A history of Dardanelle,
since 1855
Postcards, papers and photographs of Dardanelle from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Dardanelle is one of the oldest cities in Arkansas. Officially incorporated in 1855, Dardanelle celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005. The area had been settled for years before that, though, first being established as a river town in the mid-18th century. It is Yell County's dual county seat, sharing that title with Danville.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Dardanelle’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old view1988 Survey Russellville and Dard…, 1890: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Dardanelle, decade by decade
CommonsThe longest pontoon bridge in the world, spanning Russellvi…1900
LOCA typical Arkansas cotton plantation Dardanelle, Arkansas1906
CommonsShipment of cotton from Dardanelle, Arkansas over the D and…1907
LOCDardanelle Rock from Norristown1907
LOCSignal point1907
LOCBirdseye view of Dardanelle, Ark1907
LOCA shipment of cotton from Dardanelle, Ark. over the D & R RR1907
MapDardanelle pontoon bridge on Sanborn Fire Map1909
CommonsMain St. Dardanelle on the Arkansaw - Sherwood T. Grissom1909
CommonsMain St. Dardanelle on the Arkansaw - Sherwood T. Grissom19091990s
10 historic places in Dardanelle
Dardanelle has 10 listings on the National Register, and they protect 37 historic buildings, because Dardanelle Commercial Historic District alone counts 30.
Where they are
When they were listed
Listed 1975Steamboat House
Listed 1987First Presbyterian Church
Listed 1992Yell County Courthouse
Listed 1996Dardanelle Confederate Monument
Listed 1996Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Listed 1998Dardanelle Agriculture and Post Office
Listed 2001Thomas James Cotton House
Listed 2007Brearley Cemetery Historic Section
Listed 2009Dardanelle Commercial Historic DistrictListed 2008Old Arkansas 22-Dardanelle SegmentThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1988 Survey Russellville and Dardanelle Vicinity (1890) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6) and the Library of Congress (5). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.