Murfreesboro in Pike County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Henry Merrell
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Royston Factory Mill
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 2, 2018
1. Henry Merrell Marker
Henry Merrell, known as the "Industrial Missionary to the South," was born in Utica, N.Y., in 1816. He moved to Arkansas in 1856 and built an industrial complex in Pike Co. He helped draft an anti-secession resolution in 1860, but stayed with his adopted state when the war began. He was made a partisan captain to protect the mill in 1862, and in 1863 became a major of engineers. He tried to block the Arkansas River to protect Little Rock from capture, then retreated to southwest Arkansas with the army. Merrell died Jan. 19, 1883, and is buried in Camden.
Henry Merrell built the Royston Factory Mill, Arkansas first textile factory, 3 miles north of Murfreesboro in 1856. The complex also held saw, grist and flour mills. After the Civil War began, the factory made cloth for the Confederacy and Maj. R.C. Wood and his Missouri cavalry were stationed there to guard it from Union patrols. In late 1863, the factory mill was ordered dismantled and moved to Grand Prairie, Texas. Several major parts were lost or damaged during the move, so Merrell was sent to England for spare parts.
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Erected 2013 by Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Pike County Archives and History Society, Pike County Arkansas Humanities Council, Department of Arkansas Heritage Preserve America, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. (Marker Number 55.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 19, 1883.
Location. 34° 3.723′ N, 93° 41.398′ W. Marker is in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, in Pike County. It is at the intersection of Courthouse Square and South Washington Avenue (State Route 301), on the left when traveling east on Courthouse Square. Located at south side of the Pike County Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Courthouse Sq, Murfreesboro AR 71958, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains and in Caddo Territory. It is also in the American South, specifically in
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 2, 2018
2. Royston Factory Mill Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pike County Diamond Mines (within shouting distance of this marker); Pike County Court House (within shouting distance of this marker); A Multifaceted History (approx. 2.2 miles away); End of a Mystery: What is Below the Surface? (approx. 2.2 miles away); Star of Arkansas (approx. 2.2 miles away); Mine Shaft / Guard House (approx. 2.2 miles away); Amarillo Starlight (approx. 2.3 miles away); Okie Dokie (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Murfreesboro.
Also see . . . Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture article on Henry Merrel. (Submitted on August 5, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 2, 2018
3. View of the Henry Merrell / Royston Factory Mill Marker at the Pike County Courthouse.
Courtesy of James Lister Skinner III
4. Industrialist Henry Merrell.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 2, 2018
5. View south from marker towards the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,060 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 5, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
