Public assistance proved too limited and restricted, and families were forced to seek their own remedies. considered here. In August 1930, the official reporting station in Little Rock recorded its seventy-first consecutive rainless day. Agriculture in the Nineteenth Century Global Village Day at Heifer International, October. These former sharecroppers and tenant farmers were not the source of the new agriculture but rather were reflective of its change. Again, farmers turned to activism. Refinements in the torque converter and power shift transmission, when applied to a tractor equipped with cutting blades and tree pushers, allowed one man to clear more trees in a day than a family could in a lifetime using traditional means. At six cents a pound, standard wages for first picking in 1930, a hard worker could make six to eighteen dollars a day. var children = document.querySelectorAll('.ptac-plus .ptac-sign'); Cotton became the dominant crop as white Americans discovered that the alluvial soil typically produced about fifty percent more cotton than the states average pounds per acre, and Delta raw cotton regularly sold above market price at the Memphis cotton exchange. Guiding entrepreneurs from concept to profit. In all, 27 design . Gaining garden smarts and sharing skills. str = str.substring(8, str.length); Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. //alert(iFrameID.height); Cotton, the crop most identified with the Delta, did not appear until after the United States acquired the region with the Louisiana Purchase. Arkansas produces about 4,000 acres of sweet potatoes, valued at $20 million; 2,000 acres of tomatoes for a crop value of $10 million, and 1,600 acres of watermelons with a value of $5 million,. var str = x.id; Also, when federal officials established production controls on cotton in the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, some landowners turned to rice. [21], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}3522N 9322W / 35.36N 93.37W / 35.36; -93.37. Farming in these regions was also a challenge. Almost 3,000 years ago, the Pre-Columbian Woodland people began growing food to supplement their hunters diet. d[i].id = "ptac-faq-answer" + c; var d = document.querySelectorAll('[id^=question]'); The majority of the wheat is grown in: Mississippi River Delta region in Eastern Arkansas Arkansas River Valley region of Western Arkansas Originally valued for its cotton land, by the time of the Civil War, the region had the states most diverse agriculture. The need for workers in wartime industries drained rural Arkansas of farm workers in the 1940s. The NWR offers a driving tour with interpretative signs. Tractors, although making an appearance in the Delta soon after World War I, were at first impractical due to poor design, high cost, and the dominance of small-scale sharecropping and tenant farming in the state. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. By June, water covered more than 6,000 square miles and all but destroyed the row crops. Soils derived from ancient marine deposits occupy the southern part of Arkansas. } for (var e in c) { The valley divides the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains with a width of forty square miles. The River Valley as seen from atop Petit Jean Mountain in, Early history of the Arkansas Valley in Colorado, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, Johnson County Historical Society Heritage Center, Logan County Coal Miners Memorial and Museum, Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, "Osages participate in Carden Bottoms excavation in western Arkansas", "Google Maps (Search for Russellville, AR and Fort Smith, AR)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arkansas_River_Valley&oldid=1147017263, Arkansas Valley Hills - North and east of the Arkansas River, sometimes associated with the Ozarks, Bottomlands - Low swamps and prairies along the Arkansas River itself, 10 miles (16km) wide in some places, Tri-peaks Region - Region punctuated by three steep mountains: Mount Magazine, Mount Nebo and Petit Jean Mountain, Valley - south of the Arkansas River, level plains and gently rolling hills, Adona Bluegrass Festival in Adona, second weekend in July. The Political Wheelers and the Election of 1888. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 25 (Spring 1966): 318. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1996. The flooding also helped shape two distinct Delta subregions. In some ways, the Civil War had a major impact on Arkansas agriculture, but in others, little changed. Two major yard-sale events, Bargains Galore on Highway 64 and Big To Do on Highway 22, happen annually in the River Valley. The Central Collegiate Institute was established in Altus in 1876 (now known as Hendrix College in Conway) and Hiram and Lydia College in 1890 (which went defunct in 1906). Typically, the cattle operations were on family farms. The lower course river supports agriculture, such as hay and vegetables, as well as in the high dry valley and the towns of Pueblo. Maintenance calendar, and best practices. Divided into six regions, each with unique soils, the state presented a variety of choices. Shadows Over Sunnyside: Evolution of a Plantation in Arkansas, 18301945. Welcome to Price AG, your leading tractor dealership in the Arkansas River Valley. Not knowing that the soil was untillable, the former hill farmers taught their neighbors a lesson about determination and will. Immediately after the war, confusion and uncertainty made it difficult for freedmen to take advantage of the legislation. There was a correlation between clearing and drainage projects and an increase in soybean and rice production. The Colorado communities could not afford to cover 100% of the costs, as initially required, so