Monroe County, Arkansas (Images of America Series)

Monroe County is situated on some of the richest soil in the Arkansas Delta region and has supported an agrarian culture for more than two centuries. The initial survey point of the Louisiana Purchase lies here in a black-water swamp, marking the origin of nearly every township boundary and property line in 15 states. The Great Flood of 1927 devastated the county, destroying vast acres of farmland and displacing thousands of families. Monroe County is home to two large wildlife management areas, including the Cache River Wildlife Management area, where the ivory-billed woodpecker, once considered extinct, was sighted in 2004. However, the real history of Monroe County is a story of the brave and diligent people that cleared the land and forged a new life through prosperity and drought, driven by their love of family and friends.

Author Terri L. Kuczynski is the assistant director of the Central Delta Depot Museum and is the secretary to the Central Delta Historical Society, Inc. The historical society maintains the museum through its many devoted members and volunteers, who are committed to preserving, documenting, and exhibiting materials that convey the rich history of the Arkansas Delta.