Clarendon AR: Where We're Going: Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial

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The Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase will be celebrated throughout Arkansas during 2003. Clarendon will be participating in these celebrations, and we will post activities later in the year. Please check the Web site www.lapurchase.org for more information!

Louisiana Purchase Patch Program

From Girl and Boy Scouts to vacationers to Arkansas history buffs, any collectible-patch enthusiast will enjoy the Louisiana Purchase Commemoration Patch Award Program.

Developed by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Committee, the patch program encourages Arkansans and others to learn about the state's vital role in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. By completing tasks in three program areas - history, natural history and surveying - and visiting at least four state parks or historic sites, enthusiasts will experience life in Colonial and Territorial Arkansas around the time the Louisiana Territory was added to the United States's land holdings.

The History portion of the curriculum asks questions about the Purchase itself and life in Arkansas at the time of the famous land deal. The Natural History section concentrates on the swamps, forests and bountiful wildlife found in the state in the early 1800s. The Surveying section includes interactive lessons on early surveying methods and instruments. Twenty state parks and historic sites are participating in the patch program.

The patch itself, designed exclusively for the state of Arkansas and available only from the Department of Parks and Tourism, features the official Louisiana Purchase Commemoration logo and tagline "The Journey Began In Arkansas." Stitching in orange, purple and teal highlights the patch's intricate detail, sure to make the patch stand out among Scout merit badges and other collectible patches.

The patch curriculum is only available online and can be downloaded from www.ArkansasStateParks.com/lapurchase/LAP_patchbk2.pdf. Record of the completed tasks should be kept on the form included in the curriculum. The patch can be obtained from Arkansas State Parks once the tasks are completed and recorded on the form. The patch costs $5.

Driving Tours

To augment the Patch Award Program, three driving tours through the Arkansas Delta provide access to a remarkable array of experiences in history and natural beauty, all related to the state's role in the Louisiana Purchase. The routes are all along the state's two National Scenic Byways - the Great River Road and Crowley's Ridge Parkway - as well as Arkansas Highway 49, the Louisiana Purchase Highway. These excursions showcase the state's pristine natural areas, historic museums and well-maintained parks.

The route along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway loops around state highways 49, 79 and 1 from Brinkley (Monroe County) to Dumas (Desha County). Along the way, travelers can view exhibits at the Delta Depot Museum in Brinkley and Clarendon Visitor Center in Clarendon (Monroe County). More history can be explored on walks around Clarendon and along the boardwalk at Louisiana Purchase State Park. The new White River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in St. Charles (Arkansas County) tells the tale of the last remaining population of Southern black bear. And, both Arkansas Post museums near Dumas showcase the state's oldest settlement and trading post. Camping and picnicking are available along the Arkansas River at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation areas.

Another driving tour along Crowley's Ridge Parkway begins and ends at Village Creek State Park (Cross County), circling through northeast Arkansas on state highways 284, 1, 44 and 49. Travelers can enjoy Village Creek State Park, which features 7,000 acres of forest, rolling hills, trails, fishing lakes, cabins and campsites, and Parkin Archeological State Park (Cross County), a National Historic Landmark where a 450-year-old Native American village site is preserved. A visit to Marianna (Lee County) includes tours of the local museum and many historical sites and homes, as well as Louisiana Purchase State Park, where the L'Anguille Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a granite monument marking the initial survey point of the Louisiana Territory. Travelers can enjoy the pristine wilderness found in the St. Francis National Forest on the way to Helena (Phillips County), where the history of the Mississippi Delta and its culture are on display at the Delta Cultural Center. Finally, Brinkley's Delta Depot Museum is a must-see attraction. Campsites are available in the St. Francis National Forest and at Village Creek State Park. Cabin rentals are also available at Village Creek.

A third driving excursion from Brinkley to Helena on the Louisiana Purchase Highway includes stops along state highways 49, 79 and 1. After enjoying the Delta Depot Museum in Brinkley, the Clarendon Visitor Center in Clarendon, Louisiana Purchase State Park and the White River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in St. Charles, head to Walnut Corner (Phillips County). The Missouri Pacific Railroad's "Route of the Eagles" line running through the small Walnut Corner community is now the Delta Heritage Trail State Park, offering four miles of uninterrupted right-of-way for walkers and bikers. Finish the Louisiana Purchase Highway loop at the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, where the rich history and culture of the Mississippi Delta come alive. Picnic spots are available along the Delta Heritage Trail.

Arkansas's Role in the Louisiana Purchase

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson finalized the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France, doubling the size of the United States. The acquisition included 830,000 square miles of unmapped wilderness.

A survey of the new land began in 1815 in east Arkansas. The initial point of the survey (where the baseline and meridian cross) is located in a swamp at the corner of Lee, Phillips and Monroe counties. It is from this point that all land in the Louisiana Purchase was mapped - every legal description of the land west of the Mississippi depended on measurements taken from this point. Prospect K. Robbins and Joseph C. Brown conducted the surveys.

This starting point for the surveyors who explored and mapped the frontier is now Louisiana Purchase State Park, where visitors can walk along a boardwalk through the swamp and experience the sights and sounds of the wilderness, much like the original surveyors did.

The Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Committee of Arkansas

A committee of more than 35 state and federal agencies, communities and associations implemented a yearlong commemoration of Arkansas's role in the Louisiana Purchase. The Secretary of State's Office is the coordinating agency for Arkansas's commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial of Arkansas.

Arkansas State Parks

Arkansas State Parks manages 51 parks, museums and historic sites, protecting and interpreting some of Arkansas's most cherished places. It is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

For More Information

For more information about Arkansas's role in the Louisiana Purchase, contact the Secretary of State's Office at (501) 682-1010 or visit www.lapurchase.org. For more information about the patch program or the driving excursions, call 1-888-AT-PARKS or visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com/lapurchase.
Photo left: Clarendon is in close proximity to the Louisiana Purchase State Park. Photo by Kathy Radomski.

Where We're Going: Visions for Clarendon | Tourism | Funding
Activities | Future Plans | Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial