Near Cord in Independence County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Southwest Trail

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 22, 2023

1. Southwest Trail Marker

Inscription. Down this road came the settlers who settled Arkansas and the southwest.

What once began as an Indian footpath became a major route of migration for settlers into the Arkansas Territory by 1819.

The trail bypassed the swamps of eastern Arkansas and skirted the Ozark plateau.

By 1830, twenty-four thousand settlers had come to Arkansas by way of the Southwest Trail.

Today, some of the trail's segments in Independence County are the best preserved in the state.

Other names the trail has been known as Old Military Road, the National Road, the “Arkansaw” Road, Red River Road, the Chihuahua Road and the Natchitoches Trace.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1819.

Location. 35° 50.264′ N, 91° 23.163′ W. Marker is near Cord, Arkansas, in Independence County. Marker is on Walden Road north of White Drive (Arkansas Route 25), on the left when traveling north. Located in front of Walnut Grove Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 60 Walden Rd, Sulphur Rock AR 72579, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 15 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Walnut Grove (within shouting distance of this marker); Town of Cord (approx. 2.9 miles away); Independence County Poor Farm and Burial Ground

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(approx. 11.2 miles away); In Honor of all who Served (approx. 11½ miles away); Jackson County Courthouse (approx. 14.3 miles away); The Courthouse (approx. 14.3 miles away); Surrender at Jacksonport (approx. 14.3 miles away); Jacksonport Civil War Cannon (approx. 14.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cord.

Also see . . . Southwest Trail. Nineteenth-century travelers referred to the trail by different names, including Arkansas Road, National Road, U.S. Road, Military Road, Natchitoches Trace, and Red River Road. (Scott Akridge, Encyclopedia of Arkansas) (Submitted on April 24, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Southwest Trail Marker (back side) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 22, 2023

2. Southwest Trail Marker (back side)

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 22, 2023

3. Southwest Trail Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 84 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 24, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.