Take a walk back in time at Louisiana Purchase State Park
Corbet Deary
Outdoor writer and photographer Corbet Deary is featured regularly in The Sentinel-Record. Today, Deary writes about Louisiana Purchase State Park.
I’ve always been intrigued with swamps, as they provide a habitat much different from the norm in Arkansas. An array of critters thrive in this specific environment, some of which I suspect are indigenous to untamed wetlands.
I suppose the fact that swamps are practically nonexistent throughout the Ouachita Mountain Region is yet another reason I find these habitats so interesting. Let alone that many such environments throughout eastern Arkansas have vanished as a result of farming practices.
But regardless of the reason, I never turn down an opportunity to explore these low-lying areas that are often engulfed with what appears as stale and motionless waters.
There is one swamp in particular, however, that I find most intriguing. It’s not that this tract of land sports natural characteristics that deem it different from other swamplands lurking in Arkansas’ Delta.
The Delta’s rich history began with the exploration of the area west of the Mississippi River in the
mid-1500s. It was 1541, to be more exact, and Hernando DeSoto’s expedition was underway. The Spanish explorer and his crew entered the vast territory with a far greater interest of finding treasures, in lieu of colonizing.
But the arrival of French explorer Rene’-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, in the late 1600s also had a profound impact on the country that we know today.
Beginning his journey at French Canada, he claimed he located the mouth of the Mississippi River at the Gulf of Mexico. While in the vicinity of the mouth of the Arkansas River during his excursion, the explorer claimed all of the lands that drained by the Mississippi in the name of King Louis XIV. And he called this huge tract of land Louisiana.
The French controlled this territory for 80 years. However, they returned the land to Spain in
1762, in exchange for their support against England during the French and Indian War.
Napoleon Bonaparte pressured King Charles IV, however, to return the territory to France in 1800. But the land would soon change hands one more time, as Napoleon turned around and sold the entire Louisiana Territory, consisting of
830,000 square miles, to the United States for $15,000,000 in 1803. That’s a whopping less than 3 cents per acre.
President Thomas Jefferson showed great interest in this new and massive tract of land and sent multiple expeditions into the territory. Hunter and Dunbar led the initial expedition. But Lewis and Clark eventually followed.
Specimens were collected and recorded during these daunting excursions. The results of their expeditions spurred even greater interest in the region, as it was bountiful with natural resources and wildlife.
There was a noticeable increase of settlers, west of the Mississippi, following the War of 1812. A portion of this land would be distributed to war veterans. Hence the importance of an official land survey. In turn, Prospect K. Robbins and Joseph C. Brown were commissioned by the United States to begin the survey in 1815, establishing a reference point from where other surveys would originate.
This particular reference point went unnoticed for an excess of 100 years. It was discovered, however, by Tom Jacks and Eldridge P. Douglas in 1921 while resurveying the Lee and Phillips county lines.
The surveyors recognized two large trees that had been marked by Robbins and Brown, more than a century earlier as “witness trees.”
The L’Anguille chapter of the “Daughters of the American Revolution” considered the discovery of significance, and dedicated a monument in honor of the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory in October of 1926. And the Arkansas General Assembly eventually recognized the “Witness Trees’” significance in history as well, passing legislation and designating the area as a state park in 1961. However, no funds were provided for development.
The Natural Heritage Commission recognized the area’s natural value and added it to the register of Arkansas Natural Areas in 1977. The commission provided funds to purchase the land. In turn, Arkansas State Parks granted an easement providing even greater legal protection for this historical site.
With time came a 950-foot, barrier-free boardwalk leading through the swamp and to the granite monument marking the initial point of the survey of what eventually became 13 states, including Arkansas.
Kenny and Rebecca Talbert, my wife, Sandy, and I recently stopped by the Louisiana Purchase State Park while en route back to Hot Springs from a bike ride on the Delta Heritage Trail.
The facility was only a few miles off the highway leading back to Hot Springs and we still had plenty of daylight ahead. So why not make a short detour to a location where we could grow more acquainted with Arkansas’ rich history?
Arriving at the parking lot, it quickly grew evident that this particular state park differed from its sister sites in the sense that there was no visitor center on site. In fact, the Delta Heritage Trail State Park Visitor Center, which was located fairly close by, also served as a visitor center for this facility. There was a porta-potty adjacent to the parking area, though, which I suppose could prove a welcome addition under the right circumstances.
From the parking area, we began a casual trek along the boardwalk leading into the heart of the swamp. I suppose the highlight of the journey into the swamp was the monument awaiting at the end of the 950-foot-long walkway, to many. But I was equally interested in simply experiencing the sights and sounds of the environment around us.
Water Tupelos thrived in the soggy soil and towered into the sky. A few cypress trees also took root among the tupelos. Years had passed since I had visited this destination. My recollection of how the boardwalk was surrounded by trees was spot on. But one thing was different upon our most recent excursion. I recalled water consuming the substrate. But dry weather had obviously affected the conditions, as much of the swamp was nothing more than a damp, leaf-covered soil. There were still a few sections, however, where shallow water still covered the earth’s surface.
I had hopes of seeing a cottonmouth or watersnake taking cover beneath the shade of the thick canopy, to no avail. And even though I didn’t even see a frog basking in the wet environment, I did hear their familiar voices resonating through the early evening air.
I did notice an occasional bird zipping to and from, although my bird identification skills have little to be desired. And I certainly noticed a cadence of insects singing throughout the forest.
The stroll along the boardwalk was slow, as I eagerly took in all around me. But I eventually reached the point where history had been made. And although the monument was rather small in comparison to other statues I had seen, I was equally impressed, as a significant historical event had taken place at this exact spot in the midst of a Delta wwamp.
To get to Louisiana Purchase State Park, from I-40 at Brinkley, take Highway 49 south for about 21 miles and turn east (left) on Highway 362. Travel 2 miles on 362 to the parking area.