Timeline
1851 Agriculture
Most people in Arkansas farmed for a living and strong agriculture in the Arkansas and
Mississippi River lowlands depended on a proposed system of levees. In January, Governor
Roane approved an act which provided for the reclaiming of swamp and overflowed lands
recently donated by the federal government. The proceeds from these land sales were used to
begin levee work on the rivers adjoining them. By September, a contract was let for levee
construction from Bayou Meto to Hornbuckle's Bayou and more contracts followed.
The state finally acted on an 1841 federal land donation for internal improvements by
creating Internal Improvement Commissions in each county. Roswell Beebe, hoping funds
could be pooled to build a railroad, initiated a convention of internal improvement commissioners,
which recommended the combining of funds and the construction of "good" roads for the state.
Another federal action benefiting the state was the creation of a second district court for
Arkansas. One district would serve most of the state; the other, western Arkansas and Indian
territory. Although the western district did not yet have a separate judge, a district attorney and
marshall were stationed at Van Buren. Later the court site was moved to Fort Smith, where,
beginning in 1875, "hanging judge" Isaac Parker dispensed justice.
The state penitentiary was destroyed by fire for the second time in six years. A contract
was let to John Robins of Little Rock for the construction of new workshops, a jailhouse and an
enclosing stone wall.
Arkansas publicized its mineral resources by shipping a block of Little Rock granite to
Washington to be part of the Washington Monument and a 1,300 pound specimen of lead and
silver ore headed for the London World's Fair.
Hopeful of keeping the newspaper in family hands, William Woodruff named his son,
Alden, editor of the Gazette and Democrat. The Banner, which soon would be renamed the True
Democrat, took on a new editor in Richard H. Johnson, younger brother of Congressman Bob
Johnson.
Death claimed three pioneers of early Arkansas in 1851: General Matthew Arbuckle,
longtime commander of the army on the Arkansas frontier; Andrew Scott, one of the three
original judges of the Superior Court of Arkansas Territory; and James Miller, first governor of
the Territory.
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