in 2009, the act was amended to include a 65% federal share and a 35% local cost share. In Colorado's Arkansas River basin urban growth and harsh farming conditions have led to water transfers from agricultural to urban uses. function accordionClick(b) { Research-based connection to government and policy issues. Some moved out of state; others gave up farming and relocated to the larger towns in their region. a++; The tenant sharecroppers were frequently forced to borrow money to buy supplies and tools to farm and pledged their future crop for security. inner.style.display = "none"; The Alma Performing Arts Center is the largest and most popular performing arts venue in the River Valley. Increase your knowledge of public issues & get involved. Before 1840, the upland region dominated production. Mechanical milking machines, new techniques in pasteurization, homogenization, and refrigerationcoupled with improved transportationbrought modernity to the industry. Not only did Rockefeller import new cattle, he also started a scientific breeding program that included an annual bull sale featuring prize-winning animals. The lighter, finer soils were carried farther from the main source. Providing unbiased information to enable educated votes on critical issues. First held in 1963, Weinfest is one of the most popular festivals in the region.[18]. Black and white farmers joined these improvement societies but maintained separate affiliations. [CDATA[ Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1993. inner.style.visibility = 'hidden'; But even as late as 1876, when the original legislation was amended to allow for unrestricted access, there were only 26,395 original entries. These individuals claimed 2.3 million of the nine million acres set aside in 1866. Congresss amending the Southern Homestead Act led to a wave of speculation as representatives of timber and railroad companies descended on the South to buy millions of acres from the public domain. 2nd ed. The Arkansas Delta: Land of Paradox. head.appendChild(css); [CDATA[ Eight projects by students and faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design were recently recognized in the 2023 Central States Awards program by the Central States region of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Near Ozark, the Aux Arc Park offers boating access to the Arkansas River and RV sites. Whayne, Jeannie M.Creation of a Plantation System in the Arkansas Delta in the Twentieth Century. Agricultural History 66 (Winter 1992): 6384. It is one of six natural divisions of Arkansas.[2]. Originally brought to southeast Arkansas to work on cotton plantations, a band of these aliens migrated to Washington County and established a self-sufficient community, in part by growing grapes. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture and its partners in wildfire suppression, prescribed fire, and conservation combine hands-on exercises and classroom material to teach basic fire suppression, advanced suppression strategy and tactics, engine operation, dozer operation, Incident Command procedures, and more. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. One of his first actions was to introduce Santa Gertrudis cattle in the state, a breed specifically developed in south Texas to thrive in the regions hot weather and multiple pests. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1999. Graves, John William. } University of Arkansas at Little Rock. // here you can make the height, I delete it first, then I make it again d = document.querySelectorAll('[id^=threecolblock]'); Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System. In Clarksville, the Walton Fine Arts Center on the campus of the University of the Ozarks offers university theater, performers, and speakers to patrons. Coaxing the best produce from asparagus to zucchini. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. if (css && head) { Our programs include aquaculture, diagnostics, and energy conservation. In the next fifteen years, twelve watershed districts were formed; eleven were in the Delta. It had oxbow lakes, swamps, and dense undergrowth that presented a challenge to early farmers. "&ec=print&tid=" + googleAccountID + "&cid=" + guid() + They were particularly susceptible to the cyclical fluctuations of prosperity and recession and progressively lost economic control of their lives. Near Booneville, Blue Mountain Lake offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Mount Bethel Winery has been in operation for over 100 years, and offers a tasting, tour and gift shop for visitors. The Museum of Automobiles atop Petit Jean Mountain hosts annual Antique Auto Show and Swap Meet events in June and September. The lower Mississippi River Valley was a fertile homeland to Native Americans from about 9500 B.C. // ]]> In the southern part of Arkansas we find Coastal Plain soils, which are marine deposits Trapped in stagnant pools, these waters formed backwater swamps, and the finer particles coalesced into clay. if(c === inner) Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Rice, which had been grown commercially since the turn of the century, saw a rapid increase in acreage after the 1930s. } Using money saved from wartime prosperity, farmers were poised in the postwar period to buy machinery and land to expand their operations. The MAP area constitutes the third largest area of irrigated cropland in the United States. if(inner.style.display === "block") THE ARKANSAS VALLEY SUPER DITCH - A LOCAL RESPONSE TO "BUY AND DRY" IN COLORADO WATER MARKETS Tyler G. McMahon1 and Mark Griffin Smith2 ABSTRACT: Across the West, water transfers generate controversy. The Stephens Gallery hosts exhibits of glass and ivory carvings. Concurrent with the growth in human population in Colorado, there has been