Dermott in Chicot County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Early Railroads in Chicot County

— Arkansas Sesquicentennial 1836 • 1986 —

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2023

1. Early Railroads in Chicot County Marker

Inscription.
The first railroad through this area was the Mississippi, Ouachita and Red River, begun in 1854 and extending westward from the Mississippi River. In 1875 it became the Little Rock, Mississippi and Texas railroad. In 1887 the north-south main line of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern, now a part of the Union Pacific system, was built through Dermott. This marker is placed at the site of the depot which was at the intersection of the two railroads.

Erected by Chicot County Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1854.

Location. 33° 31.682′ N, 91° 26.001′ W. Marker is in Dermott, Arkansas, in Chicot County. It is at the intersection of North Arkansas Street and East Iowa Street, on the right when traveling north on North Arkansas Street. Marker is located at the former railroad depot site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dermott AR 71638, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas Delta,

in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain,

and in the

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Quapaw Homeland.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in the Upper South,

in the Mississippi Delta,

and in the Great River Road Region.

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 17 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Crepe Myrtles on Seamans Drive (approx. 7.3 miles away); First Church and School in McGehee (approx. 7.3 miles away); Jerome Relocation Center (approx. 8.2 miles away); Col. Charles A. Lindbergh (approx. 15.3 miles away); Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh (approx. 15.3 miles away); New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 16.1 miles away); Chicot County Veterans Memorial (approx. 16.2 miles away); Chicot County (approx. 16.2 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Mississippi, Ouachita and Red River Railroad. Excerpt:

The Mississippi, Ouachita and Red River Railroad
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2023

2. Early Railroads in Chicot County Marker
(looking east • former railroad depot site in background • only some foundations remain)
Company (MO&RR) was the first railroad to begin construction in Arkansas. Chartered in 1852 by John Dockery of Columbia County, the railroad began at Eunice (Chicot County), south of Arkansas City (Desha County), in 1854. At the onset of the Civil War, the railroad was incomplete, extending approximately seven miles south and west from the Mississippi River. Completion of construction and actual operation of the railroad did not occur until well after the Civil War.

(Submitted on July 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway. Excerpt:

The Iron Mountain was initially established to deliver iron ore from Iron Mountain to St. Louis, Missouri. In 1883 the railway was acquired by Jay Gould, becoming part of a 9,547-mile system. On May 12, 1917, the company was officially merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which in turn was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1982.

(Submitted on July 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Dermott History. Excerpt:

After the Civil War, the town struggled to survive. The economy began
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2023

3. Union Pacific Freight Train
(Union Pacific freight train heading south on active tracks behind former railroad depot site)
recovering with the arrival of the railroads. The first to reach the town was the Mississippi, Ouachita & Red River line in 1872. It stretched westward from Gaines Landing (Chicot County) on the Mississippi River. In 1887, the north-south line of the Houston, Central Arkansas & Northern Railroad intersected with the Iron Mountain (formerly the Mississippi, Ouachita & Red River and becoming the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern in 1893), and Dermott began to prosper. The village along the tracks contained a rail station, a general merchandise store, a cotton gin, and a saloon.

(Submitted on July 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 546 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.