Arkana, Louisiana Explained

Official Name:Arkana, Louisiana
Pushpin Map:Louisiana#USA
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Louisiana
Subdivision Type2:Parish
Subdivision Name2:Bossier
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:244
Area Code:318
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:541047[1]

Arkana was a former town that crossed the state lines between Louisiana and Arkansas in the United States, although mostly lying in the latter state.

In the 1890s, Arkana was described as a new railroad town, and was later the site of a rail station, lumber mill, church, post office, and school. The community was also the site of the Arkana and Eastern Railroad Company, a rail line which operated between Arkana and Springhill in the early 20th century.

Naming

Arkana was named "ark-" plus "-ana" from "Louisiana" and "Arkansas".

Geography

The community was at altitude 244feet and in the 1940s had a population of 50 people.

History

Early years

One of the early settlers of Arkana was Jackson Clark Byram, who established a homestead in 1848.[2] He was the veteran of three wars and had a large family.[3]

Arkana was originally a rail station on the Cotton Belt Route (the St. Louis Southwestern Railway),[4] a major railroad connecting the US states of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Texas.[5] A sawmill owned by the Arkana Lumber Company operated in Arkana until 1899, when it burned, at a loss of $45,000.[6] This was one of several sawmill fires in Arkana; an earlier fire had occurred in 1892.[7]

By the 1890s, a history of northwestern Louisiana called Arkana "a new railroad town",[8] and in 1912, the Bossier City Banner described Arkana as a "place and community".[9] The population of Arkana was 12 in 1900.[10]

A tract of 4,000 acres was platted for the Arkana townsite in 1915, with plans for small parcels to be sold to settlers.[11] Arkana was soon home to several stores, a church and a post office.[12] The Arkana townsite was developed by the Cotton Belt Land and Development Company, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.[13]

Arkana was also the site of the Arkana and Eastern Railroad Company, a short rail line which operated between the communities of Arkana and Springhill in the late 19th and early 20th century.[14] [15]

20th century

The Burton Lumber Company operated a lumber mill in Arkana during the 1920s and 1930s.[16] [17] Portions of the Burton Mill caught fire on five occasions in 1922.[18]

Circa 1920, the community of Arkana was the site of the Arkana School.[19] The population of Arkana in 1920 was 63.[20]

In April 1936, Louisiana Highway 10 (now Louisiana Highway 3) between Arkana and Plain Dealing was completed. It was reported that "Arkana will have a good road leading both north and south."[21]

Arkana's population in 1940 was 63.[22] In 1952, The Plain Dealing Progress reported that the hard surface road between Hope, Arkansas, and Arkana had been extended.[23]

In 1980, it was reported that the Crystal Oil and Land Company was pumping over 2 million cubic feet of gas per day from a site 0.5miles southwest of what had become known as "the old Arkana townsite."[24] [25]

