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Photo Left: Jackson Military Road cut exiting Washington, Arkansas, to the North East (2005) This web site is intended to provide information for students and classrooms that have interest in the route and history of the Southwest Trail.
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Jackson Military Road (Arkansas, 1831), (otherwise known as the . . .) Southwest Trail (Arkansas portion), the National Road, U.S. Road, Arkansas Road, Red River Road, Chihuahua Road, Natchitoches Trail or Trace and by several other names. Arkansas' Southwest Trail, et al-- a Road of Many Names (RMN).
Click on the above thumbnail of Arkansas to see a map of the road and its approximate locations to current towns in Arkansas.
Why the Military Road of 1831?
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The first is to document and map the road. |
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The second is to obtain official historic status for the Arkansas portion of the route. |
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Third, we want to provide a written history of the impact the road had on the transportation, population, and economics of the region. |
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Fourth, the group is working to mark the route for future generations. |
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Finally, we are gathering lesson plans to be used by educators in the classroom on the subject. |
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Send
mail to Southwest Trail Reserach, 314 S Center St Lonoke, Arkansas
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Evidence
seems to suggest that prior to an official survey and development of this road
in 1831, the route, usually referred to as the Southwest Trail, was a matrix of
roads, cut-offs, along with winter and summer detours. The Military Road of 1831,
however, puts a "line in the dirt". Go
Our Mission