December 30, 1969

The gates on the spillway of the Arkansas River Lock and Dam No. 13 at Barling (Sebastian County) were closed, which meant that river navigation reached Fort Smith (Sebastian County). This signaled the completion of 300 miles of navigable water in Arkansas. The dedication was attended by 400 people, despite the cold weather. The official name of the project is the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The lowering of the gates had begun after brief comments by attending dignitaries, all of whom had been given certificates admitting them to the “Distinguished Order of Button Pushers.”