Little Rock in Pulaski County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

The Big Rock and the Little Rock

La Petite Roche Historical Walk

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 10, 2018

1. The Big Rock and the Little Rock Marker

Inscription. Jean-Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe was the first European explorer to record the existence of a large rocky bluff on the north bank of the Arkansas River. According to his journal, La Harpe named it le Rocher Français ("the French Rock") on April 9, 1722. It later became known as the Big Rock. The French referred to the smaller outcropping on the south bank as le Petit Rocher ("the Little Rock"). The name first appeared on a 1799 French map of the area. The first official reference to Little Rock occurred in the Treaty of 1818, indicating the northernmost point of the Quapaw reservation. An August 20, 1822, article in the Arkansas Gazette described the rock: "It projects several feet into the river, forming below it a fine basin for boats, and its top reaches perhaps about midway between low water mark and the summit of the bank of the river. The name Little Rock was given to it by the aborigines or the early white settlers of the county to distinguish it from the Big Rock." In the 1950s, la Petite Roche became the accepted spelling based on local scholar Samuel D. Dickinson's suggestion.

Topics.

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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Features • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is April 9, 1722.

Location. 34° 44.941′ N, 92° 15.987′ W. Marker is in Little Rock, Arkansas, in Pulaski County. It can be reached from President Clinton Avenue. Located along the Arkansas Riverfront Trail in Riverfront Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock AR 72201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Quapaw Homeland.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Piece of the Rock, a Piece of History (here, next to this marker); One Old Rock (a few steps from this marker); The "Little Rock"

The Big Rock and the Little Rock Marker looking at the Arkansas River. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 10, 2018

2. The Big Rock and the Little Rock Marker looking at the Arkansas River.

(a few steps from this marker); Witness to Removal (a few steps from this marker); Smaller Rock, Big Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); It is River City (within shouting distance of this marker); Arkansas in the Civil War (within shouting distance of this marker); The Point of Rocks (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Little Rock.

Plaque and Little Rock. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 10, 2018

3. Plaque and Little Rock.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 18, 2018. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,146 times since then and 181 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 18, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.