POWHATAN LAWRENCE COUNTY ARKANSAS GENEALOGY TRAILS Powhatan Courthouse State Park Powhatan, pronounced "Pow-uh-TAN," was named for the Indian chief Powhatan, whose three empires in the early 17th century covered most of eastern Virginia. Powhatan was the father of Pocahontas. Long before Powhatan was incorporated as a town, the area was occupied by Osage Indians. In 1817, they were moved onto reservations outside the state. In 1820, John Ficklin established a ferry on the Black River and built a house on the hill northwest of the ferry. The house, destroyed by fire during the Civil War, was probably the first residence of Powhatan. Historians give Ficklin credit as the town's founder. The first steamboat to arrive at Powhatan-the Laurel-docked at Ficklin Ferry in 1829. Cargo and passengers arrived and embarked from sternwheelers and keel boats, and crossed the rivers on ferries. Ficklin Ferry, on the Black River, was once described as "the most accessible point at all seasons of the year from Jacksonport to Pocahontas." This ferry, later called the Powhatan Ferry, increased in importance into the 1880s. Powhatan was the chief shipping point for a large territory. Steamboat passengers boarded at Powhatan to travel down the Black and White Rivers, then up or down the Mississippi to their final destinations. Eventually, steamboat transportation declined and was used mostly by the timber business. Powhatan began its decline when the Frisco Railroad bypassed the town, roads improved, and rail travel began to overtake river passage. Powhatan Courthouse The period after 1869 was one of rapid growth and community development. Upon selection of Powhatan as county seat, commissioners were appointed to select the site for a new courthouse. The first courthouse, completed in 1873, burned in 1885, the foresight of fireproof vaults protected the records, some dating to 1813. A second two-story courthouse, built with brick manufactured at a local kiln, was erected on the same foundation. The cornerstone of the courthouse standing today was laid May 10, 1888. In 1963, voters decided to consolidate two county seats into one at Walnut Ridge, and in 1966, county officials departed Powhatan for the last time. The Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives is located on the first floor of the Powhatan Courthouse. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in February of 1970. It became a state park in 1974. Source: Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism Return to Lawrence County Index Page Return to Arkansas Genealogy Trails ŠJune 2006 Arkansas Genealogy Trails |