August 6, 1850

The post office at Pea Ridge (Benton County) was established. The town was laid out by Robert Carroll Foster, and Robert H. Wallace was the first postmaster. The name Pea Ridge came from a variety of wild peas that grew in abundance on the ridges. The Native American groups and the settlers arriving from Tennessee and other states valued these peas as a food source for people and forage for livestock. The peas, commonly known as hog peanuts or turkey peas, are still found but in limited quantities.