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.
< 1850 Sectional Conflicts | 1852 The Promise of Railroads >
