You may think that Arkansas’ oldest city is its capital city of Little Rock or perhaps Arkansas Post, home of Arkansas’ first settlement and territorial capitol. However, you may be surprised to learn that the oldest city in the Natural State is Batesville.
Located in Independence County on the White River, Batesville lays claim to Arkansas’ oldest city, as it was incorporated in 1822—fourteen years before Arkansas became the 25th state.
In its early days, Batesville was a vital steamboat port on the White River and served as the entry point to the interior lands of northern Arkansas. Batesville played a significant role in the settling of the Ozark Mountain region, and served as the central land office for the area. In 1808, a treaty was signed by the Osage Indians and the federal government which gave the territory to the United States. Unlike other portions of Arkansas, this land was never returned to Indian control.
The first known settlement of the area now known as Batesville sprung up around 1810 at the mouth of Poke Bayou. By 1819, the community had a ferry across the White River and fifteen houses and buildings. For a brief time, the community was known as Napoleon (not to be confused with the southeast Arkansas town of the same name once located on the Mississippi River). What became the town of Batesville was laid out in early 1821, and on March 3, 1822, a bill of assurance was recorded and executed and the town's plat was laid out.
The town was named Batesville in honor of Judge James Woodson Bates. Bates was a territorial delegate who had helped spearhead efforts to establish the Arkansas Territory. In 1819, Judge Bates moved to the town that would bear his name and practiced law there, along with serving as a judge. Of notable interest, his older brother, Edward Bates, served as Attorney General under President Lincoln.
In 1821, Batesville became Independence County’s seat of government. The town’s first post office opened in 1822 with Nathan Cooke as its first postmaster. The first steamboat visit to Batesville took place on January 3, 1831 when Captain John Pennywit came to the city and docked his boat “The Waverly.” On September 25, 1836, shortly after Arkansas became a state, Gov. James Conway incorporated the state's first academy—Batesville Academy.
Between 1940 and 1941, Batesville was home to the minor league baseball team, the Batesville Pilots. The Pilots competed in the Northeast Arkansas Baseball League.
On July 31, 1964, country music superstar “Gentleman” Jim Reeves and his manager, Dean Manuel, left Batesville’s municipal airport. The two men were headed to Nashville in Reeves’ single-engine Beechcraft Debonair aircraft. Reeves was piloting the small place when it crashed later that day near Nashville International Airport. The crash killed both men.
Batesville is home to Lyon College (formerly Arkansas College), a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. Lyon is well-known for its annual Arkansas Scottish Festival held each fall. The city is also home to the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville.
Batesville contains three National Register Historic Districts and has several properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the 1842 Garrott House and the 1909 Cook-Morrow House. The Old Independence Regional Museum, which interprets the history of Batesville and the surrounding area, opened in 1998. The building that houses the museum was constructed by the Works Progress Administration in 1936, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Some of Batesville’s most famous residents include Arkansas’ 13th governor Elisha Baxter, current lieutenant governor Leslie Rutledge, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin and college and professional football player Ryan Mallett.
Batesville was listed in Norman Crampton's 1992 book The 100 Best Small Towns in America, coming in at #75. Just one visit to the charming river town and you will see why the oldest city in Arkansas made the prestigious list.
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