Wittsburg is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Cross County,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, United States. Wittsburg is located on the
St. Francis River and at the southern terminus of
Arkansas Highway 163
Highway 163 (AR 163, Ark. 163, and Hwy. 163) is a north–south state highway in Northeast Arkansas. The highway begins at Wittsburg and runs northeast to Highway 1, Highway 1 Business (AR 1B) and Crowley's Ridge Parkway (C ...
, east of
Wynne
Wynne is a surname of Welsh origin. This is a list of notable people with the surname, sorted by profession:
Art, literature, and music
* Bill Wynne (1922–2021), American photographer and writer
* David Wynne (composer) (1900–83), Wels ...
.
Wittsburg was created as a
port city
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
as the northernmost navigable point for
steamboats on the St. Francis River.
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
was shipped from the surrounding areas and stored in warehouses at Wittsburg for shipment and sale downstream in the big cotton cities like
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
or
.
When Cross County was created in 1862 during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Wittsburg was a thriving commercial and community hub in the region. Wittsburg was designated as the first
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
, but county business was actually conducted in
Pineville due to threats from
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
forces in the area.
Notable person
*
Thomas H. McCray
Thomas Hamilton McCray (1828 – Oct. 19, 1891) was an American inventor, a businessman and a Confederate States Army officer during the American Civil War.
Biography
Thomas McCray was born in 1828 near Jonesborough, Tennessee, to Henry and Marth ...
,
Confederate Army officer lived here after the war
See also
*
*
Wittsburg Fortification
References
Unincorporated communities in Cross County, Arkansas
Unincorporated communities in Arkansas
{{CrossCountyAR-geo-stub