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Geographic Names Information System . 2023-11-29 . edits.nationalmap.gov . December 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212183450/https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/gaz-record/541047 . live .
  2. News: August 5, 1966 . Byram Family Holds Biennial Reunion Near Ida . The Madison Journal . 2023-11-29 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: July 20, 1966 . 125 Descendants Of Pioneer Local Family Stage Reunion . Bossier Tribune . 2023-11-29 . . December 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231211150413/https://www.newspapers.com/article/bossier-tribune-125-descendants-of-pione/135998252/ . live .
  4. Book: The Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, Porto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Cuba . 1910 . National Railway Publication Company . 1910 . en . November 29, 2023 . December 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212193736/https://books.google.com/books?id=CzBRAQAAMAAJ&q=%2522%2520Arkana%252C%2520la%2522%252B%2522bossier%2522&pg=PA1023 . live .
  5. Web site: The Cotton Belt Route Story . 2023-12-01 . arkansasrailroadmuseum.org . en-US . December 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212072416/https://arkansasrailroadmuseum.org/about/cotton-belt-route.html . live .
  6. Book: Fire and Water . 1899 . F. W. Shepperd . 1899 . New York, NY . 197–198 . en . November 29, 2023 . December 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231215213733/https://books.google.com/books?id=Rp4bTHTAkegC&q=arkana%2520sawmill&pg=PA198 . live .
  7. News: 1892-02-04 . Untitled . en-us . 2 . Bossier Banner-Progress . Benton, LA . 2023-11-29 . December 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212095651/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/348623309/ . live .
  8. Book: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana: Comprising a Large Fund of Biography of Actual Residents, and an Interesting Historical Sketch of Thirteen Counties . 1890 . Southern Publishing Company . 1890 . Chicago, IL . 122 . en . November 29, 2023 . December 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231215220744/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZucxAQAAMAAJ&q=arkana&pg=PA122 . live .
  9. News: 1912-08-01 . Arkana . The Bossier Banner . Bellevue, LA . 2023-11-28.
  10. Web site: Image 280 of Dun and Bradstreet Reference Book: March, 1901; Vol. 132, part 1 . 2023-11-29 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222856/https://www.loc.gov/resource/stbdandb.mar1901v132p1/?sp=280&st=text . live .
  11. Book: The Lumber Trade Journal . 1915 . 1915 . 36 . en . December 1, 2023 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222844/https://books.google.com/books?id=G_ExAQAAMAAJ&q=arkana%2520townsite&pg=RA5-PA36#v=onepage&q=arkana%2520townsite&f=false . live .
  12. Web site: 1990 . The Towns in Bossier Parish Were Named By Early Settlers . Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Association . November 29, 2023 . December 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231215210804/http://www.altgenealogy.com/Genie%20Archives/1990/Vol%2024%20No%204.pdf . live .
  13. News: 1915-06-06 . Visit of Indiana Party to This City Will be of Value, Says Mr. Bolinger . en . 6 . The Times . Shreveport, LA . 2023-12-01 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222835/https://www.newspapers.com/image/208931015/?terms=%22town%20of%20arkana%22&match=1 . live .
  14. Book: Bruner, E.O. . A Hand-book of Louisiana: Giving General and Agricultural Features, together with Crops that can be Grown. Description of each Parish, Climate, Health, Education, Industries, Railroads, Water-Courses, Forestry, Etc. . Louisiana State Board of Agriculture and Immigration . 1912 . Baton Rouge, LA . 33 . November 29, 2023 . December 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231215212457/https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/public/gdcmassbookdig/handbookoflouisi00lo/handbookoflouisi00lo.pdf . live .
  15. Web site: Arkana & Eastern Railroad Company (La.), Map Showing Route in 1907. . 2023-11-29 . ttarchive.com . October 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221004063514/https://ttarchive.com/Library/Maps/Arkana-Eastern_1907_Cram.htm . live .
  16. Book: Southern Lumberman Directory of Southern Saw Mills . 1934 . 189 . November 29, 2023 . December 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231211151513/https://ttarchive.com/Library/Lists/LA_1934_Trams_Southern-Lumberman-Directory.pdf . live .
  17. Book: The Lumber Manufacturer and Dealer . 1925 . Kriechbaum Publishing Company . 30c . en . November 29, 2023 . December 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212071208/https://books.google.com/books?id=T1LlAAAAMAAJ&q=%2522burton%2520lumber%2520co.%2522%252B%2522arkana%2522&pg=PT9 . live .
  18. News: 1922-10-25 . Around Arkana . 1 . The Bossier Banner . Bellevue, LA . November 29, 2023 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222944/https://newspaperarchive.com/the-bossier-banner-oct-05-1922-p-1/ . live .
  19. News: 1920-04-01 . Arkana . en . 3 . The Bossier Banner . 2023-11-29 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222837/https://newspaperarchive.com/the-bossier-banner-oct-13-1921-p-1/ . live .
  20. Book: Premier Atlas of the World . Rand McNally and Company . 1925 . New York . 198.
  21. News: 1936-04-19 . Arkana News . en . 2 . Bossier Banner-Progress . 2023-11-29 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222900/https://www.newspapers.com/image/665604330/?terms=arkana&match=1 . live .
  22. Book: The Attorneys List . United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department . 1940 . 85 . en . November 29, 2023 . November 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221103000157/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTcjAQAAMAAJ . live .
  23. News: Phillips . F. G. . March 27, 1952 . Mid-Century Plain Dealing . The Plain Dealing Progress . 2023-11-29 . . December 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231215215326/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealing-progress/135998544/ . live .
  24. News: 1980-05-04 . Completions . en . 62 . The Times . Shreveport, LA . 2023-11-29 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222848/https://www.newspapers.com/image/213410385/?terms=%22arkana%20townsite%22&match=1 . live .
  25. News: 1980-01-27 . New pay indicated in Bossier . en . 56 . The Times . Shreveport, LA . 2023-11-29 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229222836/https://www.newspapers.com/image/216851302/?terms=%22arkana%20townsite%22&match=1 . live .

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