increasing pressure on land and water resources that were historically devoted to agriculture. for (var i in d) { In southwest Arkansas, the Red River formed another alluvial plain and shared some of the same qualities of the Mississippi River region. Starting with home consumption, some family-owned wineries were able to expand their operations to be commercially successful and survive almost two decades of Prohibition by producing communion wine for churches. [CDATA[ Get the latest research results from our county agents. d = document.querySelectorAll('[id^=threecolheader]'); Conditions improved for two decades, and farmers realized a prosperity unmatched in American agriculture. Living in small villages characterized by earthen burial mounds, these native peoples planted vegetables and grains by tilling with hand-held wooden tools. Learn to ID unwanted plant and animal visitors. Soils in this area were formed by deposition of the river, by landslides that moved to the foot slopes, and by the weathering of the existent parent material. Opportunities for quick profits attracted a variety of new farmers and non-farm investors; many were unfamiliar and unconcerned with traditional cropping practices. The expedition traveled to Tanico, an important city somewhere in the River Valley, in September 1542. } Bolton, S. Charles. Other cities in the River Valley are mostly of county-level significance, gateways to nearby recreational sites or small rural settlements. for (var i in d) { A relatively small percentage of the soils in the region were formed by the action The Agricultural Wheel in Arkansas, 18821889. PhD dissertation, Syracuse University, 1953. Crapemyrtles, hydrangeas, hort glossary, and weed ID databases. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Greater investments meant higher risks, and between 1985 and 1995, more than 11,000 farmers left the Delta, victims of debt, low prices, and bankruptcy. Thousands of acres were now under the control of private companies that saw little reason to assess the land for its true market value. Even those farmers who remained on the land faced greater uncertainty than ever before. d[i].id = "ptac-faq" + a; Policymakers conceived this soil bank program as a way to reduce surpluses in cotton and other commodities. Arkansas/Oklahoma State Fair (at Fort Smith), SeptemberOctober, This page was last edited on 28 March 2023, at 10:13. Still others migrated from the upland counties to the Delta counties and initially hired out as day laborers on the areas larger cotton plantations. It took the Great Depression to persuade Congress to enact legislation that addressed farm production. By the twenty-first century, about sixty percent of Arkansas farmers raised cattle. [16] The city is an important economic, education and population center in the state. { Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. While the state was fortunate to have two additional officesone in the Arkansas River Valley west of Little Rock and one in southwest Arkansas near the Red Riverall were far from the Delta and most of the public land. [15] In Russellville, the Arkansas River Valley Arts Center offers visual arts as well as art classes and infrequent performances. Residents and businesses along the highways offer items for sale to visitors and residents traveling two of the main east-west highways in the River Valley. A crop lost to floods often offset soil fertility. //alert(c.id); Many company towns were established in the upland regions, and before 1930, hardly a family in the hill country was not involved, at least indirectly, in the forestry business. Arkansas River Valley White River running through the Ozark Mountains of Northern Arkansas. function s4() { The state operates four parks within the region: Lake Dardanelle State Park, Mount Magazine State Park, Mount Nebo State Park, and Petit Jean State Park. The landlord-tenant sharecropping system quickly ran into economic problems. Many other historical building blocks of the Arkansas . . inner.style.opacity = '0'; But even modernization did not remove the risks. The cost of the war effort, loss of human capital, and Confederate currency losing value were serious issues for the South in addition to the destruction of property, infrastructure, and crops. } inner.style.display = "block"; The mission of River Valley Horticultural Products, Inc. is to be the premier horticultural. Beginning as a region populated by small, self-sufficient landowners, the state evolved through a plantation culture before the Civil War, to an era when tenant farming and sharecropping dominated from the Civil War to World War II, before yielding to technology and commercial enterprise. Black farmers were slow to sign up for the new lands and even slower to finalize their claims, for several reasons. River Valley Horticultural Products, Inc. | Little Rock AR Growing urbanization in the twentieth century, changes in technology, and knowledge about transmitting disease through raw milk brought many changes to the dairy industry. Once thought to be unique to the Grand Prairie, success came for rice farmers in the new drainage districts. . css.appendChild(document.createTextNode(rule)); Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Division and is implemented by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division. Reasons are complex, but the Deltas geography is among them. