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History of Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Arkadelphia, county seat of Clark County, is located on the Ouachita River, 75 miles south of Little Rock. Farming and timber are the two mainstays of the local economy. A community was settled in 1810 and incorporated in 1857. The present Clark County Courthouse was built in 1899 on the site of the previous courthouse. The city library, built in 1903, is one of the oldest library buildings in Arkansas. As the county seat of one of Arkansas' three oldest counties, Arkadelphia has retained a rich architectural heritage with historic houses dating back to the 1840's. Arkadelphia is the home of Henderson State University, organized in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, and Ouachita Baptist University, which opened its doors as Ouachita Baptist College in 1886. Local history is on display at the Clark County Historical Museum. Arkadelphia's hospital is Baptist Health Medical Center, formerly the Clark County Memorial Hospital.