Arkansas numerous rivers and streams are among the great assets of the state today, but for much of our history those same waterways were as much hindrance as help. The lack of roads meant that rivers took on much of the responsibility for transportation, but they were great challenges to people traveling overland. Bridges, therefore, were among the most pressing infrastructure needs of 19th-century Arkansas.
Arkansas numerous rivers and streams are among the great assets of the state today, but for much of our history those same waterways were as much hindrance as help. The lack of roads meant that rivers took on much of the responsibility for transportation, but they were great challenges to people traveling overland. Bridges, therefore, were among the most pressing infrastructure needs of 19th-century Arkansas.