Richmond, AR RoadyGoat

Richmond, Arkansas, isn't a place that shouts from the rooftops, but it holds its history close. The land, slightly elevated above the waters of Millwood Lake, whispers of cotton fields and hard work. The arrival of the railroad in the late 1800s changed everything, but the echoes of that boom still linger in the quiet streets. Life here moves at a different pace, a reminder of a time before the world sped up.

5.3 mi away

Richmond, AR RoadyGoat

Richmond, Arkansas, took root in the late 19th century, riding the rails to a modest prosperity. Established around 1880, likely named for a leading local family, the town's fate was quickly tied to King Cotton. The arrival of the railroad spurred growth, transforming the landscape into fields of white. Even now, agriculture, particularly cotton and livestock, define the area. Life in Richmond unfolded at a deliberate pace, a rhythm set by the seasons and the land. The slight rise in elevation, a mere 266 feet, offered a subtle distinction from the sprawling waters of nearby Millwood Lake. The 20th century brought both boom and bust. The Great Depression hit hard, crippling the cotton market and plunging families into hardship. Yet, resilience took root alongside the cotton. Local lore whispers of a hidden treasure, a cache of Civil War gold buried somewhere in the surrounding hills, a symbol of past conflict and enduring hope. Later, the echoes of nearby Ashdown High School's roaring Friday night football games, multiple state championships, provided a shared point of pride. Though the Dallas Cowboys, several hours west, won Super Bowl XXX in 1996, against Pittsburgh, Richmond remained focused on its own quiet corner of the world. Today, Richmond offers a glimpse into a slower, simpler time, a testament to the enduring power of place.

5.3 mi away

Richmond, AR RoadyGoat

Richmond, Arkansas, a small town nestled slightly above the waters of Millwood Lake, carries a name that whispers of ambition, even if the exact origin is shrouded in the mists of time. Established around 1880, the town likely took its moniker from a prominent settler, a figure whose name has faded but whose influence was significant enough to christen the burgeoning community. "Richmond" evokes images of rich lands and prosperous futures, a hope perhaps shared by those who saw the potential in the area's fertile soil. The arrival of the railroad further fueled this optimism, connecting Richmond to wider markets and bolstering its agricultural economy, particularly its cotton production. Though the promise of prosperity faced harsh realities during the Great Depression, when the cotton-dependent economy suffered immensely, Richmond persevered. The name, however, seems to hold a certain irony considering the hardships. Even now, the town retains a slow-paced atmosphere, reminiscent of a bygone era. Local tales of buried Civil War gold add another layer of intrigue, hinting at a hidden wealth that might one day surface to truly make Richmond live up to its name.

5.3 mi away

Caddo Indian Village

800

Near here for 1,000 years, 800-1800 A.D., lived civilized Caddoes, who thought they were the sole survivors of a prehistoric flood and ancestors of all Indians. Their ceremonial mounds stood high above Red River. They had a significant role in exchanges between Puebloan Indians and the Mound-Builders in the east. They domesticated food plants such as corn, squash and beans and manufactured fine pottery. Because of pressure from Euro-American settlers, they left this area, and descendants are found in Oklahoma. Their village site is now under state protection. (1981) Incise in base: Marker sponsored by the Hoblitzelle Foundation

Historical Marker → · 13.4 mi away

Trammels Trace

1813

Entered Texas at this point. The 1813 road from St. Louis brought in great numbers of pioneers: Stephen F. Austin, his settlers, Sam Houston, James Bowie, David Crockett and others who died in the Texas Revolution. From here pointed southwest. Crossed the Sulphur at Epperson ferry, going south to Nacogdoches, linking "Southwest Trail" with the King's Highway to Mexico. Surveyed by Nicholas Trammel (born in Nashville, Tenn., 1780; died, LaGrange, Texas, 1852), one of a family of U. S. surveyors and scouts. Mapped many trails, but only this one bears his name. (1965)

Historical Marker → · 13.4 mi away

French in Texas

1685

Were explorers and traders for about a century. Claimed coastal Texas early as 1685 when La Salle established his Fort Saint Louis colony. Another Fort Saint Louis, among Nassonite Indians, a few miles northwest of this marker, was founded in 1719 by a French captain, Benard de La Harpe, who came up the Red River. This fort was a center for trade with the Cadodacho (Caddoes) of northeast Texas and the Wichita, Tawakoni, Tonkawa and other tribes of North Texas. Over 250,000 French and Caddo Indian artifacts have been found near here-- including two millstones used in a flour mill near the fort. Although Spain claimed Texas earlier and during the time of La Harpe, this did not discourage the French; they traded as far south as the mouth of the Trinity until Louisiana was ceded to Spain in 1762. The chief French influence in east Texas was the Cavalier Saint Denis (1676-1744), who controlled Red River area of Louisiana, frequently coming into Texas. At first he prospected for silver and gold, as Spain had done. Later he found trading with the Indians was very profitable. The French had no policy against trading guns to Indians; partly for that reason they were more popular than the Spainards. (1966)

