Blytheville in Mississippi County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
United States of America
Bicentennial 1776 - 1976
Photographed By Thomas Smith, December 5, 2022
1. United States of America Marker
Inscription.
United States of America. Bicentennial 1776 - 1976. Before 1776 this area was inhabited by Indian Mound builders, bayous were the only drainage and there was no flood control, there was an immense forest that consisted mostly of hardwoods and cypress, in the early 1900's drainage districts began to be organized, and ditches were dug to rid the land of water that sometimes stood year around, lumber industries developed and by 1940 most of the forest had been harvested. The cleared drained land became highly productive a farms. Cotton was the principal crop, but by 1950 soybeans were also grown abundantly. Blytheville Army Air Field was opened 1942 and reactivated as Blytheville Air Force Base in 1953. This made a significant contribution to the area’s culture and economy. After World War II the number of manufacturing industries began to increase, and in 1976 more were employed in commercial and industrial enterprises than in agriculture.
Before 1776 this area was inhabited by Indian Mound builders, bayous were the only drainage and there was no flood control, there was an immense forest that consisted mostly of hardwoods and cypress, in the early 1900's drainage districts began to be organized, and ditches were dug to rid the land of water that sometimes stood year around, lumber industries developed and by 1940 most of the forest had been harvested. The cleared drained land became highly productive a farms. Cotton was the principal crop, but by 1950 soybeans were also grown abundantly. Blytheville Army Air Field was opened 1942 and reactivated as Blytheville Air Force Base in 1953. This made a significant contribution to the area’s culture and economy. After World War II the number of manufacturing industries began to increase, and in 1976 more were employed in commercial and industrial enterprises than in agriculture.
Location. 35° 55.51′ N, 89° 54.29′ W. Marker is in Blytheville
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, Arkansas, in Mississippi County. Marker is at the intersection of W Vine Street and S. 3rd Street, in the median on W Vine Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Blytheville AR 72315, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 9, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2022, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 102 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 7, 2022, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. 3. submitted on December 8, 2022, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
