There’s A Little Slice Of History Hiding In This Swamp In Arkansas

Do you remember the history of the Louisiana Purchase from school? If not, that’s okay. We’ll do a quick review. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson, also known as the guy who wrote the Declaration of Independence, purchased a little parcel of land called Louisiana for 15 million dollars. By "little parcel of land called Louisiana," I mean a hunk of the North American continent that comprised 900,000 square miles of wilderness and doubled the size of the fledgling United States. That land would become six whole states, including Arkansas, and parts of eight more states. So we have Thomas Jefferson and his $15 million dollars to thank for speaking English right now instead of French. Thanks, Mr. President, French appears to have a lot of unpronounceable letters.

As anyone who has ever bought land can tell you, you really must have a survey. The official survey of the Louisiana Purchase was ordered in 1815 by President James Madison, and the expedition began right here in the Natural State. The survey of the great big swath of land once called Louisiana began in a swamp in the Arkansas delta, just south of the town of Brinkley, and there’s a stone marker there to commemorate that historic expedition.

To find a map, click here.

Please note, Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park is temporarily closed.

If you’re looking for a visual reminder, here’s a map depicting just how much land needed to be surveyed:

Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park is comprised of 37.5 acres of swampland in three Arkansas counties: Lee, Monroe, and Phillips.

Don’t worry about bringing your waders, though. They’ve built a fantastic boardwalk to lead you to the marker.

As you stroll across the boardwalk, you’ll see some incredible scenery. This expansive, well-preserved swamp is unique in Arkansas.

The boardwalk also offers you an incredible opportunity to explore the swamp without getting your feet muddy. You can literally walk above the water while being immersed in the nature all around you.

The boardwalk is 950 feet long and marked with interpretative signs about the significance of the expedition and the ecology of the swamp all around it.

All that strolling over swampland leads you to your final destination, the marker of the beginning of the Louisiana Purchase Survey expedition.

The marker may not look very big, but it’s actually six feet tall. It was set by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1926. The spot was then added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and made a National Historic Landmark in 1993.

If you're looking for more unique historic landmarks in Arkansas, click here.

For some Arkansas history you may not have learned, you'll want to check out the odd and sometimes hilarious stories in this article.