Faulkner Lifestyle Magazine September 2018

history
An Early Town that Failed
BY FRED PETRUCELLI
WITH UCA PROFESSOR WADDY MOORE
Many historians, pundits, and critics hundreds of years
later marvel at a development in state history that the
state capital is Little Rock instead of Cadron “an early
town that failed”.
Even Thomas Nuttall, the noted historian of the 19th century,
and Margaret Smith Ross, an Arkansas Gazette writer of the
day, marveled at the circumstances that developed in a curious
series of events in 1819.
During the pre-territorial period, the Cadron Settlement ranked
with those on the St. Francis River. Cadron was a very important
settlement along with Arkansas Post on the Arkansas
River. The towns were settled as early as 1808 by a group
headed by Alexander McFarland, who lived on the opposite
bank of the Arkansas River from Cadron.
Not too many years ago, a celebration took place at the Cadron
Settlement Park, a place that might have been the capital of
the state. Many thoughts on the development filtered through
the conversation at this event. Speculation about Cadron’s role
in Arkansas history give credence to the belief that the town
tetered on the brink of importance. The place was regarded as
the most important settlement on the river.
The story was told among members of the Faulkner County
Historical Society and others at the gathering that Cadron
18 faulkner lifestyle | september 2O18
FLM18-11278 Sept 2018.indd 18
8/24/18 1:13 PM