Arkansas Delta

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The Arkansas Delta is one of the five natural regions of the state of Arkansas. It runs along the eastern border of the state next to the Mississippi River. It is part of the Mississippi River alluvial plain, itself part of the Mississippi embayment. The flat plain is bisected by Crowley's Ridge, a narrow band of rolling hills rising from 250 to 500 feet above the plain and on which many of the major cities and towns lie, including its largest — Jonesboro. Its eastern border runs concurrent with the Mississippi River down to the state's southernmost tip. Its lower western border follows the Arkansas river just outside Little Rock down through Pine Bluff where the border shifts to Bayou Bartholomew stretching south to the Arkansas-Louisiana state line. While the Arkansas Delta shares many geographic similarities with the Mississippi Delta, it is distinguished by its five unique sub-regions including the St. Francis Basin, Crowley's Ridge, the White River Lowlands, the Grand Prairie, and the Arkansas River Lowlands .

The Arkansas Delta includes the entire counties of Arkansas, Chicot, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Greene, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, and St. Francis counties.[1] It also includes portions of Jackson, Prairie, Randolph, White, Pulaski, Lincoln, Jefferson, Lonoke and Woodruff counties.[citation needed]

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[edit] History

Arkansas' recorded history is anchored in the region, with early settlers crossing the Mississippi and settling among the swamps and bayous of east Arkansas, including the first state capital at Arkansas Post. Long before the arrival of settlers however, the region was home to Native Americans, with evidence of mound-building cultures dating back more than 12,000 years. Centuries later, initial American explorations of newly acquired lands from the Louisiana Purchase originated in present-day Monroe County. During the Civil War times, the region was dominated by plantation economy. Many African Americans were brought over throughout the early-to-mid-19th century to work on plantations as slaves. Counties maintaining the largest populations of slaves by 1860 included Phillips (8,941), Chicot (7,512), and Jefferson (7,146). After the Civil War, the region was decimated by the Union and most people lived in extreme poverty with many turning to sharecropping and tenant farming as a way of life. The area was heavily affected by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

[edit] Music

The Arkansas Delta, a land of vastly rich soil, is equally known for its vastly rich musical heritage. While defined primarily by its deep blues/gospel roots, it is distinguished somewhat from its Mississippi Delta counterpart by more intricately interwoven country music and R&B elements. Arkansas blues musicians have defined every genre of blues from its inception including ragtime, hokum, country blues, Delta blues, boogie-woogie, jump blues, Chicago blues, and blues-rock. Eastern Arkansas' predominantly African American population in cities like Helena, West Memphis, Pine Bluff, Brinkley, Cotton Plant, Forrest City and others has provided a fertile backdrop of juke joints, clubs and dance halls which have so completely nurtured this music. Many of the nation's blues pioneers were either born in the Arkansas Delta or lived in the region highlighting their craft. As a result, the region hosts several blues events throughout the year culminating in the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Fest. The festival averages about 85,000 people per day over its three day run and is rated in the top 10 music events in the nation by festivals.com.

Gospel music, the mother of Delta Blues, is enshrined in the lives and social fabric of residents. Many popular Delta artists in all other genres had their start singing or playing in church choirs and quartets. Given the historic racism and entrenched segregation in the Delta, the African American church and, by extension, its music, have taken on an even greater role in the lives of residents. Hence, African American gospel music's roots are deep in the Delta. Unlike blues, which has been historically dominated by men throughout the Delta, women have established a pioneering role in gospel music. From the quartet traditions which dominate south Arkansas to the classic and contemporary solo artists which have found national prominence in the east, gospel music in the Delta has made and continues to make a significant mark on the cultural landscape.

Additionally, the Arkansas Delta's country music roots have depth with legendary performers coming from the area. While more geographically dispersed throughout the region, these artists, nonetheless, represent the very best in country genres including bluegrass, rockabilly, folk music, and alternative country. This music underscores the long standing relationship between blues and country as one can often hear the influences of one in the other. As young country musicians continue to develop in the Delta, they continue to help the genre grow and evolve.

R&B music has also had a presence as an outgrowth of the strong blues and gospel traditions. Ostensibly, the East Central Delta area has produced a small number of talented and influential R&B artists.

[edit] Today

The Arkansas Delta economy is still dominated by agriculture. The main cash crop is cotton and other crops include rice and soybeans. Catfish farming continues to generate major revenue for Arkansas Delta farmers along with poultry production.

The Delta has some of the lowest population densities in the American South, sometimes less than 1 person per square mile. Demographics have remained the same since the Civil War — the region still has a very large African American population. Eastern Arkansas has the highest percentage of cities in the state with a predominately African American population. Since the nation's shift to urban centers and since the mechanization of farm technology during the past 60 years, the delta has experienced significant migration of its population. Such declining numbers have contributed to a diminished tax base hampering efforts to support education, infrastructure development, community health and other vital aspects of growth. The region is stricken with a combination of extreme poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment.

The Delta Cultural Center in Helena seeks to preserve and interpret the culture of the Arkansas Delta along with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's University and Cultural Museum. The Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in Pine Bluff is further charged with highlighting and promoting works of Delta artists.

The ivory-billed woodpecker, which had not been sighted since 1944 and is believed to be extinct, was reportedly seen in a swamp in east Arkansas in 2005.

[edit] Principal cities

[edit] Famous natives and residents

[edit] Musicians and performers

[edit] Higher education

[edit] Highways

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Region

[edit] External links

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