February 27, 1929

Arkansas Post, the first permanent European colony in the Mississippi River Valley, was established as a state park in an effort to recognize the area’s historic significance. The site in Arkansas County near what is now Gillett was settled by French traders in 1686, and was the site of a Quapaw village known as Osotowy. The actual post was moved several times because of flooding. The move to mark the site and preserve knowledge of its significance was led by Fletcher Chenault, a columnist of the Arkansas Gazette.