Pocahontas, Arkansas

Pocahontas, Arkansas
City
Old Randolph County Courthouse in downtown Pocahontas
Seal
Location in Randolph County and the state of Arkansas
Coordinates: 36°15′49″N 90°58′24″W / 36.26361°N 90.97333°W / 36.26361; -90.97333Coordinates: 36°15′49″N 90°58′24″W / 36.26361°N 90.97333°W / 36.26361; -90.97333
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Randolph
Area
• Total	7.6 sq mi (19.5 km2)
• Land	7.4 sq mi (19 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)
Elevation	302 ft (92 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	6,608
• Density	869/sq mi (338/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	72455
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-56540
GNIS feature ID	0078067

Pocahontas is a city in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,765. The city is the county seat of Randolph County.

Pocahontas has a number of historic buildings, including:

This city was named after the Native American from Jamestown, Virginia. A statue of her is located in Overlook Park along the Black River.

The family of Dr. Ransom S. Bettis is given the credit for being the first settlers on the land now called Pocahontas. Dr. Bettis' daughter, Cinderella, married Thomas S. Drew, and lived on 800 acres where the town of Biggers now exists. Bettis and Drew led the founding of Pocahontas as the county seat of Randolph County.

Randolph County is famous for many "firsts"; Arkansas' oldest town, Davidsonville, was established in 1815. The first Arkansas post office was built in Davidsonville in 1817, and the first state courthouse was established in 1818. The earliest land claim was in 1809 near what is now Ravenden Springs. The first actual term of court convened in Arkansas was in 1815 in a part of Lawrence County that was given over to Randolph County. And the country's first overland route, the Natchitoches Trail, went through parts of Randolph County.

In 1835, the Territorial Legislature granted the formation of Randolph County from part of the area then called Lawrence County. The county was named after John Randolph, who was one of the first settlers in the area.

Randolph County encompasses the rolling hills of the Ozarks to the west and rich, flat farmland of the Mississippi Delta to the east. Five rivers flow through the county, providing access to fishing and canoeing. Soybeans, rice, and other grains are the principal crops in the Delta region, while cattle ranching dominates the hill country. The poultry industry is also a vital part of the area economy.

The industrial base is diversified, with products such as shoes, large truck trailers, technical components for communications, picture frames, golf bags and luggage, tool boxes, wood products and more.