Cataloging History at Arkansas Post National Memorial

by Charlotte Purdy
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Arkansas Post, established in 1686 by Henri de Tonti, holds a plethora of history. Located on the lower Arkansas River, Arkansas Post is the site of the first capital of the Arkansas Territory formed in 1819.

Originally, Arkansas Post was a trading post on the lower Arkansas River where the French and Spanish traded with the Quapaw. Aux Arcs (“at the home of the Arkansas”) was the name given to the trading post by the French settlers.

More than three hundred years have passed since the first settlement at the post on the banks of the Arkansas River, and an abundance of history is held within the area now known as Arkansas Post National Memorial.

Visitors from near and far have walked the many paths located at Arkansas Post National Memorial and learned about the rich history Arkansas Post National Memorial holds. However, most do not know of the hidden treasure located inside the Visitors Center.

In a room most known as the “break room”, bookshelves hold years upon years of history in a wide variety of books that are in the Arkansas Post National Memorial library. Until recently, the books were stacked on the shelves and only those who knew of the library, knew of the history the library-break room holds.

Carmen King from the Ulysses S. Grant Historic Site in St. Louis, MO recently volunteered her time to catalog the more than 765 unique books that cover the shelves in the library in the Visitors Center. Cataloging each of the books was a tedious job, but King was excited to do it, and even more excited over the discovery of books that can only be found at Arkansas Post National Memorial.

Some of the books date back to the early settlement days, while others are more current. The earlier writings tell of the fur trading era, the battle at Fort Hindman, and of the Quapaw. Handwritten accounts allow the reader to travel back in time and read a firsthand account of the daily lives of the settlers.

King documented each book in the library and then uploaded the information into the National Park Service online library. The online library will allow people from near and far to search for titles that are located at APNM.

Arkansas Post National Memorial Arkansas; structural history Post of Arkansas, 1804-1863, and Civil War troop movement maps, January 1863 by Edwin C. Bearss and Lenard E. Brown is just one of the many historical finds in the library.

One of the most treasured finds by King was the complete set of War of the Rebellion Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. The collection spans the entire top of the shelves and is filled accounts from the Civil War era. Battle reports for both Union and Confederate Armies are arranged chronologically by campaign and theater of operations, providing a complete history of the events inside the first series. The collection also includes returns relating to Prisoners of War, orders, reports that pertain to the organization and logistics of the Union war effort, calls for troops, and correspondence between National and State authorities.

The Official Records are without question the most complete and impartial documentation on the American Civil War. Undoubtedly a true hidden treasure that can be found in the library at APNM!

Another extremely interesting piece, aside from the Official Records is the Quapaw Baby Lullaby (chant). The book contains ancient chants of the Quapaw Nation for both a boy and a girl!

Readers interested in browsing the many books located at Arkansas Post National Memorial can do so by stopping by the Visitors Center or by searching online. King documented each title and entered them into the National Park Service library online. Searching for the title is simple and can be done from anywhere around the world.

To search online, visit the library at library.nps.gov and by clicking the discovery portal link under NPS LIBRIS. From there, readers can refine their search by clicking the browses search link and entering ARPO into the search bar. The 756 titles will then be listed for the readers viewing.

Through King’s dedication and volunteer hours, the library at APNM now is in order and is available to all who want to browse the many books! Park Rangers and staff will be available to assist all who choose to browse the many selections.

Arkansas Post National Memorial is located at 1741 Old Post Rd, Gillett, AR 72055. You can also find APNM on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/arkansaspostnps/



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