February 23, 1835

At age twenty-five, Meriwether Lewis Randolph, a grandson of Thomas Jefferson, was appointed by President Jackson to be the secretary of the Arkansas Territory, replacing William S. Fulton. Despite his strong connections with many influential families in Virginia, as well as intimate friendships with numerous U.S. presidents, he chose to settle on the Arkansas frontier. He obtained thousands of acres of land in Clark County with the intent of establishing a plantation and making his residence there. His education, family, and social ties offered great promise to the new state, but his contributions were cut short by an early death.