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1993. Petit Jean State Park hosts an annual Wildflower Weekend in April and a Rendezvous the weekend after Thanksgiving. Between 1935when farms reached an all-time high of more than 235,000 unitsand 1995, the number dropped steadily before leveling off to just under 50,000 farms. [7] Although no River Valley counties were initially subject to the proclamation, Clayton added four more counties, including one partial-River Valley county, Conway County. Other technologies aided farmers in altering the Delta landscape. Conflict with non-farm groups reached a climax in the 1996 Federal Farm Bill, which defined environmentally sensitive land and restricted farming practices in what was termed wetlands. In addition to policy regulations, farmers also faced constraints from resource depletion. There was some fertile land along the many streams that drained the upland watershed, but these valleys were typically narrow and subject to flooding. Most wheat acres are double cropped, with soybeans following the wheat harvest. The new equipment came primarily in the form of tractors and improved planting and harvesting machines. iFrameID.height = iFrameID.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight + "px"; str = str.substring(14, str.length); Most of the agricultural activity occurs in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain. Apples were the crop of choice for landowners in the northwest hill counties, particularly after the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad extended east from Eureka Springs (Carroll County) in the 1890s and allowed growers to ship to outside markets. Mining became prominent by 1873, especially around the Altus area. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2002. [4] Research at the site has linked artifacts to cave art (pictured at right) in a cave on Petit Jean Mountain, as well as establishing links to the Caddo, Osage, and Quapaw tribes. else [CDATA[ var inner = document.getElementById(test); [3] Much of what is known about these early societies has been uncovered by the Arkansas Archaeological Survey and the Arkansas Archaeological Society at Carden Bottoms in Yell County near the Arkansas and Petit Jean Rivers. To avoid or escape the credit-debt trap of single crop agriculture, and in keeping with the New South emphasis on diversification, some farmers turned to fruit and vegetable farming. Typically, in a matter of several crop years, small farmers found themselves encircled by debt. { Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1990. Overall, many of the prime agricultural regions of Colorado are experiencing population growth-related pressures. Encyclopedia of Arkansas "&ea=" + encodeURIComponent(document.title) + Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. In total, Otto Nuttli reported more than 200 moderate to large aftershocks in the New Madrid region between December 16, 1811, and March 15, 1812: ten of these were greater than about 6.0; about one hundred were between M5.0 and 5.9; and eighty-nine were in the magnitude 4 range. } The first extended the responsibilities of the Freedmens Bureau to assist with farming. for (var y in children) { The boom peaked in 1982, when the average price in the state reached $1,095 per acre. A host of regional and local history museums preserve and interpret the history and culture of the River Valley's early settlers, small towns, historic events, and rural residents. inner.style.visibility = 'visible'; Less pronounced but still significant was the number of upland farmers hit by similar forces. Guiding communities and regions toward vibrant and sustainable futures. The building boom that began at the end of World War II and continued with the baby boom into the 1960s accelerated the need for lumber and its by-products. The Bracero Program brought thousands of immigrants to the fields and orchards of the United States. Coal mining was an important industry in the River Valley's early history. The Arkansas River Valley bisects the Ozarks and the Ouachitas and offered the best farmland in the upland region. This fighting apparently caused de Soto to turn the expedition back east, leaving the River Valley.[6]. count = d.length; a++; Other Delta counties showed similar increases. Not only did technologies developed in the war greatly improve the machines and reduce their costs, the mass migration of rural Arkansans to defense plants in regional towns reduced the number of farms and increased the size of farming units. The western portion of the River Valley (i.e., around Fort Smith) is situated near an area known as Tornado Alley in the central United States. c = document.getElementById('ptac-faq-answer' + str); } In addition to the credit crunch, farmers in the last quarter of the nineteenth century faced a steady decline in crop prices. var count = 1; var b = 0; The Colorado River provides water for over 40 million Americans and 30 Tribal Nations, fuels hydropower resources in eight states and supports agriculture across the region. How the water issue is decided may well determine Arkansas agriculture for the twenty-first century. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. Kansas-Colorado Arkansas River Compact Kansas Department of Agriculture Home About Us Agency Information Secretary Mike Beam Kansas Agriculture Kansas Agricultural Statistics State Board of Agriculture From the Land of Kansas Human Resources Ag Growth Project Growth Strategy Strategic Growth Initiative Ag Summit 2022 Ag Summit 2021 Ag Summit 2020 //alert(d.length); document.getElementById("copyright-date").innerHTML = d.getFullYear(); The federal Farm Bill of 1956 instituted a new plan for cotton producers. This page is not available in other languages. Historian Carl Moneyhon established that many large landowners persisted through the war and continued to dominate Arkansas agriculture economically after the war. Efforts to persuade Congress to adopt a federal farm bill to shore up prices failed when government officials argued such a bill would create larger surpluses and further complicate the problem. //

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