Through the Captain's Eyes
Geography Made Calico Rock
LANDSCAPES
THE RIVER​
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Traveling up the White River became impossible beyond Calico Rock during most of the year due to the nearly dry river conditions. Calico Rock was the northernmost location steamboats could travel year-round.
CREEKS​
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Creeks in the area provided great docking locations for keelboats, steamboats and barges. The creeks were teeming with beaver and wildlife that could be hunted and trapped. The pelts were a great source for trading and income.
TRADING​
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Pelts, lumber, cotton, and natural resources from the region could easily be traded with buyers on steamboats for staple items that weren't easily found in the area.
TIMBER​
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The hills and mountains were covered with virgin Pine timber forests that were ripe for the harvesting. The logs were transported by creeks or along the gentle slopes to the steamboat dock at Calico Landing for trading.
COTTON
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While not the prime location for growing cotton like the Arkansas Delta, cotton was grown in and around Calico Rock. Cotton was taken to the cotton gin and baled. The bales would sit on the dock until the steamboat came, sometimes 3 months.
NATURAL BEAUTY
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The natural beauty at Calico Rock is breathtaking and suitable for farming, building a settlement, and raising a family. The White River brought settlers and explorers to Calico Rock and the natural beauty has kept them coming for decades.
