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Pocahontas Arkansas Local Area Information and Links
Pocahontas
Area Links
Randolph County History
The family of Dr. Ransom S. Bettis
is given the distinction of being the first settlers on the land that
is now called Pocahontas. Dr. Bettis' daughter, Cinderella, married
Thomas S. Drew and lived on 800 acres where the town of Biggers now
exists. Bettis and Drew led the founding of Pocahontas as the county
seat of Randolph County.
In 1835 the Territorial Legislature
granted the formation of Randolph County from part of the area then
called Lawrence County. The county was named after John Randolph who
was one of the first settlers in the area.
Randolph County is famous for many
"firsts": Arkansas' oldest town, Davidsonville, was established
in 1815. The first Arkansas post office was built in Davidsonville
in 1817, and the first state state courthouse was established in 1818.
The earliest land claim was in 1809 near what is now Ravenden Springs.
The first actual term of court convened in Arkansas was in 1815 in
a part of Lawrence County that was given over to Randolph County.
And the country's first overland route, the Natchitoches Trail, went
through parts of Randolph County.
Randolph County encompasses the rolling
hills of the Ozarks to the west and rich, flat farmland of the Delta
to the east. Five rivers flow through the county providing access
to fishing and canoeing. Soybeans, rice and other grains are the principle
crops in the Delta region, while cattle ranching dominates the hill
country. The poultry industry is also a vital part of the area economy.
The industrial base is diversified
with products such as shoes, large truck trailers, technical components
for communications, picture frames, golf bags and luggage, tool boxes,
wood products and many more.
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