ARKANSAS (ante), one of the United States, the 12th in the order of accession after the original thirteen. The first white settlements within the bounds of the pres ent state (which is a part of the Louisiana purchase of 1803) were made about 1670-80 by Frenchmen near the junction of the St. Francis river with the Mississippi. After Louisiana had been admitted as a state, the remainder of the purchase was organized as the territory of Missouri; and after Missouri applied to become a state, the terri tory of A., including the present Indian territory, was formed, Mar. 2, 1819. A state constitution was formed Mar. 1, 1836, and A. was admitted as a state June 15 of the same year. The name is from that of the chief river; the nick name is " Bear state." The boundary of A. is the Mississippi river up to 36°, where the n. boundary runs w. to the St. Francis river, and n. up that stream to the famous political line dividing free from slave territory or 36" 30' n. ; thence directly w. to the s.w. corner of Mis souri, and then s. on the line of the Indian territory, about 94° 30', to Red river; then e. a short distance with the river, then s. direct to the n. line of Louisiana 33°, and finally e. on that parallel to the Mississippi river. The area of A. is 52,198 sq.m.. The sur face in the e. is level and broken with swzarips, bayous, and small lakes, large tracts being subject to overflow when the Mississippi is high. In the central portion are hilly and rolling lauds, and w. and n.w. are wide prairies. There are no mountains of importance in the state; the Ozark hills rise 1500 to 2000 ft., and there are isolated peaks reaching 3000 ft. The Arkansas river crosses the state from n.w. to s.e., and is navigable throughout; the other rivers of the state are St. Francis, White, Big Black, Washita, and Saline. The Red river enters the s.w. corner, and for a short distance forms the boundary between A. and Texas. More than half the counties of A. are bordered or traversed by navigable streams, and the whole state is well watered. There are no lakes worth naming. The surface in the n. and w. is rolling and beau. tiful.
The search for precious metals in A. has not been successful; but there seems to be a large supply of lead, of paying quantity, in some places yielding 7-0 per cent of metal to the ton of ore, with 50 oz. of silver besides. There arc also ores of copper, zinc, manga
nese, and iron, some of the latter ores being of the very best quality. Coal deposits underlie nearly 8,000,000 acres in the state, the coal being slightly bituminous and easily mined. Beds of lignite have been discovered; also pink and gray marble, slate of first quality, and the excellent Arkansas oil-stone. There are also grit, or millstone, and grindstone. porcelain clay, mineral miters, granite and other building stone, salt, and marls. Mineral and medicinal springs are found, and the hot springs, at the town of that name, 60 tri. s.w. from Little Rock, have a world-wide fame. There are more than 50 of them, varying in temperature from 93° to 148', largely impregnated with carbonic acid and various alkalies and carbonates, and supposed to be of benefit in many chronic diseases. Similar springs are found in other places in the state, and in Fulton co. there is an immense fountain charged with carbonic acid or other effervescing substance, con stantly in action and of even temperature (60') at all seasons. This spring discharges about 15,000 bbls. of water every hour.
Except along the swampy grounds near the Mississippi, the climate of A. is pleasant and healthful. Malarial diseases occur, but the dreaded yellow fever, which so often devastates the eastern side of the Mississippi, is seldom violent in A. The greater part of the state is exceptionally salubrious, as the mortality records of the census show. Vegetation is prolific. There are large forests of cypress, oak, pine, red cedar, walnut, sassafras, locust, maple, and mulberry trees. The osage orange grows to great size. Besides these we find beech, sycamore, ash, elm, hickory. cotton-wood, hackberry, willow, holly, butternut, box-elder, plum, dogwood, palmetto, ironwood, laurel, juniper, scrub oak, hazel, sumac, etc., and occasionally cane-brake. There are wild plums, haws, persimmons, pawpaws, whortleberries, and chinquapins. Of cultivated fruits peaches, apples, apricots, nectarines, cherries, grapes, strawberries, etc., abound. Corn and all the cereals are easily grown, arid bring large returns; but cotton-raising is the leading business, and cotton is grown in all parts of the state. There are many varie ties of native grasses, and hay is one of the most important crops.