Historical Marker → · 13.4 mi away

Red Lick, TX

1860

Red Lick is a small town located off Farm Road 2148 about seven miles west of Texarkana in northeastern Bowie County. The community began in the 1860s and was named by residents who observed that a nearby red clay hill served as a salt lick for area deer. By the late 1800s social life centered around the Red Lick Methodist Episcopal Church, South, founded in 1885. The Bob Bonner family donated land for the wooden structure that also functioned as a lodge hall and school. Eventually a cemetery was located on an adjacent tract to the north. Church records in the early 1890s listed seventy names, and in 1906 church trustees included members of the Hargis, Earnest, Edwards, Medley, and White families. In 1909 a fire destroyed the church, but the congregation constructed another two-story building on that site. That structure suffered heavy damage in June 1935 when a tornado hit the community. Red Lick maintained its country school throughout the decades just prior to and after World War II . Farm Road 2148 was built through the area in the 1950s. In 1968 the church name was changed to Red Lick United Methodist Church. No population figures were available for Red Lick throughout most of the twentieth century until 1990, when the village had an estimated 448 residents. The Methodist church received a historical marker in 1992. Residents, concerned over the encroachment of nearby Texarkana, voted to incorporate Red Lick in 1997, and in 2000 the town had a mayor and council and a volunteer fire department. The population was 853.

Tsha Handbook → · 13.2 mi away

Perot, Henry Ross

1962

Henry Ross Perot, a groundbreaking information technology businessman, philanthropist, and two-time presidential candidate, was born on June 27, 1930, in Texarkana, Texas. His parents, Gabriel Ross Perot, Sr., and Lulu May (Ray) Perot, originally named him Henry Ray, but he changed his middle name to Ross in honor of his brother, Gabriel Ross, who died as a young child. Thereafter he went by Ross Perot, though journalists often included his first initial in media reports, much to his chagrin. Hard-working and ambitious, Perot caught the entrepreneurial bug from his father, a cotton broker and horse trader. During his adolescence, Perot hawked garden seeds and delivered daily newspapers to neighbors. He was active in the Boy Scouts and at age thirteen achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Throughout his life he credited the Boy Scouts for its influence on his values of hard work and leadership. He achieved good grades at Texarkana’s Texas High School, not through intellectual brilliance but rather diligence and elbow grease. Perot then spent two years at Texarkana Junior College before Senator W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel granted his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Perot’s leadership qualities blossomed at Annapolis. He held numerous elected positions, including serving as class president during his junior and senior years. He also chaired the Honor Committee, credited with developing an honor system, at the Naval Academy. Perot met Margot Birmingham during his final year in Annapolis, and the couple eventually married on September 15, 1956, and went on to have five children. After graduating from Annapolis in 1953, Perot matriculated into the U. S. Navy where he was first assigned to the destroyer USS Sigourney during the latter days of the Korean War. He later served as an assistant navigator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Leyte . A chance encounter aboard the Leyte with an International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) executive changed Perot’s life. The businessman encouraged Perot to apply for a job at IBM, further convincing Perot that his future lay in the private sector rather than the military ranks. Subsequently, Perot declined to re-enlist when his service ended in 1957. After mustering out of the U. S. Navy, Perot accepted a job offer from Dallas-based IBM—the first step of his business career. He quickly made a name for himself as a top-notch salesman and once completed his yearly sales quota within three weeks. Equipped with an energetic mind and thirst for innovation, Perot urged IBM to enter the nascent computer software industry to complement to the company’s robust hardware unit. The IBM leadership, content with their business model, rejected his advice. Perot grew frustrated with the company’s slow-moving bureaucracy and struck out on his own, founding Electronic Data Systems (EDS), with an initial investment of $1,000, in 1962. Perot built EDS to handle software and technical logistics for companies with large data needs, a strategy which seemed far ahead of the competition. EDS made millions processing data for major businesses such as insurance carrier Blue Cross and Blue Shield . When his company went public in 1968, shares skyrocketed from $16 a share to $162 and made him one of the wealthiest men in America overnight. In 1984 Perot sold EDS to General Motors for a staggering $2.5 billion and assumed a position on the company board. His cantankerous personality and criticism of General Motors management, however, irked board members, who bought out his shares in 1986. In 1988 Perot launched a new Plano-based corporation, Perot Systems, with his son Ross Perot, Jr., and brought over disgruntled EDS executives to compete with his former company. Perot Systems failed to reach the dizzying heights of EDS. Perot eventually stepped down as chairman in 2000, and the company was purchased by Dell Computer Corporation in 2009. Perot’s fabulous wealth and renowned business acumen opened doors to philanthropy as

Tsha Handbook → · 15.7 mi away

The Texarkana Phantom Killer, 1946

1946

In the spring of nineteen forty-six, Texarkana had a problem it couldn't name. Eight people were attacked over ten weeks — always on weekends, always at night, always in lovers' lanes or quiet roads on the dark edges of town. Five died. The attacker left no fingerprints, no usable witnesses, and no weapon. The Texas Rangers worked the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked the case. A su…

Curated → · 17.1 mi away

Ashdown, Arkansas

Rivers & Roads in Song near Ashdown

History of Ashdown

Richmond, AR RoadyGoat

Richmond, AR RoadyGoat

Richmond, AR RoadyGoat

Caddo Indian Village

Trammels Trace

French in Texas

Red Lick, TX

Perot, Henry Ross

The Texarkana Phantom Killer, 1946

Everything Near Ashdown