 -0500


This, that I will be posting the next few days, is taken from a book
written by EARNIE DEANE, entitled "ARKANSAS PLACE NAMES-From Apt to Zinc, by
way of Oil Trough, Toad Suck, Smackover and Ink." Copyright by E.C.Deane,
1986. All Rights Reserved. When I get into town names, I will also include
items taken from "ARKANSAS ROADSIDES-A Guidebook for the State", written by
BILL EARNGEY, Copyright 1987.

Diana

COUNTIES AND COUNTY SEATS

Of 75 Arkansas counties, 60 are named for individuals. Sources of the
other 15 county names range from a tree (Lonoke) and rocky conditions
(Stone) to an Indian tribe (Arkansas) and several rivers. The individuals
honored in the naming of counties include several men of national and
international fame, including Presidents Washington and Jefferson,
Arkansas's first newspaper editor (Woodruff), and the fiddle player and
story teller who made "The Arkansas Traveler" famous (Faulkner).
Arkansas County is the oldest, established in 1813, and CIeburne the
youngest, created in 1883. The first five counties were created when
Arkansas was a part of the Territory of Missouri. The legislature of the
Territory of Arkansas created 29 more, including Lovely which was
short-lived. Union is the largest in area, 1,052 square miles, with White
second, 1,042 square miles. Sebastian is the smallest in area, 529 square
miles, slightly smaller than Baxter with 536. Pulaski is the largest in
population, and Calhoun the smallest.
Several Arkansas counties have two courthouses. Confusion also is
sometimes created by the fact that a county seat such as Marion (Crittenden
County) isn't the seat of Marion County (Yellville, county seat), whereas
Danville and Dardanelle are the seats of Yell County. Meantime, Bentonville
is the county seat of Benton County, and Lonoke the county seat of Lonoke
County.
Origins of the names of county seats range widely, from Texarkana (Miller
County), a "coined" name, to Hot Springs (Garland County), which pays
recognition to the famous thermal springs there, to Pocahontas (Randolph
County), the Indian "princess."
(ARKANSAS PLACE NAMES)


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